Film: Jurassic World Rebirth

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey

Directed by: Gareth Edwards

Duration: 2 hours 13 minutes

Rating: * * *

When Steven Spielberg direct?ed Jurassic Park (1993), inspired by Michael Crichton's novel, it marked a significant turning point in cinema. Never before had such visual effects been used combined with a thrilling story told in a masterly manner. Although technology has advanced over the years, the depiction of dinosaurs remains largely unchanged, and the storytelling has not seen any remarkable enhancements.

Jurassic World Rebirth is the seventh instalment in the Jurassic franchise and the fourth entry in the Jurassic World series. David Koepp, who co-wrote the original film and its first sequel, returns as a writer, while Gareth Edwards, known for Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One (2016), takes on the role of director.

Almost everything that had to be said and done with the dinosaurs has been said and done - well, almost. This film serves as a direct sequel to the 2022 release, Jurassic World Dominion, which achieved significant box office success.

Rebirth begins with a prologue set couple of decades in the past, where an experimental laboratory on an island experiences chaos due to a chocolate wrapper, leading to the release of dinosaurs from their confinement and resulting in a disaster.

Life has progressed, and society is at peace, except for the corporate entities associated with Big Pharma. Rupert (Martin Krebs) proposes a plan to extract blood samples from living dinosaurs residing on an equatorial island. They are aware that three distinct hybrids exist there, whose blood could be invaluable in combating heart diseases - and generating substantial profits as well.

The first person he recruits for the mission is Zora (Scarlett Johansson)who possesses extensive experience with dangerous missions. The financial incentive is what motivates her to accept the role.

They require additional crew members - Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), a palaeontologist with a fondness for those creatures, joins them alongside Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), the captain and proprietor of the vessel involved in this illicit operation. He also has a longstanding partnership with Zora.

Meanwhile, nearby, a family of four is vacationing on their sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean. The father (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) and his two daughters, along with the elder daughter's boyfriend, find themselves in a precarious situation.

It does not take long for the hybrid dinosaurs to emerge- they are present in the water, on land, and in the air. Gradually, they begin to eliminate the supporting characters one by one, and the narrative progresses as anticipated. The presence of a top-tier cast, particularly with Johansson and Mahershala Ali, is helpful. There is a considerable amount of action that maintains a brisk pace, although the superfluous dialogue regarding the past does not contribute any meaningful value.

Rebirth is predictable but it is also fun - as much fun as one can expect the seventh instalment of a franchise.

Film: Metro. In Dino

Cast: Konkana Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Soha Ali Khan

Directed by: Anurag Basu

Duration: 2 hours 43 minutes

Rating: * *

When Anurag Basu made Life in a..Metro (2007) it was like a fresh breeze of air. The narratives of individuals within a city possessed a unique charm, and the storytelling captured your interest. Metro. In Dino serves as a spiritual sequel to that film, adhering to the same format of an anthology of stories. However, with a runtime exceeding 160 minutes, it loses momentum in the latter half.

Depicting emotions and relationships on screen in a balanced manner is challenging. You hope that will connect with the audience and not grate on their nerves. Although the stories and characters appear authentic in this film, the narrative drags.

Consider the subplot featuring Anupam Kher's character. He portrays an elderly gentleman whose wife and son died in an accident, his daughter-in-law lives with him and won't move on with her life. In an attempt to provoke her, he invites his college sweetheart (Neena Gupta) to his home, someone he has not seen since 1979, and feigns a romantic encounter while mistreating his daughter-in-law, to encourage her to move on. It is fair to say that this subplot is as laborious as straightening a jalebi. Moreover, this entire storyline is not resolved in a few brief scenes; it intertwines with the other stories and continues for what feels like an eternity.

The other stories revolve around themes of infidelity, marital issues, commitment issues, and several other intricate characters. Set in various metropolitan cities, we are introduced to Monty (Pankaj Tripathi) and Kajol (Konkana Sen Sharma), a couple whose marital spark has faded. They have a teenage daughter grappling with a sexual identity crisis. Sara Ali Khan plays Kajol's sister, who resides in a different city and is engaged to a shoulder shrugging colleague who seems indifferent even when their boss behaves inappropriately with her. Aditya Roy Kapoor portrays a commitment-phobic character, one of those 'cool' Don Juan types, who is quite popular with women. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Ali Fazal depict a married couple facing their own challenges-he is a struggling musician who has achieved minimal success and has left his corporate job to pursue his passion for music. She is expecting their child and must manage the added burden of supporting the family. Additionally, there is a storyline involving Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta, where she is married to Saswata Chatterjee.

The relationships and their complexities are established in the first half of the film, which it handles reasonably well. However, the resolution is where the film falters, ultimately simplifying everything to a point where all ends well.

For most parts the film is quite verbose and, add to it, there is constant background music in almost every scene. Pritam and his team serve as the narrators, providing melodies as they did in the original film as well. On the acting front, Irrfan is missed but the cast put their best foot forward.

Metro..In Dino is a sincerely made film but to be as effective as intended, it had to be ?crisper.

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