The Jurassic franchise has been a rollercoaster ride in the eyes of fans and critics since it first arrived in 1993. As the newest entry, Jurassic World Rebirth, prepares to stomp into theaters on July 2, it’s worth reflecting on how the series has fared critically over the years.
It all began with Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993), which remains a landmark in blockbuster filmmaking. Critics and fans continue to praise its groundbreaking visual effects (both practical and CG), thrilling storytelling, and the way it blended heart-pounding suspense with unforgettable characters. The film didn’t just roar at the box office — it won three Academy Awards and set a high bar that no sequel would match.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park followed in 1997 with Spielberg returning to direct, but the critical response was mixed. While some appreciated the darker tone and action sequences, many found the story lacking the charm of the original. Still, it delivered enough thrills to keep audiences engaged, while many also appreciate the fact it’s based on a best-seller by Michael Crichton (“The Lost World”), just like the original 1993 film.
Joe Johnston’s Jurassic Park III (2001) remains the lowest-performing film in the series to date, having grossed $368.8 million worldwide and becoming the second entry to fail to hit the $1 billion mark following The Lost World (which grossed $618.6 million). It also failed to impress fans and critics due to its sharp decline in quality. While many fans look back on the third entry with nostalgia, it remains among the franchise’s weaker entries.
Related: Universal Studios GB Could Revive ‘The Land Before Time’ and Classic ‘Jurassic Park : Disney Fanatic
The Jurassic World Era
The franchise hit a long pause before jumping forward to the modern era with Jurassic World (2015). The long-awaited sequel impressed fans and critics with its sleek visuals, nostalgia, and new characters. It also managed to capture, in part, the spirit of the original film (no easy feat in this series) while updating the thrills for a new generation, becoming the highest-grossing film of the series after devouring over $1.6 billion worldwide.
The two sequels that followed—Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)—received more polarized reviews.
While praised for their spectacle and ambition, and though they each made over $1 billion globally, many felt that the storytelling fell apart, with some plotting choices and character arcs coming under heavy scrutiny, particularly the 2018 sequel’s jarring shift in setting from jungle island to gothic mansion and the 2022 film’s lack of focus on dinosaurs living among humans, despite the concept being teased for years beforehand.
Now, Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) is finally about to enter the arena.
Early reactions from film press, who were lucky enough to attend the film’s premieres, however, have been mixed. With Gareth Edwards (2014’s Godzilla) directing and screenwriter David Koepp—who wrote the screenplay for the first two Jurassic Park films—back at the helm, hopes have been high that Rebirth will reconnect with what made the original films so special. But how it fare? We’ll find out when it lands in theaters on July 2.
Are you excited for Jurassic World Rebirth? Let us know in the comments down below!
