Even before the popular author, John Michael Crichton, published his latest novel, studios were racing to purchase the rights to spin it into the newest movie. Universal Studios and Steven Spielberg ended up acquiring it for $1.5 million dollars, and eventually were able to spin it into a six movie franchise that grossed over $6 billion world wide, this franchise of course being Jurassic park.
Since the original Jurassic Park (1993) every movie following is a hot debate topic, from the best, the worst, the scariest, best cast. The franchise has a world of never ending arguments and-for a reason not even I know- I watched every Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movie to share my personal list from worst to best. As always, spoilers ahead.
1. Jurassic Park lll
The worst movie award goes to Jurassic Park lll, now this is not an uncommon belief held by Jurassic Park fans. Many fans, including myself, see the hasty, not well thought out plot. The third installment of the Jurassic Park franchise follows a wide range of characters, two being the iconic Ellie Satler and Alan Grant that fans know and love. Alan Grant is trying to get funding for a scientific study that he works on with Ellie Satler. When nothing else works, a wealthy couple-Paul and Amanda Kirby- offer to fund the research as long as Alan takes them on a tour of the dinosaur infected island of Isla Sorna. From there, the typical Jurassic Park disasters ensue.
For me personally not only did the plot feel more random than anything, but it also felt like the stakes were very low. The biggest stake in the film is of course the characters losing their lives, and yes that is a large stake but that’s all, there’s no other high risk element other than death. Death being the only stake after previously seeing movies in the same world, where the stakes were much higher causes the goal of the film to matter much less and a lot of interesting aspects fall flat. An aspect of the film I do really enjoy is the “big bad” of the movie, the Spinosaurus. It’s one of the only movies in the entire franchise that features a different dinosaur other than a T-rex as the movie’s monster. I think that aspect really sets the movie apart from the others; it also made for some very unique and terrifying action scenes.
2. Jurassic World
Jurassic World left an interesting taste in my mouth, even after all the times I’ve watched it. The film is set 22 years after the events of Jurassic Park, following brothers Zach and Gray Mitchell on their winter break trip. The new and ‘improved’ park is on Isla Nubar managed by Claire, the Mitchell brothers’ aunt . We soon see that the Indominus Rex, a genetically modified super dinosaur, has escaped from her enclosure and then wreaks havoc on the park.
There are many things I love about this movie, and also many things I can’t stand. One thing I love is of course the Indominus Rex, she’s a very terrifying addition to this sequel. We are not only told how impressive and dangerous she is but then we actively see the destruction she causes so easily. I believe this movie sets up the entire Jurassic World trilogy very nicely and cleanly, introducing new concepts while staying loyal to the original. But with all the praise comes criticism too, I personally find this movie very very boring. Of course this is an action packed movie, but many of the scenes and moments between all the dinosaur inflicted chaos, fall very flat. Although the brothers aren’t recurring characters for the rest of the trilogy, they do star in Jurassic World, and even as the stars I don’t find myself connecting to either one. They aren’t unredeemable or completely unlikeable, they as characters are just not given enough space to do anything that really gets the audience rooting for them.
3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
To put it blankly, this movie was a painfully average movie. After the acclaimed release of Jurassic Park (1993), audiences were begging for more, which is what created the rushed and not so beloved second novel and film of Jurassic Park. The film opens four years after the original incident on Isla Nublar, with a British family anchoring their yacht on the nearby beaches of Isla Sorna. The young daughter ventures off on her own and is soon attacked by a Compsognathus, which leads into the main plot. InGen-the company who created Jurassic park- attempting to take control of the media disaster by sending a team off to the island to contain the dinosaur clones.
I have nothing to say on this film, which is very rare for me. Nothing particularly stood out to me, it wasn’t bad nor was it good. All I can say is that I would most likely not watch it again.
4. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
I deeply enjoyed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I feel like it ties in older movies, Jurassic World, and sets up for Jurassic World: Dominion extremely well. I also believe it has the best opening over any Jurassic movie. It is suspenseful, thrilling, executed so horrifically, and of course has the coolest dinosaur (the Mosasaurus), one of my personal favorites. Yet again this film follows Claire and Owen-unfortunately portrayed by Chris Pratt- after the events of Jurassic World the island is inhabited by dinosaurs, and dinosaurs only. Claire is leading a non-profit to get the dinosaurs off the island and safe from the soon to erupt volcano starting to bubble. Hammond’s former partner, Sir Benjamin Lockwood, invites Claire to his Northern California estate. Lockwood and his aide, Eli Mills, reveal a plan to relocate the dinosaurs to a new island sanctuary. And to no one’s surprise the rich old men are evil and attempting to auction off each and every dinosaur to the highest bidder.
Overall I deeply enjoy this movie, Claire’s motivations are very clear and follow her previously set up character while giving the movie a strong stake and focus. Along with that I actually find the predictable twist very fun, I mean of course the mysterious rich people were evil, but can’t predictability be fun? Besides, the predictability is set off with the ending plot twist. But no movie is perfect and one big aspect I disliked about this one was the ‘big bad’ dinosaur, like Jurassic Park lll the final dinosaur is not the typical T-Rex, in this case it’s a terrifying Indoraptor. The concept of this unique creature is wonderful, it’s genetically modified and horrifying, we see it pace around a cage too small for its large size. But the terror of the Indorapotor is short lived and we are told much more than we see. Personally I feel as if the concept of this dinosaur was wasted by only including it within the last fifteen minutes of the film.
5. Jurassic Park (1993)
I know this is an extremely unpopular opinion. Many people hold the original as the standard that none of the following movies of the franchise has met, and I’m not one to completely deny that. Jurassic Park is a forever iconic and groundbreaking film that is loved by nearly everyone who has seen it. But I personally believe that many people who place it on such a high pedestal are somewhat blinded by nostalgia, with good reason of course but blinded nonetheless. Jurassic Park definitely scared me when I was young but now rewatching it these scenes are scary, yes, but I find many scenes to drag on the slightest bit too long and I find much of the dialogue to be on the boring side. As a whole these are small critiques of a movie I love very dearly.
6. Jurassic World: Dominion
This movie was hated by many once it was released, this is backed by the fact Jurassic World: Dominion earned a whopping 29% on rotten tomatoes, impressive I know. Unlike many I clearly enjoyed this film, yes the plot got a bit (ok more than a bit) convoluted but I personally still found the movie easy to follow. Bringing back the core iconic cast from the first movie is definitely one of my favorite parts, seeing the classic and modern cast interact was intriguing and created chemistry filled interactions. I also found all the concepts shown in the movie fascinating: illegal underground dinosaur trading, entire work days being stopped by a harmless but large dinosaur, herding large groups of dinosaurs as if they were cattle, and much more. It ends with dinosaurs still filling the planet leaving the audience to only imagine what the world will continue to look like and possibly evolve to the circumstance. Overall even with its complicated and somewhat corny plot I can say it’s a fun watch, rewatchable, and certainly overrated.
Unfortunately I can’t end this review with my classic “I rate this blank out of 5 stars” but what I can do is recommend each and every movie in this ranking (except Jurassic Park lll).
