The highly anticipated film "Jurassic World: Rebirth," starring Scarlett Johansson and directed by Gareth Edwards, is poised for its Independence Day premiere. Prior to its release, the movie drew speculation due to its delayed review embargo, and its initial critical reception has proven lukewarm. Critics have frequently highlighted the franchise's tendency towards repetition over originality as a significant flaw, prompting questions about the long-term viability of the "Jurassic Era."

Currently, "Jurassic World: Rebirth" holds a "rotten" score of 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 98 reviews. This rating marks it as director Gareth Edwards' lowest-received and only "rotten" venture, a stark contrast to the favorable reception of his prior monster-horror reboot, 2014's "Godzilla" (76%), and his most commercially successful film to date, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (84%). The critical consensus for "Rebirth" echoes a shared sentiment among audiences and critics: that the Jurassic franchise may have exhausted its narrative potential. This modest score could also presage a challenging box office performance, especially when considering strong competition from films like "F1: The Movie," which boasts an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Despite its struggles, "Jurassic World: Rebirth" does represent an improvement over its immediate predecessor, "Jurassic World: Dominion," which achieved a franchise low with a 29% rotten score. When compared across the entire Jurassic Park/World filmography, "Rebirth" (54%) outperforms "Dominion" (29%), "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (47%), and "Jurassic Park III" (49%). However, it falls short of "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (52%), "Jurassic World" (72%), and Steven Spielberg's original classic, "Jurassic Park" (91%), which remains the highest-rated installment in the series.

A pivotal element of "Jurassic World: Rebirth" is the return of seasoned screenwriter David Koepp, who previously wrote the original "Jurassic Park" (1993) and its sequel "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997). After a 28-year hiatus from penning full Jurassic screenplays, Koepp was personally persuaded by Steven Spielberg to rejoin the project. Koepp was drawn to the opportunity to implement a "reset" featuring new characters and a fresh storyline, while crucially maintaining continuity with the events of the preceding three films – a point on which Koepp is adamant, expressing dislike for franchises that erase past installments.

The plot of "Jurassic World: Rebirth" is set in a world where dinosaurs roam freely and thrive near the equator. The story revolves around Martin Krebs (portrayed by Rupert Friend), a pharmaceutical executive of questionable ethics. Krebs is convinced that certain dinosaurs possess the key to curing human heart disease, a discovery that could generate trillions of dollars for his corporation. He assembles a team, including Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey, to venture into a dinosaur-rich area to obtain the necessary samples. Predictably, this perilous expedition leads to dangerous encounters, with more than one human falling victim to the dinosaurs.

Koepp initially harbored reservations about returning, concerned he might feel like a "sad sack" attempting to recapture a sentiment from three decades prior. However, he quickly found renewed enthusiasm, aiming to revive the fun and tone of the original "Jurassic Park" rather than the darker ambiance of "The Lost World." His preparation involved rereading Michael Crichton's novels, from which he drew inspiration, incorporating elements such as the long-desired "raft scene" that had been omitted from earlier films due to budget and nascent CGI limitations. Koepp also integrated well-researched scientific concepts and direct lines from Crichton's books, finding that blending Crichton's, Spielberg's, and his own creative perspectives helped him achieve the desired tone.

Regarding the franchise's future, Koepp mused on the possibility that "Rebirth" might not necessitate a new trilogy. He contemplated a series structure akin to "World War Z," where each film introduces entirely new characters and is set in a different global location, indicating his strong interest in writing more "Jurassic" movies. He even shared a humorous, albeit ultimately deemed inappropriate, line from an early script draft: "They approach the dinosaurs in the field. Let’s just put it this way, they have eight legs between them but only six are on the ground," underscoring his meta-commentary on the entertainment industry's perpetual demand for novelty.

Scarlett Johansson’s role in "Jurassic World: Rebirth" has also garnered attention. Given the film’s critical reception, her individual performance as "Eleanor the Great" received a modest 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. This performance deviates from her 2019 career peaks in "Avengers: Endgame" and her Academy Award-nominated roles in "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit." Her more recent films since departing the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as "Fly Me to the Moon" (63%) and "My Mother’s Wedding" (28%), have reportedly also experienced significant commercial and critical struggles, prompting discussion about her trajectory in leading roles.

"Jurassic World: Rebirth" is slated for theatrical release by Universal Pictures on Wednesday, July 2.