Jurassic Park: If Only They'd Stuck to the Jurassic Period!
Jurassic Park's Dinosaur Dilemma: A Cretaceous-Sized Problem
Let's be honest, Jurassic Park (and its sequels) are absolute classics. Those groundbreaking special effects? Many of them still hold up today. The whole franchise spans six movies (and counting– another is due in 2025!). However, even the best have flaws; a huge one within this series revolves around a massive, scientifically inaccurate depiction which only occurs in the first trilogy.
Many dinosaurs shown in the first three films were from the wrong period – the Cretaceous. That's seriously wrong for a place called Jurassic Park, folks! And that wasn't the only mistake. Some aren't even dinosaurs! The Dimorphodon in Jurassic World, for instance, was a pterosaur; a completely different category of animal. These choices highlighted just how much John Hammond doesn’t understand dinosaurs. They really didn’t know anything; and those scientific inaccuracies remain completely intentional storytelling choices! But let’s imagine a completely different Jurassic Park. It’s strictly sticking to those Jurassic Period dinos, creating an utterly distinct but entirely amazing cinematic experience!
The Jurassic Seven: The Dinosaurs That Should've Roamed Jurassic Park
1. Brachiosaurus: A Gentle Giant That Starts It All
That first dino encounter in Jurassic Park features a Brachiosaurus, one of those instantly recognizable moments and totally iconic moments for viewers, establishing Alan Grant's wonder, creating an immediate effect, adding a calm moment amid the potential danger. That scene remains totally brilliant!
Brachiosaurus lived in the Jurassic. This was a great pick! And they reappeared in Jurassic Park III and Camp Cretaceous, becoming beloved for those calmer scenes. That heart-wrenching scene in Fallen Kingdom? That’s Jurassic Park’s original Brachiosaurus left to die! That iconic image; even years later and despite being a brief scene within a later installment and completely unrelated movie demonstrates a powerful message within its scene: a tragedy of this era and its animals that deserves some further investigation, exploration and highlighting.
2. Ceratosaurus: A Unique, Underappreciated Threat
Ceratosaurus only showed up briefly in Jurassic Park III, that brief encounter a mere glimpse; generating a moment to surprise many viewers. It appeared far more fearsome than the brief glimpse given would show initially.
Despite only being shown as a very quick scene–the iconic nose horn and that crazy red coloring made it memorable! And they became far more crucial elements throughout later installments. Camp Cretaceous featured it way more— it even fights Scorpios Rex. It highlights how Ceratosaurus’ appearance has massive impact in newer installments despite not being a key moment within the original trilogy.
3. Dilophosaurus: Hollywood's Venomous Invention (But a Jurassic Dino Nonetheless)
That infamous Dilophosaurus scene, showing the surprisingly poisonous creature ambushing the hapless Dennis Nedry (an extremely fun, yet slightly inaccurate moment)? Iconic. The frill and that venomous spit are completely fictionalized; however the species was also completely based upon a very real animal, a Jurassic Period creature, despite many differences compared to that real creature.
It’s an interesting choice. Using Dilophosaurus in that key role and showing these elements highlight just how much artistic choices have affected these later changes in the entire franchise’s storyline, showing just how much cinematic depiction changed our view and interpretation, which makes the cinematic interpretations of this scene ultimately very intriguing for many interested viewers.
4. Compsognathus: Small But Deadly
The Lost World’s Compsognathus (“Compys”) scenes showed how deadly small dinos could be; those pack hunters brought the fright; highlighting moments of intense drama. This species also presents very critical storytelling aspects in the storyline itself, demonstrating just how diverse these kinds of species and situations could be. The unseen death of Dieter Stark by those pack-hunting dinos is exceptionally terrifying and memorable– another critical part which further adds depth to this story!
5. Stegosaurus: Iconic Herbivore, Underrated Defender
Stegosaurus never appeared in the first Jurassic Park film, strangely. Its Lost World appearance however highlights its beauty. Using Stegosaurus would enhance that scientific accuracy while expanding its potential role and significance in the story itself.
It could’ve even created another memorable scene with it battling one of those massive predators which was already found in Jurassic Park, a battle showcasing both defense and aggression. Using Stegosaurus here could have demonstrated another amazing storyline opportunity and critical scene for building intensity! A thrilling fight which the viewer might very easily predict.
6. Apatosaurus: Gentle Giant or Terrifying Prey
Apatosaurus showed up later, in Jurassic World. Its peaceful appearance near a child however contrasted another violent death: The brutal slaughter of an entire Apatosaurus herd. These contrasting scenes were surprisingly emotional; one gentle, the other violent and intense; really building some significant elements!
It might’ve seemed logical to use them initially. Perhaps it simply seemed too visually similar to Brachiosaurus during Jurassic Park’s creation.
7. Allosaurus: A Predator that Almost Made the Cut
Allosaurus appeared briefly in later films. Yet its presence (as a skull!) in the original Jurassic Park already set a potential narrative context which, had that creature become central and featured in this original title would be intensely interesting to observe. Its pack-hunting tendencies make this creature even more compelling; showcasing that some species had even greater survival adaptations that needed far greater spotlight; showcasing different kinds of potential conflict to truly engage with those interested audiences!
Replacing T. rex or Velociraptors (Allosaurus is more Jurassic-accurate; roughly half the T. rex’s size) would have given Jurassic Park that truly amazing unique moment!
Conclusion: Jurassic Park's missed opportunities
Jurassic Park's iconic nature shouldn't imply perfection! This analysis only looks at some relatively significant changes concerning these important details and could’ve presented a very different cinematic masterpiece; even creating some really intriguing conflicts never displayed before by expanding upon its own scientifically plausible premise. And had the Jurassic focus from the title been adhered to more faithfully, we might have received an even better storyline; featuring this diverse and amazing range of plausible predators!
