Brief Summary
The video discusses why the Jurassic Park franchise, despite having an iconic original film, is Hollywood's worst franchise due to its lack of direction, repetitive plots, and failure to build upon the original's magic. The sequels suffer from a lack of newness, turning dinosaurs into generic movie monsters or domesticated animals, and introducing increasingly absurd plotlines.
- The original Jurassic Park is a flawless masterpiece.
- Sequels lack the magic and depth of the original.
- The franchise suffers from repetitive plots and absurd ideas.
- Later films prioritize nostalgia and action over meaningful storytelling.
The Original Jurassic Park
The original Jurassic Park is described as a flawless masterpiece with a great premise, perfect cast, all-time special effects, an iconic score, a thoughtful script, broad appeal, and perfect pacing. It's considered one of the best movies ever made, with tangible movie magic that evokes strong appreciation. The scene where the characters first see the dinosaurs is particularly iconic and gives chills.
Planned vs. Unplanned Franchises
Hollywood franchises are divided into planned and unplanned categories. Planned franchises, like Harry Potter and the MCU, are based on existing series of books or comics and are designed for long-term success. Unplanned franchises, such as Star Wars and Jurassic Park, emerge from sudden overnight success and often struggle to maintain quality and direction. The strength of franchise filmmaking is tested in these unplanned franchises, as they must create new content without a pre-existing roadmap.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
"The Lost World: Jurassic Park" is not terrible but highlights the limitations of the franchise. The sense of wonder and discovery from the original is lost because dinosaurs are now a known entity. The film devolves into characters running around in the woods, trying to avoid dinosaurs, with a weak plot. The ending, where a T-Rex is captured and brought to San Diego, is considered a goofy mess, highlighting the diminishing returns of the premise.
Jurassic Park III
Jurassic Park 3 is described as a theme park-like, 90-minute dinosaur action movie with little substance. It involves rescuing a kid stranded on an island, with no ethical debates or nuance to the dinosaurs, which are now generic movie monsters. The film is aware of its limitations and keeps things simple, with some entertaining action sequences, like the pterodactyl bird cage scene. Despite being stupid and having annoying characters, it's considered a fun, watchable movie.
Jurassic World
Jurassic World is where the franchise tried to become a consistent billion-dollar hit machine. It introduces the premise of an actual functioning Jurassic Park, which is a great sequel idea. However, the movie is very stupid, with a nonsensical script and characters. The idea of weaponizing velociraptors is particularly criticized. Despite its flaws, it's considered the best sequel due to its self-awareness and creative reboot of the universe.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is described as two movies shoved together, with the first half involving a volcano threatening the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, and the second half turning into a Resident Evil-style mansion setting. The plot involves saving dinosaurs from the island and then running around a mansion to stop them from being sold on the black market. The introduction of a human clone and the release of dinosaurs into the wild are seen as franchise-destroying elements.
Jurassic World: Dominion
Jurassic World: Dominion is compared to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in terms of being a confusing and nonsensical disaster. It's not really a dinosaur movie, but more of a Mission Impossible meets Star Wars adventure. Dinosaurs are used as window dressing, and the main threat is locusts. The movie relies heavily on nostalgia, bringing back old characters, but fails to utilize the dinosaurs effectively. The plot involves corporate espionage and saving a human clone, making it a bizarre and directionless mess.
