The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies have had their ups and downs. With another Jurassic World movie on the horizon, we have started thinking about what we expect and hope to see in this sequel. The main attractions of these films are obviously the dinosaurs. As such, we are looking forward to any new marvelous behemoths the upcoming movie throws our way.
We also know what we aren’t looking forward to. Trust us. After three Jurassic Park films and two Jurassic World films, fans know which dinosaurs make the best impact on screen (and which don’t).
COME BACK: Dilophosaurus
If you can remember the first Jurassic Park movie, you might recall the frightening Dilophosaurus. These small-ish dinosaurs had the ability to spit paralyzing juices in the face of their prey. Aside from the Velociraptors, the Dilophosaurus was one of the more formidable smaller inhabitants of the original park.
They made cute chirping noises, but could flare up and spit when you least suspected it. If they made a return to the big screen, maybe the new Jurassic World film would go back to its dinosaur-horror roots instead of remaining the spectacle it has become.
Don’t Come Back: Indominus Rex
Jurassic World wowed us with its vision of what a fully realized Jurassic Park might look like. Part of its charm lay in the actual success of John Hammond’s idea. What Jurassic World failed to do was impress us with its new Indominus Rex. The Indominus was clearly meant to be some kind of replacement for the Tyrannosaurus, but it failed to live up to its predecessor.
Luckily, the movie itself recognizes the T. Rex’s supremacy. Jurassic World ends with a big fight between the T. Rex and the Indominus, with the good old T. Rex (eventually) winning. So, please, let’s end the Indominus’ time with us on a high note, and don’t bring it back.
Come Back: Mosasaurus
Jurassic World:Fallen Kingdom ended with several dinosaurs free in the continental United States. Honestly, we don’t see that as much of a problem as the film tries to convince us it is. What are a few wild animals that need to be captured? The one dinosaur that does delight/concern us is the Mosasaurus.
The ending to Fallen Kingdom showed us that it is now loose in the world’s oceans. Did you get a good look at that thing? It is huge! Even so, the ocean is bigger, and we believe the Mosasaurus could live out its days preying on unsuspecting surfers for quite a while. We hope to see more of the Mosasaurus in the upcoming film. It could be the new Jaws.
Don’t Come Back: Spinosaurus
Enough with trying to beat the T. Rex. It’s been done more than once, or at least it has been attempted more than once. Fans of Jurassic Park were livid when Jurassic Park III released. The film tried to portray the Spinosaurus as an equal, if not superior, contender against the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Regardless of whether or not that’s scientifically accurate, it was not pleasing for fans.
We don’t want to see our boy (or girl) tossed around by a lousy Spinosaurus. Plus, it’s been done once already, or twice if you include the T. Rex’s fight with the Indominus in Jurassic World.
Come Back: Tyrannosaurus Rex
Can the new movie really be called a Jurassic World movie if it does not include a Tyrannosaurus Rex? That dinosaur is practically the franchise’s mascot. The T. Rex has made an appearance in every Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movie to date. Not having it make an appearance in the new film would be close to sacrilege.
Is the Tyrannosaurus overused? Maybe. Should the film-makers try to include more unique dinosaurs instead? Possibly. Do we still hope to see the T. Rex come back? Most definitely.
Don’t Come Back: Velociraptor
Just hear us out on this one. The Velociraptors we see in the Jurassic World movies are not what they were in the Jurassic Park ones. In the original Jurassic Park, the Velociraptors were a thing of terror, stalking children in a kitchen with splice-and-dice claws. Nowadays, the Velociraptors are kind of the heroes of the series since they have been tamed.
Instead of rehashing the same story between Blue and Owen Grady, it would be better if Velociraptors were not a part of the new movie at all. Or maybe they could be replaced by the scarier, less well-known Deinonychus.
COME BACK: Brachiosaurus
Sadly, the Brachiosaurus makes only the most cursory of appearances in the Jurassic films. It is the first dinosaur that Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler see when they arrive at Jurassic Park. The Brachiosaurus is also the final dinosaur that Owen Grady and Claire Dearing see on the original island.
However, we think it deserves more than just cameo appearances. The Brachiosaurus is one of the tallest dinosaurs that ever existed. We think it should get something like a starring role in the next Jurassic World film. It could be a dinosaur companion, like droid companions in Star Wars. Except bigger. Much, much bigger.
DON’T COME BACK: Compsognathus
The Compsognathus (try saying that ten times fast) first appeared in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. They are small dinosaurs, no bigger than the size of a chicken. However, despite their tiny stature, The Lost World makes them out to be one of the most lethal of dinosaurs on the Site B island.
We don’t mean to ridicule any characters taken down by these…fearsome…beasts, but they definitely appear to be a step down from the Velociraptors from the original Jurassic Park. If they never make an appearance in the new Jurassic World movie, we’d call that a resounding success.
COME BACK: Dimorphodon
Dimorphodons were part of the large group of flying dinosaurs that attacked the park in Jurassic World. They were the ones with a beak full of teeth. Honestly, that was one of the most frightening parts of the movie, and one of the most enjoyable.
The Dimorphodon hordes played a huge role in the panic that ensued. They swooped down from the sky and attacked people, occasionally carrying them off. If a pack of those got loose in a city (and Fallen Kingdom suggests they might have) it would make for a perfect, cinematic chase sequence.
DON’T COME BACK: Indoraptor
Enough with the hybrid dinosaur menaces. The Indoraptor was just a lame attempt at making another Indominus Rex. The only difference between the Indoraptor and the Indominus Rex is the kind of dinosaur they were based on. The Indominus Rex was a Tyrannosaurus Rex rip-off. The Indoraptor was meant to steal the vibe of the Velociraptor.
Still, the “scary” part of Fallen Kingdom, where they’re hiding in the mansion from the Indoraptor, does not compare to the Jurassic Park kitchen scene with Velociraptors. The Indoraptor should maintain the same status from last we saw it: extinct.