There are two kinds of people in this world: those who saw Jurassic Park in theaters in 1993 and left forever changed, and those who are lying. I was 9 years old the first time I saw a T. rex stomp its way across the screen, rip through a wire fence, and remind us all that humans are absolutely not at the top of the food chain. That scene, that scream, that ripple in the water cup — it was cinematic magic. Literal movie sorcery. Spielberg cracked the blockbuster code with prehistoric flair, and we’ve been chasing that dino high ever since.
But as with most franchises that refuse to die (unlike, say, a goat tied up for feeding), the Jurassic saga has morphed into something bloated, inconsistent, and occasionally just dumb. And yet… I keep watching. Because deep down, even 30 years later, I’m still that wide-eyed kid hoping this time the raptors won’t figure out how to open doors.
Jurassic Park (1993): The Original, the Icon, the Moment
Let’s be honest: Jurassic Park didn’t just change movies — it rewired our collective brains. Spielberg took a Michael Crichton novel about science gone rogue and layered it with tension, wonder, and a perfectly balanced mix of horror and humor. The CGI, still shockingly good by today’s standards, was revolutionary. This was the moment CGI became art, not gimmick. It was the cinematic equivalent of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs — everything before was old world, everything after had to adapt.
Every element worked: the pulse-pounding score by John Williams, the snarky brilliance of Jeff Goldblum, the moral reckoning via Laura Dern’s sensible shorts. And let’s not forget Samuel L. Jackson casually commanding an entire failing security system while chain-smoking. The film was lean, sharp, and timeless.
Strengths:
- Perfect pacing and structure
- Practical effects + CGI = chef’s kiss
- Dinosaurs with personality (Velociraptors have better acting range than half of Hollywood)
Weaknesses:
- Honestly? None. Maybe the fact that it made us trust scientists again?
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997): Dino Chaos, But Make It Dumber
Look, I wanted to like this one. Spielberg returned! Goldblum came back in full chaotic daddy mode! Julianne Moore was there! But somewhere between the T. rex stomping through San Diego like Godzilla on a layover and the plot holes you could fly a pterodactyl through, it just never clicked.
It had the budget, the cast, the dinosaurs — but no heart. It was loud without being smart, wild without being thrilling. It was the cinematic equivalent of thinking you’re about to eat crème brûlée and realizing it’s just cold pudding with a torch scar.
Strengths:
- Jeff Goldblum
- Baby T. rex (don’t @ me)
- The trailer-over-the-cliff scene still slaps
Weaknesses:
- Everything else
Jurassic Park III (2001): The Movie That Just… Exists
Ah, yes. The one with the talking raptor dream. If that’s not enough to tell you where we are in the franchise spiral, I don’t know what is. Jurassic Park III is like the straight-to-video sequel nobody asked for but somehow ended up in theaters. Alan Grant’s back (yay!), there’s a kid lost on the island (again), and the Spinosaurus makes its debut as a bigger, badder predator. Which sounds cool — until you realize they sacrificed every ounce of logic and character development to get there.
This movie felt like the studio said, “We need to make one more before people forget dinosaurs are cool.” And so they did. Fast, cheap, and with zero emotional stakes.
Strengths:
- Alan Grant
- More dinosaur fights
- A decent plane crash sequence
Weaknesses:
- Literally everything else, including the decision to make the raptor feathers optional
Jurassic World (2015): Nostalgia, Commercialized
Jump ahead 14 years, and we get Jurassic World, which is essentially Jurassic Park re-skinned for the Instagram generation. The park is open, people are dumb, and science still hasn’t learned that weaponizing dinosaurs is a bad idea. This time we meet Chris Pratt’s Owen and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire, two characters who exist mainly to remind us that chemistry is dead and high heels are eternal.
It’s slick, it’s glossy, and it’s a crowd-pleaser. But where Jurassic Park made us feel, Jurassic World makes us scroll. Still, the Indominus Rex (aka murder-dino designed by a marketing committee) delivers a decent threat, and the climax with the T. rex, raptor, and sea monster teaming up like a prehistoric Avengers is admittedly awesome.
Strengths:
- Big budget visuals
- Return of the OG T. rex
- Commentary on consumer culture (kind of)
Weaknesses:
- Forgettable characters
- Bland script
- High-heeled jungle sprints
Fallen Kingdom (2018): When Dinosaurs Go Gothic
This one’s wild. It starts with a volcano, ends in a haunted house, and somehow makes a clone girl central to the plot. It swings so far into absurdity that you kind of admire its audacity — like watching someone fall down a flight of stairs but land in a perfect split.
The tone is all over the place, and while it tries to ask deeper questions about ethics, cloning, and extinction, those threads get buried under exploding islands and dinosaur auctions. But props for letting the raptor have feelings. And for acknowledging, finally, that letting rich people buy murder pets is a bad idea.
Strengths:
- Gorgeous cinematography
- More horror-infused moments
- Blue the raptor becoming a full-on emotional support animal
Weaknesses:
- Zero coherence
- Human clone subplot (???)
- Lack of Jeff Goldblum (again)
Dominion (2022): The Franchise Just… Gives Up
Jurassic World: Dominion is what happens when you try to tie up too many plot threads and instead just trip over them. The promise of dinosaurs living among us? Relegated to B-roll. The clone girl? Still here for some reason. The OG trio (Ellie, Alan, Ian)? Criminally underused. Instead, we get locusts. Locusts. In a dinosaur movie.
This final installment should’ve been epic. Instead, it’s like a 2.5-hour TED Talk on missed potential. Even the dinosaurs seem bored.
Strengths:
- Sam Neill and Laura Dern still have it
- Some nice creature moments
- You made it through it — that’s your character arc
Weaknesses:
- Too many plotlines
- No emotional payoff
- Giant prehistoric bugs no one asked for
Final Thoughts: Long Live the T. Rex (And Practical Effects)
Jurassic Park gave us awe. It made us believe again in the power of film to shock and inspire. Every sequel since has been a little more like a theme park ride — louder, dumber, but still kind of fun if you check your brain at the door.
Would I recommend watching the whole franchise? If you love dinosaurs, chaos, and yelling “RUN!” at the screen, sure. But nothing — and I mean nothing — will ever top that first moment when we saw the Brachiosaurus stretch to the treetops and realized: we were in a whole new world.
A world with wonder. With danger.
With really bad corporate liability insurance.