Jurassic Park is one of the most well-known movie franchises on the planet. While the stories and themes have changed over the years, many characters, including the dinosaurs themselves, have become household names.
The original is arguably one of the best films ever made, while its sequels and the Jurassic World movies expand on the lore and life after the disaster on Isla Nublar. In many ways, the earlier movies are also like time capsules, as the first premiered in 1993.
All the films have merit, and here are 10 ways watching them all changes how you look at the franchise as a whole.
10
The Original Cast Set A High Bar That Was Difficult To Reach Again
The original Jurassic Park wowed audiences with its incredible take on dinosaurs, tense scenes, grand scope, and iconic theme. One thing you’ll appreciate during a rewatch is how near-perfect the cast is, and how charismatic they are.
It’s no surprise that Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) each led a movie in the original trilogy. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) was only briefly in Jurassic Park 3, but it is a treat seeing her alongside the throwback cast in Jurassic World: Dominion.
The cast of the later movies all have star power. It’s hard not to enjoy watching Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Scarlet Johansson on their Jurassic adventures. Still, the original characters mostly feel grounded and believable, which adds to their charm.
9
Hybrid Dinosaurs Are Polarizing
The Jurassic World movies introduced hybrid dinosaurs to the story, which have remained a polarizing addition to the franchise. At the beginning of Jurassic World, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) tells a group of potential sponsors, “Let’s be honest. No one is impressed by a dinosaur anymore.”
Real-world audience reception was less clear-cut. Some saw the Indominus Rex as a logical stepping stone for the movies. Others felt the magic of dinosaurs was lost, particularly given the many more real species to explore.
The debate continued with the weaponized Indoraptor in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which, once again, caused some uproar. Most recently, Jurassic World: Rebirth also divided critics and general audiences, albeit for different reasons.
8
The Raptors Constantly Evolve Throughout The Series
Many dinosaurs maintain their appearances throughout the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. However, if you rewatch the films in order, you’ll quickly notice how much the raptor design changes over the series.
For example, the raptors have simple skin patterns in the first movie. They have subtle stripes in The Lost World and appear to have small feathers on their heads in Jurassic Park 3.
The raptors are a huge part of the Jurassic World story, and once again, look entirely different from their predecessors. Their behavior also changes, though they remain cunning, deadly, and intelligent throughout.
7
Dinosaur Traits And Abilities Dramatically Change
The most popular dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park movies retain traits the audience recognizes. Others change and evolve as the series progresses.
We know the raptors are smart from the first two movies. In Jurassic Park 3, the audience learns that they use an advanced form of communication and can even set traps. We also see raptor intelligence on full display in the Jurassic World movies, particularly in Owen’s relationship with Blue.
In the original trilogy, the audience always knows when the T. rex is close because its footsteps famously shake the ground. That same dinosaur is surprisingly quiet during one particular scene in Jurassic World: Rebirth.
Dinosaur behaviors get notably more sensational in later movies, but it’s interesting to observe the changes during a rewatch.
6
The Iconic Theme Is Different In Every Movie
If you hummed the Jurassic Park theme in public, someone would likely know where it came from. Nonetheless, you will notice subtle and sometimes dramatic changes in the tune between movies, which makes sense given that several composers have contributed to the soundtracks.
John Williams composed the iconic score for Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Don Davis took over for Jurassic Park 3, and Michael Giacchino scored the Jurassic World trilogy.
Alexandre Desplat composed the music for the latest movie, Jurassic World: Rebirth, and wove in parts of John Williams’ music into the soundtrack.
5
Families Have Dinosaur-Proof Plot Armor
There are surprising scenes in every Jurassic Park movie, but some story elements do become a little formulaic by the 7th installment.
One of the most obvious guarantees in every film is that if there is a family, they will be perfectly safe, no matter how dire the situation appears. If there are kids around, they will overcome the odds, even if an Indominus rex, which has eaten armed, trained soldiers, is on their tails.
The plot armor isn’t necessarily a bad thing and is typical of a blockbuster popcorn movie. Still, it is noticeable if you watch the movies back-to-back, and you can make educated guesses about who survives in films you’ve not seen yet.
4
The Clone Story Is Quickly Sidelined
One of the most shocking reveals in the Jurassic World movies is that Maisie Lockwood is actually a clone. We learn more about Maisie in the second half of Fallen Kingdom.
The reveal comes so late in the movie that the plotline isn’t fully explored. There are conclusions in Jurassic World: Dominion, but it’s a busy movie with so much going on that Maisie’s origins feel quickly sidelined.
It’s not a forgotten part of the story, as Maisie is a main character in Dominion. However, the topic is arguably ripe for expansion, given the many questions surrounding it.
3
Silly Scenes Stand Out More
It’s no secret that the Jurassic Park franchise has grown more action-packed, with wilder scenarios in later installments.
A few scenes stand out for being particularly silly by series standards and are almost immersion-breaking, even during a rewatch. The scene in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, when Kelly (Vanessa Chester) uses her gymnastic skills to kick a raptor onto a spike, is a good example.
Even if you can get behind Kelly’s acrobatic prowess, the raptor standing open-mouthed when she yells at it is still remarkably silly. Jurassic Park 3 also has a couple of notable parts. The scene where our heroes can hear the satellite phone in the dinosaur’s stomach is funny, but the dream sequence on the plane where Grant sees a talking raptor is unintentionally hilarious.
Claire running from a T. Rex in heels in Jurassic World is another funny scene, although it feels more tonally appropriate.
2
InGen Has A Wild Growth Arc Of Its Own
InGen has a wild growth arc before ultimately being surpassed by BioSyn in Jurassic World: Dominion. The company seems to have innocent, if misguided, intentions: cloning dinosaurs and opening an attraction.
John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) loses control of InGen in The Lost World, where the company sees dinosaurs more as products. The Masrani corporation owns InGen in Jurassic World, and Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio) seeks to exploit the raptors for military applications.
Finally, in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, we see the once-proud InGen desperately selling dinosaurs at an auction, including weaponized hybrids like the Indoraptor. The company is a relic of the past in the latest movie, even if living dinosaurs wouldn’t exist without it.
1
Humans Adapted to Life Among Dinosaurs Very Quickly
One of the most jarring concepts in the Jurassic Park franchise is how the existence of living dinosaurs is quickly normalized. In the first movie, the creatures are met with awe and wonder, and their creation is hailed as a scientific breakthrough.
Fast-forward to Jurassic World: Rebirth, and humans are so comfortable with dinosaurs that they are honking their horns at a one, holding up traffic. It’s a far cry from the scene in The Lost World, when a T. rex caused widespread panic in San Diego.
What Claire said about dinosaurs at the beginning of Jurassic World certainly appears to be true, and the shift in acceptance is obvious if you watch the films back-to-back.
- Release Date
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June 11, 1993
- Runtime
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127 minutes