麻花视频

The new offering from director Gareth Edwards borrows moments from 鈥淛aws,鈥� reaction shots from 鈥淐lose Encounters of the Third Kind鈥� and a 鈥渨ait and see鈥� approach from the original 鈥淛urassic Park.鈥�

Here, a new group of explorers are on the hunt for abandoned, mutant dinosaurs听鈥� ones that might provide answers for a money-hungry pharmaceutical company.

They hire a mercenary of sorts (Scarlett Johansson) to lead an expedition to a site near the equator where those mutants live because the Earth鈥檚 climate has become 鈥渋nhospitable鈥� to the animals. There, they鈥檙e supposed to extract blood from three species and bring it back to the drug lords. Naturally, there鈥檚 a greasy executive making sure the journey goes as planned.

A paleontologist (Jonathan Bailey) and folks from the mercenary鈥檚 past sign on. On the way (a nod to 鈥淛aws鈥�) they rescue a family that has been shipwrecked after meeting up with the Mosasaurus (and, no, don鈥檛 start looking for it. The mutants are made for the film).

While trying to get that blood, Johansson, Bailey and Mahershala Ali have Indiana Jones-like close calls and nearly end up as dino-bites. The boat family, meanwhile, is off in another part of the island trying to get to safety. They have a raft of adventures and grab a mini-dinosaur they name Dolores.

Reuniting everyone, getting them to an extraction point and avoiding whatever else waits in an abandoned laboratory is where 鈥淩ebirth鈥� looks strangely familiar. A helicopter is supposed to rescue the remaining but has its battle, too. Look closely and you鈥檒l see product placement for Snickers (shades of 鈥淓.T.鈥� and Reese鈥檚 Pieces).

While the three stars are great at buying into the film鈥檚 familiarity, they鈥檙e often off in their own film while the family is riding in another. That group has children (a 鈥淛urassic鈥� plus) and a snarky kid (played by David Iacono) who brings the film鈥檚 fun. Easily, either story strain could have been mined for more.

Johansson is game for much of this; Bailey gets some of the best stunt work. But when that evil pharmaceutical dude starts to offer ultimatums, 鈥淛urassic World Rebirth鈥� seems more retread. Luckily, writer David Koepp repeats history with the character.

Because there鈥檚 a 鈥渨hat鈥檚 next?鈥� journey for the extractions, it鈥檚 likely a sequel is in pre-production.

What this film tells us is there鈥檚 a huge appetite for dinosaur adventure films. They don鈥檛 have to be good (or even unpredictable), they just have to be.

On that note, 鈥淩ebirth鈥� fills the bill. But the first 鈥淛urassic World鈥� was more interesting, particularly since it let us see what a Jurassic Park might look like. This spends too much time stomping around a jungle we鈥檇 never want to visit.