While far from an uneven franchise’s worst, “Jurassic World Rebirth” has a peculiar sense of pacing and a grim endurance-test tone.

Toward the beginning of Jurassic World Rebirth, Dr. Henry sighs, "Nobody cares about these animals anymore. They deserve better." It's hard to disagree. Dinosaurs—the real creatures who represent so much fascination and curiosity and wonder that we’ve pretty much ejected from our collective dreams—deserve so much better than this.

Sorry, Scarlett Johansson. The T. rex and pals are the real stars of "Jurassic World Rebirth," a wobbly adventure that doubles as a heist movie.