Written by Robert Scucci | Published
When you think about it, the Jurassic Park movies are very similar The Simpsons. There was a clear golden age, and a lot of crap continued to come out in the decades that followed. I can quote many episodes from the early seasons verbatim without spoilers because they're part of my DNA, but I couldn't call myself a huge fan because I've talked about Season 12, and my relationship with the show has never been better.
The Jurassic Park franchise feels the same way. While there was some misfire after the original 1993 film, it really started to grind my gears when it rebooted with 2015's Jurassic World and was followed by a series of equally unmemorable sequels. I saw them all on the way in because my kids love dinosaurs. I honestly don't remember a single minute of those movies because they're just a bunch of big budget burgers. They made billions at the box office, but I've never met a wild person who thinks any of them are better than Steven Spielberg's 1993 creation.
My running theory is that as long as kids keep asking for dinosaur toys with Jurassic Park and Jurassic World symbols carved into them, we're going to keep getting mediocre movies. The franchise is making more money than ever, and I can only imagine how much sales they're making on the back end, which means they're probably not letting up anytime soon.
I just took the wife and kids to the drive-in for a retro night to catch up Jurassic Parkit's clear why the first film remains undefeated. It's a very good movie. The animatronic dinosaurs still look better than most of the CGI slop we get today, and, most importantly, it's a lifetime adventure where everyone does their part not only faithfully, but differently.
I Won't Explain The Entire Plot Of Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park it's been around for over 30 years, so I won't bore you with the details of the plot. Instead, I prefer to talk about one thing Jurassic Park it has what none of the Jurassic World movies have: relatable, interesting characters.
Basically everyone who gets screen time Jurassic Park they chew up the scenery, have something clever to say, are completely focused on their surroundings, and each action amplifies whatever conflict is waiting around the corner.
It's good, it depends on the horrors.
What are the Jurassic World movies without a willingness to remind everyone that Mercedes paid for the brand tie-in and Chris Pratt? I can't think of any catchphrases or moments of relief that make me feel anything but angry, slow-burning rage that makes me cry for days when a movie felt like a cultural event instead of a line item on a studio executive's spreadsheet.
In Jurassic ParkRay Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson) says “hold on to your butts” after noticing Dennis's (Wayne Knight) computer scolding him for not saying the magic word. The reason the computer works is because Dennis wants to shut down Jurassic Park's security systems so he can smuggle dinosaur embryos on the black market for a cool million dollars.
John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) is repeatedly told by Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) that he focuses on what his scientists can do rather than what they do. Hammond's grandsons, Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards), are caught in the midst of an unarmed and extremely dangerous dinosaur amusement park while lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero) visits to determine if any of the investors should feel confident about all this activity.
Among them are our heroes, Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), who are initially excited by the power of Hammond's research but soon realize that the cynic and chaos theorist Ian Malcolm is right when he says “life finds a way.” His warning foreshadowed the problem of illegal breeding that would allow the park's creatures to quickly overtake their human counterparts.
Every moving part Jurassic Park it has a satisfactory profit. A cup of water spilling on the dashboard is the stuff of nightmares, and no one is safe when going to the bathroom. The computer systems running this park are complex but stretched to their limits, creating vulnerabilities. Hammond spared no expense to bring his vision to life, but Dennis is spending everything because he thinks he's underpaid. Every action has a consequence, and it's collision after collision that's so slow that nothing ever feels overwhelming, yet nothing feels unresolved.
Jurassic Park The Complete Movie
After watching The Fallen Empire in 2018, my wife asked what I thought, and I replied, “That's a big pile of sh*t.” He agreed. However, somehow, we ended up with two more fans anyway. The kids had fun, but I think I actually had a better time watching The Garfield movie.
While Jurassic Park was a big budget blockbuster of its time, you can tell how much care went into its production that the new films lacked despite pumping more money into the franchise. Everything feels lived-in, from Dennis' messy desk to the labs where scientists toil away at the latest blasphemy with dubious research.
All people conflict in subtle or ugly ways, but everyone fits well in their place. Alan Grant, who scares the little boy with a raptor claw early on, suddenly becomes a real, invisible father figure to Ellie, who knows he's good with children but needs to find that out for himself.
A commercial kitchen turns into a nightmare as two children try to hide from velociraptors who would love nothing more than to eat them alive. Cars hit trees. Again Newman (say it in your Jerry Seinfeld voice) gets what's coming to him when he gets blasted in the face by a Dilophosaurus. It's a twisty chain of events that eventually leads to disaster, but everything is so well-intended that you can't help but love it.
If you are wondering Jurassic Park still standing in 2026, especially after the recent films have been incredibly strong despite all the popularity and financial success, you owe it to yourself to revisit the OG. It looks better, sounds better, and every character acts like they want to be there. There is no cut-off time, and all the rules are clearly laid out so we can sit back and watch a bunch of healthy people thrown into a strange situation with no logical instruction manual.
Don't you believe me? See for yourself. As of this writing, Jurassic Park currently airs on Peacock, AMC+, and Philo.
