Ranking All 7 ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jurassic World’ Films

TV & Film

Jul 16

Jurassic collage — Image Source: ScreenRant

Jurassic Park and its sequels make up one of the most iconic franchises in history. Steven Spielberg, John Williams, all of our favorite childhood dinosaurs…oh, and Jeff Goldblum. Can’t really go wrong there.

The announcement of Jurassic World Rebirth came with many questions. Is this a complete reboot, or another sequel? Does it tie into the other Jurassic World films, or possibly one of the animated series on Netflix (Camp Cretaceous or Chaos Theory)? After seeing the new movie, I can’t say ALL my questions were answered, but I saw enough to update my ranking for each installment of the franchise. Let’s get into it!

(Description of the new film is spoiler-free!)

7. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Let’s start at the bottom of the list. Fallen Kingdom, the second film in the newer trilogy, took some bold steps in new directions, but ultimately fell flat for me. There were some positives: poetic melancholy of dinosaurs perishing in volcanic ash, humans banding together to try and save them, and a few others. But they couldn’t outweigh the two huge issues I had with the story's core of this film: a focus on human cloning and an instantly programmable dinosaur.

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The latter point especially took me out of the worldbuilding for this one. You can sell me on a lot by using terms like “genetic engineering” and “advanced bio-research”, but I just can’t get behind the idea that you can use genetic coding to direct a living creature’s aggression, in real time, by using essentially a high-tech laser pointer. I appreciate the creativity, but it was a little too far for me.

6. Jurassic World: Dominion

I appreciate fan service as much as the next fan, but I don’t think it should ever be the main feature of a film. I enjoyed seeing the original cast reuniting (Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill), but that was pretty much the best thing the film had to offer, in my opinion. The plot seemed chaotic and precarious, and the scary dino run-ins seemed less warranted and less logical than in any other film. I was excited to see this one in the theater, but even now, I have very little desire to rewatch.

5. Jurassic Park III

I might catch some heat for this one, but I liked Jurassic Park III less than both Jurassic World (the first one) and the new release this month. It gets points for the Spino-Tyrannosaur fight, the Pteranodon threat, and the hilarious use of the satellite phone’s ringtone. However, there were a few key factors that pulled this one down the list.

First, in general, it seemed to aim more for blood and shock value than for building drama and quality plot structure. It made it feel somehow cheaper than the first two films. Second, there’s no way in hell Dr. Alan Grant is getting anywhere near that island, let alone falling asleep on the approach. After his experience in the original park, I can’t believe he’d be in any mindset other than extreme alert until he gets paid. Third, and this might be splitting hairs, but if Velociraptors are intelligent enough to track who is holding their eggs from a mile away, they’re probably intelligent enough not to be fooled by a weird skull harmonica. It’s a minute detail, but the survival of the entire group hinges on it, and I didn’t buy it.

4. Jurassic World Rebirth

We’re now into the top 4 on the list, and I’m happy to say I liked the new film! I thought it did a wonderful job bringing new ideas into the Jurassic Park/World realm while staying true to the original vision AND paying homage to the original trilogy. Certain landscape shots paired with iconic musical gestures evoke strong feelings of nostalgia, and it was very enjoyable. Oh…and it is terrifying in certain parts. I was definitely on the edge of my seat.

I won’t go into too much detail, to avoid spoilers, but I do encourage fans of the Jurassic franchise to see it if they get a chance; in fact, the only thing putting it below #3 is an inconsistency at the end of the movie. I'll simply say this: if the surrounding waters aren’t safe in the beginning, they shouldn’t be safe at the end.

3. Jurassic World

I might catch heat for this one, too, but I love the first film of the new trilogy. I saw it three or four times in theaters. Was I merely excited to have a new dinosaur movie? Sure. Am I letting that taint my analysis? It came out ten years ago; I really don’t think so.

This film, like every new addition to an old franchise, had the very difficult task of keeping old fans happy while bringing innovation and expanding viewers’ minds. From my perspective, they did this by successfully executing two very strong moves: 1) creating a dinosaur we fear more than the T-rex, and 2) making Velociraptors our allies.

Jurassic Park III attempted the first mission, but I didn’t buy it like this. The Spinosaurus was large and threatening, but without any backstory or real explanation; it was just kind of…there. The Indominus Rex, on the other hand, was a terrifying creature with a thorough explanation for every aspect of its lethality. It wasn’t handled as an animal should be. It was a chaotic mixture of genetics and intelligence that illustrated just how little human hubris had abated in the years since Jurassic Park.

Chris Pratt and his raptors earned this film its place as well. Velociraptors were arguably scarier than the bigger dinos throughout the franchise, and creating a scenario where they were on OUR side is a bold move indeed. But the way they executed it and framed this reality was perfect; I bought it every step of the way.

2. Jurassic Park

I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea; #2 and #1 are neck and neck on this list. Both are iconic, both extremely high-quality films.

Jurassic Park is the golden standard for sci-fi films in the modern era. Inspiring, terrifying, beautiful. Intense drama, but with moments of elegance and joy. The above image alone is something no movie can ever replicate, in my opinion. I don’t think I need to explain to fans why this film is truly awesome; let’s move on to why it’s not in the top spot.

1. The Lost World: Jurassic Park

I don’t know how else to say it; in my opinion, this film is the best dinosaur movie ever made. It was my absolute favorite movie for a number of years. Dangerous jungle, mysterious island, human conflicts that lead to preventable disaster; it has it all, and I think it has the edge over the original. Again, only by a hair.

Let’s start at the beginning. Unlike Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park III, Dr. Ian Malcolm actually has a convincing reason to go to the island (damn you, John Hammond), and he is awake, careful, and hilariously reluctant the ENTIRE time. The whole observation team is a fun powder keg of personality; never forget that Vince Vaughn was in this movie several years before Dodgeball or Wedding Crashers.

Their time on the island is a masterclass of intense drama punctuated by calm and bits of humor. The T-rex trailer scene is just 15 minutes of pure panic, and viewers are yo-yoed between that and smooth plot movement until the heroes (well, most of them) finally get to the helicopters.

But OH WAIT, the movie still isn’t over when they get off the island; a T-rex is loose in San Diego! When you say it like that, it sounds comical, and in some moments, it really is, but even through all the ridiculousness, the film pulls logic from its earlier scenes to make it all make sense.

The Lost World has and always will have the top spot in my list.

…I might go watch it now, actually.

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