Do You Need To See ‘Jurassic World’ Before Seeing ‘Rebirth?'

I am not immune to big, shiny blockbusters. Some of my fondest memories as a child involve going to see bombastic movies on the biggest screens I could find. Sitting down for something that is almost strictly “popcorn” entertainment is a great way to pass the time. As I’ve aged, franchise films have more or less taken over that space. It’s all superheroes and sequels, and the idea of just going to a theater to see a summer tentpole movie without having to do any homework has gotten less likely. So, before I possibly snag a ticket to see the seventh Jurassic Park film, I have a few questions. Chief among them: Will I enjoy it if I haven’t seen the last three films?

Yes, I have not seen a single Jurassic World film. I saw the first three films in theaters, but I think my experience with the first is most representative of how I feel about them. I was four when I saw the first one (I’ve done the math). Despite being (arguably) too young, I was sitting in that theater and marveled at the giant dinosaurs coming to life onscreen. Then, right when the lawyer gets eaten, I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the credits rolled. I recently rewatched the movie, and was in tears for most of the first half, then just felt kind of numb to the whole endeavor after the lawyer became a snack. I haven’t revised the two sequels in years and likely won’t until my kids are old enough to watch them.

None of this is a knock on those earlier films. Jurassic Park is a masterpiece. It just didn’t hit me at the right age to form any kind of attachment. So, when Jurassic World was announced, I was decidedly disinterested. Then, it made over a billion dollars, and friends kept telling me how good it was, but I still didn’t care. I didn’t need to see Chris Pratt training raptors, and I don’t even mind Chris Pratt. All the ingredients were there for a fun Summer blockbuster, I resisted, and just moved on with my life. Then, a big ole sequel dropped in theaters, and it looked insane.

I’m going to go from memory here, because I did not see Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. But the trailers seemed to imply that, with dinosaurs now back on the menu thanks to yet another unsuccessful attempt at turning them into theme park attractions, the military was trying to turn them into weapons. Okay! That sounded pretty interesting, and there was maybe even a haunted house element to it? Also, it was bringing back Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcom, who was my favorite character from the earlier films because his toy had glasses. It still wasn’t enough to pull me back in, and, since I didn’t see the first World, I thought I might be lost.

But wait! There was another! Jurassic World: Dominion hit theaters just three years ago, and brought back Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neil! I remember all those folks! Now they’re older and grizzled and dealing with locusts apparently? Do I have that right? I did not see Dominion. It looked like absolute nonsense, and then sounded like absolute nonsense. The continuity built up in the films seemed even more intimidating, so I avoided it like the plague. I realized at that point that the franchise likely isn’t for me. Then, Jurassic World Rebirth came along.

The new movie looks fun, but also a little scarier than the others. It’s got Mahershala Ali and Scarlett Johansson. While it sounded like it was rushed into production, there are elements in the trailers that intrigued me, to say the least. It looks like Jurassic World has fallen, but dinosaurs also roam the Earth, but maybe that has changed as well? Like, they’re now stuck somewhere? And there was another one who was an experiment, and its name is Distortus rex, likely because it’s distorted (get it?), making it feel like the Unobtanium of the Jurassic World universe. These all feel like elements that could be interesting, but will I know what’s going on?

Do I have to see the three Jurassic World films to enjoy this one? Or even in general? There is a bit of FOMO, as the movies made so much goddamn money. That isn’t a surefire sign of quality; it just makes me wonder if I am actually missing out on something. But mainly, I want to know if I can shell out some bucks on a fun summer movie without being bogged down by what came before. Especially because what came before is almost eight hours’ worth of story.