Jurassic Park & Jurassic World – Ranked

~ philthebearblog

This year we were given the news that Jurassic World 4 is in production with Gareth Edwards (The Creator & Rogue One) set to direct and Scarlett Johansson to star. So I decided this was the perfect opportunity to watch the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World series again with my children in tow to watch the family friendly dinosaur peril.

I was a mere 12 years old when the PG rated (at the time) Jurassic Park released and have been at the cinema for each entry since. When Jurassic World 4 releases in 2025 I should be able to bring along my two children for the fun.

My plan here will be to give you my ranking for each trilogy before my overall ranking of the series. I will then also give you my thirteen year old son’s ranking as he definitely felt that I was wrong and wanted to have his say! We watched the 6 films in the space of a 4 week period so that we could rank them with them all fresh in our minds.

Before I jump in, if you want to read my non spoiler reviews for any of the series then please do so at the links below. Otherwise feel free to wade in and be prepared for spoilers as I will assume you have seen these films from this point on.

Jurassic Park – Ranked

3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Spielberg’s 2nd and final directorial role in the franchise is the weakest of the original trilogy for me purely because the new characters it introduces are largely uninteresting. Whilst later in the film a number of those characters unceremoniously disappear as the film morphs into a King Kong tribute. On its own it is a fantastic set piece but the manner in which it feels superglued onto the overall film is discombobulating.

Pros:

  • Spielberg is a master of blending action sequences with character drama
  • Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite) is a fun villain

Cons:

  • Jeff Goldblum is not an action star no matter how quirky and fun he can be
  • None of the new characters make a lasting impact with the exception of Tembo
  • Gymnast bars appearing in an action sequence
  • Love the King Kong tribute ending but it feels like it belongs in a different movie (which is what it originally was meant to be)

Dinosaur MVP: T-Rex

Human MVP: Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite)

Favourite Scene: Equipment specialist Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff) makes a noble sacrifice as Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) tests the strength of the glass in a vehicle hanging from a cliff.

2. Jurassic Park III (2001)

The first in the series not directed by Spielberg is a breezy and lightning paced action flick with set piece after set piece. The acting from the likes of Sam Neill, William H. Macy and Tea Leoni inject character into a very lightweight script that focuses on action and laughs (the satellite phone ringing from a dinosaurs stomach is particularly fun). There are flaws, mainly in the character of Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola) who must have been written as a villain in some draft and never found his way successfully back without ruining the Raptor egg MacGuffin plot line.

Pros:

  • Fast paced and action packed
  • Veteran actors able to make the best of a lightweight script
  • The humour plays well with the fast paced nature of the film

Cons:

  • The entire Raptor egg MacGuffin revolves around Billy Brennan either being incredibly dumb, having a very fast mind change or more likely being a villain at some point in the various versions of the script
  • Almost as daft as the above is Grant using a 3D printed Raptor voice box to make the sound of Raptor’s in peril. Why are they running away when the sound is coming directly from in front of them?

Dinosaur MVP: Spinosaurus

Human MVP: Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill)

Favourite Scene: The group find themselves navigating through an aviary filled with Pteranodons and Billy Brennan finds himself the subject of a game of “hot potato” played by the flying dinosaurs.

1. Jurassic Park (1993)

The original movie is a cinematic classic and there is so much to love. Every single character that we meet is a memorable creation and the majority have a memorable quote. Whilst the action sequences are perfectly balanced with the ideas of man meddling as Gods and the idea that Grant can learn to be a protective father figure.

Pros:

  • A huge array of memorable characters
  • A huge array of quotable lines
  • The sense of wonder at seeing “dinosaurs walk the earth”
  • The creation of an iconic cinematic villain; The Velociraptor
  • Superb action sequences
  • Brilliant humour (mostly based around cars and technology)
  • John Williams’ score
  • A revolution in special effects
  • “Spared no expense”

Cons:

  • Quite simply, none

Dinosaur MVP: Velociraptor

Human MVP: Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight)

Favourite Scene: The moment when Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler see the dinosaurs for the first time. The sense of wonder is unmatched across the series.

Jurassic World – Ranked

3. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Fallen Kingdom is a decent watch for the first hour which is set on the island of Islar Nublar. But then seemingly taking its cue from the 2nd film in the Jurassic Park trilogy it turns into another type of film. In this case the second half of the movie is a haunted house film. On the whole it is filled with bizarre story choices and uninteresting characters. The final film in the trilogy, Dominion would proceed to retcon most of these story choices.

