On June 11, 1993, the film world was forever changed when the highly successful novel Jurassic Park written by Michael Crichton was adapted by Steven Spielberg for cinema. The film would become a must-see event at the time, pushing the boundaries of what anyone thought CGI and special effects were capable of, winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It would become the highest-grossing movie ever at the time with a grand total of over $914 million worldwide.
A franchise would soon be born with novel adaptations, video games, toys, collectibles, and theme park attractions would be released following the success of the film. Michael Crichton would be encouraged by many including Steven Spielberg to write a sequel novel that would be quickly adapted into the film “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”, which broke many box office records as well. The franchise would fizzle out however with “Jurassic Park III” not performing nearly as well as expected both critically and commercially.
It would take 14 years for the series to make a big return, with “Jurassic World” performing so well at the box office, passing the $1 billion mark, that the dinosaur franchise has become more popular than ever with generations old and new. On June 10, 2022, the Jurassic franchise would mark its end with “Jurassic World: Dominion”.
It’s a franchise that has seen its ups and downs, with some questionable plot lines in many of the films. Yet, there is no denying the game changer Jurassic Park will always be, especially for all of us dino nerds. Jurassic times call for Jurassic measures, and now we must decide which of these monster films stands above the rest like the Brachiosaurus.
Let’s dive into the rankings 65 million years in the making.
6. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Fallen Kingdom isn’t necessarily a bad movie. It has some fun sequences including the dinosaurs running amuck in the mansion auction and the impressive volcanic eruption of Isla Nublar. Despite some fun moments, this entire film drags on with a plot that is barely comprehensible. A cloned granddaughter becomes such a huge focus, and let’s face it, that is not why anyone watches these films. Almost every character introduced is immediately unlikeable, and even Claire and Owen become slightly more annoying in this one. By the end, it’s hard not too root for the dinosaurs eating everyone just to save us from all the confusion.
5. Jurassic Park III (2001)
“Jurassic Park III” is arguably a worse movie than Fallen Kingdom. However, it doesn’t drag on for nearly as long, so it edges it out. There is also a really fun fight between the T-Rex and Spinosaurus that has stayed with me as a kid and peaked my dinosaur interest. Does it make a ton of sense for Dr. Alan Grant to return to the land of dinosaurs after everything he went through? Not really. And is it upsetting that him and Ellie are no longer together? Absolutely. Does the talking dinosaur in the plane take away from any believability this franchise had? 100%. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun, albeit ridiculous, harmless dinosaur flick that is easier to enjoy without comparing it to the others.
4. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Unlike the other movies above, the acting in The Lost World is actually good, which makes the characters much easier to connect with and care for. The quirkiness of Ian Malcom is toned down in order for him to be a leading man, which is unfortunate but also allows him to build a more emotional connection with Julianne Moore’s Sarah. The pacing is a bit slow, and some of the dinosaur bits on the island feel repetitive. The action truly picks up in San Diego, where we get an homage to Godzilla. Even a mid-Spielberg film is still a better than average film, and “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” is an enjoyable piece of dinosaur cinema that carries the weight of its predecessor.
3. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
While the final film in the franchise may have the worst critic reviews of the bunch, to this writer, it is fan service at its finest. Bringing back Alan, Ellie and Ian to play with Owen and Claire doesn’t make a ton of sense, but let’s be real, believability was thrown out the window after the first film. The storyline is much easier to follow than Fallen Kingdom and seeing the dinosaurs interact with other species and the human world is such a fun and interesting concept that hopefully gets explored in future films (with more likeable leads… sorry Owen and Claire, but you just ain’t it). There are also a lot of callbacks and Easter eggs connected to the first film that wraps up this series of movies with a nice bow.
2. Jurassic World (2015)
Perhaps it was the longing for the return of epic dinosaur battles or the way it perfectly balanced new age beliefs and technology with nostalgia, but there is just something so fun and special about “Jurassic World”. Getting to see John Hammond’s vision come to life in a modern way, and the disastrous effects it has speaks to a larger theme of people not learning from past mistakes. Although the human characters are pretty average, the dinosaurs are developed tremendously that a deep emotional connection is made with Raptor Blue. The action sequences are exciting, the meta-humour is on-point, and while it’s certainly no Spielberg masterpiece, it was an excellent way to revive the franchise.
1. Jurassic Park (1993)
There is nothing quite like the original. Almost every scene in this film has become an iconic piece of cinema history. From the Jurassic Park gates opening to reveal a Brachiosaurus with that amazing John Williams score to the T-Rex flipping the van to the Dilophosaurus spitting poison, “Jurassic Park” is magic in a bottle. Spielberg invests time developing the characters of Drs. Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and Ian Malcolm to perfection that we care about every move they make. Even John Hammond is such a sympathetic villain that unlike every other baddy in the films on this list, you aren’t rooting for him to get eaten by the dinosaurs. It’s a fantastic film that positively changed the world of cinema forever.
What’s your favourite Jurassic Park movie? Let us know in the comments below or on one of our social media channels. And make sure to follow Frozen Mouse Fever for all your Disney and Universal needs.
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