On June 10, 2022, the Jurassic World trilogy will be completed, and will effectively end the series started by Stephen Spielberg in 1993. The first film, based on the book by Michael Crichton, redefined what it meant to be a big-budget blockbuster. The highly successful Jurassic Park changed the way movies were made, and launched a colossal franchise. The first film spawned two sequels, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. Most fans agree each sequel was worse than its predecessor, with the third being nothing more than a cash grab. The franchise went extinct from 2001 to 2015 when at last, the park reopened. Jurassic World carried the legacy torch from the original film, without actually being a full legacy sequel.

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The second film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, flew closer to legacy sequel territory with the brief inclusion of Jeff Goldblum, whilst the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion is full force legacy with Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neil, and Laura Dern all returning in major roles. Like the original series, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom wasn’t nearly as well-received as the last film. So much so, that the third film isn’t earning as much hype as the last two.

It looks like history is repeating itself, but this raises the question, which era of the series is better? It almost isn’t fair to look at the films from a movie-to-movie basis. One, because the original film was a game changer the likes few films have been able to replicate. And two, the original series has three films while, as of writing, the rebooted series only has two. The best way to go about this is to look at each era as a whole rather than by their films.

Welcome To Jurassic Park

     Universal Pictures

As unfair as it may seem to the reboots, the cultural impact the original series had can not be ignored. Dinosaurs as a whole received a giant boost in popularity during the original’s run. As monumental as the series became, most of this was evident in spinoff merchandise. Toys, clothing, and various other apparel are where the success is mainly seen.

The second and third movies were nowhere near as successful financially or critically as the original Jurassic Park. These sequels did heavily fuel the merchandise, but the movies themselves fell on deaf ears. The second movie did seem to naturally continue the story, albeit in a much weaker fashion. As stated before, Jurassic Park III did little to nothing to further the story. Dinosaur mania was slowly slipping away in the new millennium, and the third movie was a last-ditch effort for Universal to earn some dino dollars.

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When looking at the original three movies, the storyline more closely resembles story scoliosis, as the linear nature disappears as the series went on. While The Lost World does work as a straight sequel, it, as well as the third movie, more or less stand on their own. This weakens the overall effect of the series, as outside returning characters and the fact there are dinosaurs, the films don’t really follow each other. Even the return of Sam Neil in Jurassic Park III seemed to only exist to reel original fans back in (again, history repeats itself). While neither sequel is terrible by any means, they come nowhere near the feel of the groundbreaking original.

When most fans think of how much they love Jurassic Park, they think just that. They think of Jurassic Park, not the Jurassic Park series. Maybe it was fatigue from oversaturation to dinosaurs in the ’90s, but fans drifted away from the series for years. Even today, a lot of those who were around at the time don’t fondly look at the series, but rather the first movie alone. At the end of the day, the original series as a whole doesn’t hold up all that well. In 2015, enough time had passed for the gates to be reopened, but did these new movies fare any better?

A Reboot 65 Million Years In The Making

It is no secret that Jurassic World was bred from pure nostalgia. Fans longed to hear that legendary John Williams score on the big screen once again, and see some new dino adventures for old time’s sake. Jurassic World could have just referenced the original a few times, played the theme, and called it a day. However, what fans got was a love letter to the film they have loved for so long.

For the first time, it seemed like Jurassic Park received a true, linear sequel. Having the new park exist where the original was is the perfect way to bridge the generations. Suddenly, the Jurassic series was a heavy hitter once again. The massive success meant an obvious sequel. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom received a mixed reception, though.

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Fans can say what they want about the sequel as a film, but the fact remains it is an actual linear sequel. In order to understand what happens in Fallen Kingdom, one needs to see Jurassic World. This creates a perfect, straight line between films. Not a lot is known about Dominion’s plot, but it is clear that it will likely directly follow Fallen Kingdom. This may not be easy for lifelong fans to hear, and it certainly isn’t easy to write, but the reboot series as a whole may very well be better than the originals.

If we were to look at the films on their own, this would be a very different outcome. Nothing can even dream about coming close to the original movie. When looking at a series, however, the best way to fairly gauge it is by seeing if the films are linear. Obviously, there can be loopholes. The Indiana Jones movie series isn’t linear, but they aren’t supposed to be. Same with the James Bond series of films, where each is meant to stand on its own. However, if a franchise’s sequels are meant to follow each other, then they need to do so in a straightforward way.

Jurassic Legacy

The truth is, there is no correct answer as to which is better. Those of us who grew up during the original era will prefer the Jurassic Park movies, while new fans will likely prefer the Jurassic World movies. There may even be some who simply prefer one series over the other. Getting technical, all five movies are part of the same continuity, but each era is vastly different. The legacy that has spawned from the original movie is still being felt today. That is what the fandom should truly appreciate. The Jurassic World series may be better from a linear standpoint, but when it is all said and done, every movie is a Jurassic Park movie, and there is plenty for fans to latch onto.