Pros:

  • The action set piece on Islar Nublar as the island’s volcano erupts
  • The comedy sequence of trying to use a T-Rex as a blood donor whilst it is starting to wake up from a tranquiliser shot

Cons:

  • Why is there such a vocal save the “murderous apex predator that will disrupt our ecosystem” movement?
  • The introduction of Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) as Thomas Hammond’s best friend whom he fell out with over the use of their cloning technology
  • The fact that Benjamin used that technology to clone his dead daughter and create a granddaughter named Maisie (Isabella Sermon)
  • Spending more than half the movie trying to be a haunted house film
  • An awful villain in Eli Mills (Rafe Spall)
  • The fact that all dinosaurs at all times have to be trying to kill something in this movie
  • The fact that evil and highly trained mercenaries do not just shoot their targets on sight allowing them a chance to later escape
  • Jeff Goldblum’s horrendous cameo

Dinosaur MVP: Brachiosauraus disappearing in a cloud of volcanic smoke and bellowing sadly as it succumbs to its fate

Human MVP: Owen Grady (Chris Pratt)

Favourite Scene: As the volcano on the island erupts every person and dinosaur begin to run in the same direction

2. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Dominion really seems to have the opposite problems to Fallen Kingdom. A clumsy and bumpy opening half makes way to a really good fun final half in the new Jurassic Park in the Dolomites. Whilst the old cast returning is a fantastic boon to the series and the creepy villainous turn from Campbell Scott as Dodgson from the original film is fun.

Pros:

  • The 2nd half of the movie feels like a Jurassic Park film again
  • The return of the original cast; Sam Neill and Laura Dern still have chemistry
  • Lots of fan service moments
  • Dodgson as a villain is a lot of fun and reminds me of both Steve Jobs and Hank Scorpio from the Simpsons episode, “You Only Move Twice”

Cons:

  • Could everyone please stop controlling Velociraptors by holding your hand out to them
  • Locusts? Really? In a franchise about dinosaurs this plotline feels odd
  • Dodgson has the Barbasol can that he gave Nedry in the original Jurassic Park which strikes me as impossible
  • The entire retcon for Maisie Lockwood’s existence; Her mother now cloned herself and was pregnant and gave birth to her own clone, her mother was also the best scientist of the original Jurassic Park despite every film referencing Dr. Henry Wu as the creator and Ellie Sattler knew her and was friends with her – ultimately wiping out an entire crucial plotline of Fallen Kingdom
  • The above allowing Dr. Henry Wu to partially become a hero

Dinosaur MVP: Therizinosaurus and its huge claws

Human MVP: Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) kickass pilot

Favourite Scene: The velociraptor motorcycle chase through Malta

1. Jurassic World (2015)

Jurassic World feels like a near perfect sequel to Jurassic Park. The idea that they have managed to overcome the “technical” issues and have a fully functioning park is a fascinating concept that gives them plenty of exciting attractions to show but also explore how humans can then push this mastery of another species in a manner that leads to destruction again. Bryce Dallas Howard also gets to play a great lead role that is similar to Sam Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant in the original. An accomplished professional with little maternal instinct who will hone those skills when her family are in peril.

Pros:

  • This is a direct sequel to the original series set on the original island
  • Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing is a fantastic action hero
  • Speaking of which her running sequence in the showdown with the Indominus Rex is legendary
  • The chemistry between the two leads is good
  • The young boys in peril in the park ensures the original series’ themes are maintained
  • The Sea World reminiscent scenes of the Mosasaurus and the working park is a sight to behold

Cons:

  • The Raptor training storyline does not entirely work, especially when you consider Grady’s naivety around its applications in the real world

Dinosaur MVP: Indominus Rex

Human MVP: Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard)

Favourite Scene: Zara (Katie McGrath) suffers possibly the worst death scene in the series so far at the hands of some Pteranodons and the Mosasaurus

The Complete Series – Ranked

So here we go then, how does the above factor in when you put all the films together? Here is my combined list in reverse order…

  1. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
  2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  3. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
  4. Jurassic Park III (2001)
  5. Jurassic World (2015)
  6. Jurassic Park (1993)

Oddly I have a clear method based on the above. The 2nd film in each trilogy is the worst and the 1st is the best. Whilst I then prefer the Jurassic Park movie over the Jurassic World movie for each of those pairs!

Fallen Kingdom is easily the nadir of the series for me but the one thing that is clear based on the 2nd half of Fallen Kingdom and the 1st half of Dominion is that these films have not yet found a way to be interesting without the framework of an actual “park” that all the protagonists are trying to escape from whilst the dinosaurs cause havoc.

As promised here is my thirteen year old son’s ranking…

  1. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  2. Jurassic Park III (2001)
  3. Jurassic World (2015)
  4. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
  5. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
  6. Jurassic Park (1993)

Perhaps I should discuss the idea of recency bias with him and nostalgia with myself? But with the exception of the original being at the top of his list he found the newer films to be much more exciting and action packed.

Whose list do you agree with more and where do you rank them?

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