We’ll answer this one quickly: yes, Jurassic probably is, in fact, the greatest movie franchise of all time.
And we don’t say that lightly. Star Wars is excellent, as is the Indiana Jones franchise. And if you count the Marvel universe as a single franchise, then that’s a contender too. But nope, we’re handing the honor to Jurassic Park, for all the reasons we’ve outlined below.
It Has A Captivating Premise
Sure, Star Wars has a pretty engaging premise, but then, that franchise takes place in a galaxy far, far away, which means basically anything can happen. It’s a cheat code for movie-making, in our opinion. Now, on the other hand, let’s think of Jurassic Park, which takes place in contemporary times, in a world we all know and understand, only with…dinosaurs? While we haven’t put the science to the test ourselves, the plot device they used to bring T-Rex and pals back to life also sounds pretty reasonable. It’s a movie that makes sense, despite it making no sense. That’s pretty impressive.
It Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously — And It’s Fun For All
We’re not going to rag on Star Wars the whole article, we promise, but we’ll just say one more thing. That franchise, or its fans at least, sure does take itself pretty seriously. Jurassic Park, on the other hand, is pretty much all about fun. No one watches Jurassic Park and then runs to the internet to discuss a theory that the T-Rex was secretly controlled by Dr John Hammond. People just take the movies for what they are, and that makes it so much more enjoyable. In fact, it makes it probably the best Saturday night movie to ever be released.
It Spawned Plenty of Related Media
There are seven Jurassic Park movies, which might sound like a lot, but given that the franchise is more than thirty years old, it’s actually quite a modest haul. At one point, there was a fourteen-year gap between movies.
Thankfully, that doesn’t matter, because there’s a wealth of other Jurassic Park media that fans can consume. There’s the Jurassic Park Explorer board game, for instance, and Jurassic World Monopoly, which is absolutely better than the standard Monopoly game. Jurassic Park Gold Slot, one of the most popular online slots of the past few years, features all the instantly recognizable characters and a classic jungle background. There have also been a string of console Jurassic Park games released over the years, including the highly rated Jurassic World Aftermath from 2020.
The Soundtrack Is Exceptional
You can only imagine how satisfied John Williams must have been when he finished scoring the original Jurassic Park movie. Even by his lofty standards — and truly, he’s the best to ever do it — this one stands out from the crowd. Everyone who’s seen the movie, and that’s a lot of people, can instantly conjure up the song. The movie would be poorer without Williams’ work, but the two work hand in hand. Listening to the soundtrack takes you on a journey where you believe, however ridiculous it may seem, that one day maybe you will see a dinosaur. And maybe, just maybe, that dinosaur will try to eat you, and it will be a terrible experience. Seriously, what was Dr John Hammond thinking?
It’s Still Going Strong
Indiana Jones has wrapped up for good — whatever the legacy of that franchise turns out to be can’t be undone now. The minds behind Star Wars can’t seem to figure out what they’re doing. Jurassic Park, on the other hand, is still going pretty strong, and there’s more on the way. The new incarnation of Jurassic World, an entirely fresh spin on the saga, is scheduled to be released in summer 2025. So mark your calendars, because the Jurassic Park journey is far from over, and the early buzz around the new movie is that it’s a good one!
