How do you watch the Jurassic Park movies in order? When it came out in 1993, Jurassic Park astounded audiences with dinosaurs that looked and sounded realistic. That gave birth to an entire dino-franchise, all based on capitalism’s gross inability to learn a meaningful lesson.
Why do they keep reopening Isla Nublar after what happened to John Hammond’s guests? The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films offer one answer: greed. Watching all the adventure movies in order creates a stirring tale of science’s continuous struggles against some of our worst impulses when it comes to potentially turning a profit.
Since the original Steven Spielberg movie, we’ve gotten five other dino-thriller movies, creating some confusion on how you can watch the Jurassic Park movies in order. We all know you can start at the start, but what then? Get your paleontology hats on (they wear hats, right?) and prepare to see the prehistoric era like never before. Keep your arms and legs inside the cart at all times, and whatever you do, stay away from the Raptor pen if you know what’s good for you.
How do you watch the Jurassic Park movies in order?
- Jurassic Park
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- Jurassic Park 3
- Jurassic World
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
- Jurassic World Dominion
Jurassic Park (1993)
The film that brought dinosaurs to life. A select few, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum among the Jurassic Park cast, are invited for a test run of a theme park that allows them view ancient predators. T-Rex and velociraptors can only be contained for so long, though, and eventually, it all becomes about survival.
Spielberg’s original ‘90s movie is an all-time great in terms of spectacle and grandeur, and it sets up the blueprint for the franchise going forward. Some investors think they understand prehistoric animals enough to put them in a zoo, only to find out in bloody fashion they’re in way over their heads. Even knowing all that, Richard Attenborough exclaiming, “Welcome… to Jurassic Park,” gives goosebumps.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
In a shocking turn, it’s revealed that Isla Nublar wasn’t InGen’s only island of dinosaur creation. Isla Sorna was where the beasts were actually bred, since abandoned. However, new leadership at InGen wants to make another go at commodifying yesteryear’s apex predators.
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Jeff Goldblum returns as Dr Ian Malcolm for Spielberg’s slightly scattered follow-up. He’s sent by John Hammond to try and make everyone see sense and finds his daughter caught up in the mess. Bigger thrills don’t give the picture a bigger bite, but the third-act twist of a T-Rex stomping through San Diego is ferocious.
Jurassic Park 3 (2001)
Since Goldblum had his chance to go back, Sam Neill and Laura Dern got one as well. Only one of them ends up back in dino-territory, as Dr Alan Grant is tricked into heading back to Isla Sorna by a couple who’re trying to find their son.
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Joe Johnston’s threequel steps away from the Tyrannosaurus to show that plenty of other fossilised horrors exist. Spinosaurus and Pteranadons are the main threats, each offering a particular kind of terror. Once again, everyone gets home safe, and it seems like everyone learned their lesson about playing God. Wishful thinking.
Jurassic World (2015)
Some years after Jurassic Park 3, InGen reopens Isla Nublar as Jurassic World. Yeah, people are truly gluttons for punishment in this franchise clearly. Two young brothers, Gary and Zach, visit the park on invitation from their aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), who’s the operations manager.
Modern technology allows for greater integration that before, with rides putting you right in the middle of a stampede. Raptors are now being trained by specialists, the most qualified of whom is Owen (Chris Pratt). Unsurprisingly, InGen creates a dinosaur it can’t handle, the Indominus Rex, and it ends exactly like all the company’s other exploits.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Three years on from Jurassic World, our collective responsibility to Isla Nublar is in question due to an active volcano. The eruption will kill all the cloned dinosaurs – should we let it happen? Well, there’s another Jurassic World sequel, so you can guess the answer.
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Director JA Bayona, known for ghost movie The Orphanage, approaches Fallen Kingdom with a haunted house sensibility. A black market is established for various dinosaurs, causing bedlam and creating a situation where dozens of them flee into the wild. It’s gloomier than previous entries, ideal for setting up the proceeding film.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Four years after Fallen Kingdom, humans and dinosaurs are living in the “neo-Jurassic Age”, as Ian Malcolm put it. Claire and Owen must try and get Blue’s child back, while navigating the urban wilderness where all sorts of dangerous animals now roam.
As it stands, this is the final chapter in the Jurassic Park journey, but with the money these movies make, we wouldn’t bet against there being further instalments at some point.
How do you watch the Jurassic Park movies in release order?
- Jurassic Park
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- Jurassic Park 3
- Jurassic World
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
- Jurassic World Dominion
Thankfully, chronological order is the same as release order. So, you started with Jurassic Park in 1993, then The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3. We have a break of over a decade; then it’s onto Jurassic World and the proceeding sequels.
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Nothing about cloning dinosaurs seems easy, but at least watching people learn the hard way over and over not to play God is simple. Anyway, get the popcorn out; you’ll want it for the Brachiosaurus.
If you want more carnage, check out our list of the best alien movies of all time. We’ve also got a guide to all the new movies coming in 2023, as well as the best streaming services you can catch them on. We’ve also got an eye on the horizon and written everything we know about a potential Jurassic World 4 release date.
