Rating of the “Jurassic Park” franchise from worst to best
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Gather around your dinosaur fans as we take a look at our Jurassic Park movie guide, ranked from worst to best – we’ve spared no expense.
After last summer’s “Jurassic World: Dominion” thundered $1 billion worldwide (opens in a new tab)dinosaurs are not dying out again, but rather hibernate for a while (opens in a new tab). The Jurassic Park franchise has six theatrical installments (they move in herds), one first-for-television short, and a five-season animated series. Here’s our list of Jurassic Park movies, ranked from worst to best.
The chronology of the franchise is very simple: each film is a direct sequel to the previous one, although we can argue that 2015’s Jurassic World kind of ignores Jurassic Park III (2001). As for the Battle of the Big Rock short, it takes place between the last two Jurassic World films.
The animated show Jurassic World: Camp Chalk is perhaps the most difficult option, since it started airing long before Jurassic World: Dominion hit theaters and released its final season a month after the film’s release — it also takes place at the same time as the first two Jurassic World installments, and includes some major Dominion nods during the final installment. Our recommendation is to watch it last.
If you need help quickly streaming, renting or buying the best dinosaur movies, check out our Jurassic Park Streaming Guide to find the best way to watch the entire saga online. And if you want to know more about our prehistoric friends, then about ours the story of the dinosaurs You also viewed the article.
Otherwise, read below to see where each contribution ranks on our ranked list. Hold your ass!
8. Jurassic Park III
- Release date: July 18, 2001
- Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Theo Leoni, Alessandro Nivolo, Trevor Morgan
Although veteran director Joe Johnston’s skill saved the third Jurassic Park from total oblivion, Jurassic Park III is not a good movie. It hits the bare minimum you’d expect from an action-adventure filled with prehistoric animals, but otherwise feels like a filler episode of a saga. It is devoid of any major plot developments and (more importantly) the franchise’s signature environmental and anti-capitalist plot.
Indeed, the reception to Jurassic Park III was so cold that it ended the highly profitable film franchise for more than a decade before serious plans for a quad film began. However, this sequence of pteranodons is eternal.
7. Jurassic World Dominion
- Release date: June 10, 2022
- Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill
This is possibly the most underwhelming finale since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (opens in a new tab) (which is funny considering this movie’s director Colin Trevorrow was attached to this captain at one point), the third Jurassic World entry tried to juggle too many plot threads and concepts of scienceresulting in a bloated blockbuster that ultimately feels both rushed and too slow.
It never quite lives up to the promise of dinosaurs co-existing with humans, and the thrills are too scattered throughout the long running time. After the excitement and wonder of the entire visit to Malta, Jurassic World Dominion goes all out and brings an end to 29 years of Jurassic adventures with a whimper instead of a roar. However, we do appreciate Trevorov giving Laura Dern’s Ellie Sutler a lot to do.
6. Jurassic World: Cretaceous Camp
- Release dates: September 18, 2020 – July 2021, 2022
- Voiceover: Paul-Michael Williams, Shawn Giambrone, Kausar Mohammed, Jenna Ortega, Ryan Potter, Rainey Rodriguez
The Jurassic franchise’s first foray into television was largely successful; Camp Cretaceous managed to capture much of the magic of the very first Jurassic Park, while also explaining the world and core story of the Jurassic World trilogy. What’s more, it generally feels more grown-up and intense than you’d expect from a kids’ animated show.
If the series had ended with a great season 3 finale, it would have been much higher on our list. Unfortunately, he didn’t expect a horribly boring fourth chapter that didn’t fit the Jurassic period and was saved for the fifth and final season. The show never really recovers from this steep decline, but nonetheless delivers a satisfying and emotional finale.
5. Jurassic World
- Release date: June 12, 2015
- Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson
Some might argue that the reboot of the Jurassic franchise was a bit too nostalgic, but we think it actually went to great lengths to poke fun at the unusual (for a big blockbuster) “meta” mod from Universal’s moneyed interests. At the same time, director Colin Trevorrow was taking on the more adventurous side of Steven Spielberg.
Much of the character and plot work definitely required re-runs before the cameras rolled, and Chris Pratt’s action is really bland, but this movie set the saga back on track and delivered on its promise fully functional Jurassic Park.
4. Jurassic World: Battle at Big Rock
- Release date: September 15, 2019
- Starring: Andre Holland, Natalie Martinez, Melody Heard, Pearson Salvador, Chris Finlayson
In an unprecedented move, Universal suddenly released the 10-minute big-budget Jurassic World on FX in late 2019. Battle of Big Rock is set one year after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and introduces a world where prehistoric animals have begun to alter natural ecosystems.
The The Battle of Big Rock is short (opens in a new tab) – released later online – was received very well by Jurassic fans and regular viewers alike as it promised brand new adventures for the third Jurassic World film. Colin Trevorrow’s direction, assisted by renowned cinematographer Larry Fong, was also sharper here than in his 2015 film, giving this short hiking trip a more sinister mood, closer to the work of J. A. Bayona over the Fallen Kingdom.
3. Abandoned World: Jurassic Park
- Release date: May 23, 1997
- Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard
The second Jurassic Park was always going to be an uphill battle because of how great the first one was. Upon release, it received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences, but still grossed $618 million worldwide on a $73 million budget. However, over time fans and casual viewers have come to love it despite its many flaws.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about The Lost World is how much darker the film is (visually and tonally) compared to Jurassic Park. While Spielberg deviated significantly from the source material (which he primarily pushed novelist Michael Crichton to write), the first Jurassic sequel retained much of the book’s wickedness. Also, this fourth act of King Kong in San Diego remains one of the most unexpected endings in history.
2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
- Release date: June 22, 2018
- Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniela Pineda
The Fallen Kingdom of J. A. Bayona, written by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, underwhelmed most critics and was too different for a wider audience, but hear us out: we firmly believe that this is, in fact, the most daring and visually stunning adventure since the original Jurassic Park.
First, the prologue is the scariest and funniest in the series. Then we have the atypical structure that shows the destruction of Isla Nublar in the first half and later moves the action to the mainland (but inside a Gothic mansion!) in the second half. Bad characterization and plot issues abound, but everything else kicks ass. What’s more, the work by Bayonne and cinematographer Oscar Favre is consistently superb and was enhanced by one of Michael Giacchino’s most expressive soundtracks in years.
1. Jurassic Park
- Release date: June 11, 1993
- Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck
There is nothing to explain here; Jurassic Park is an unsurpassed blockbuster masterpiece that excelled on all fronts and advanced technology by several years in unprecedented ways with CG animation and animatronic dinosaurs that still look terrifying.
Mainly following a text by Michael Crichton, the screenplay by David Kepp managed to balance smart science talk, sci-fi elements and a pure Spielbergian sense of adventure (and horror). Moreover, it is one of the most quotable movies of all time with a stunning soundtrack. What more could we ask for?
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