Credit: Universal PicturesWe love Jurassic Park (1993), but new trends make it clear that the idea of the first movie has been retconned.
The Jurassic Park franchise began with a simple yet thrilling premise—a theme park filled with living dinosaurs that inevitably spirals into chaos.
Jurassic Park was a monumental film, not just for its groundbreaking special effects but for the suspenseful, tightly woven narrative that mixed scientific curiosity with the perils of “playing God.”
However, with the release of Jurassic World Dominion (2022), it’s clear that the original idea of Jurassic Park is now “dead,” as mentioned in a new report from ScreenRant.
“The movie’s radically different international story only further proves the original park idea is dead forever,” the publication shared.
This shift is not necessarily a bad thing, but it signals the end of the classic approach that defined the franchise’s early days.
The Original Vision: Jurassic Park Gone Wrong
In the first film, the park was an isolated experiment—a contained environment where dinosaurs could be viewed as attractions. The plot revolved around the failure of this concept, emphasizing that nature cannot be controlled, no matter how advanced human technology becomes.
The park’s inevitable collapse was not just a plot point but a thematic exploration of hubris, ethics, and the consequences of scientific ambition. The setting and concept of the original park were as much a part of the movie’s DNA as the dinosaurs themselves.
The idea of a centralized location where dinosaurs were confined is what made the first movie so thrilling.
There were boundaries, both physical and moral, that were tested throughout the film. Audiences were terrified at the notion of these prehistoric creatures being able to break free from their controlled habitats, but that fear was tied to the idea of “the park” itself.
Jurassic World Trilogy: Expanding Beyond the Park
The Jurassic World trilogy made several attempts to revive and expand on the themes of the original series, but as it progressed, the very concept of a park filled with dinosaurs faded away. Jurassic World (2015) — which began the run with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard — revived the park concept in a modern setting, but it was clear that the thrill had diminished.
The dinosaurs were no longer the main attraction—they were part of a larger theme of corporate greed, genetic engineering, and military exploitation. While the park in Jurassic World still functioned as a narrative tool, it was more a backdrop for exploring human manipulation of nature on a much larger scale.
By the time Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) arrived, the park was not just defunct—it was literally abandoned.
The story shifted to saving the remaining dinosaurs and auctioning them off for profit, a sharp contrast to the original film’s focus on containment. Fallen Kingdom ended with dinosaurs being released into the wild, a significant turning point that erased the need for a centralized park setting entirely.
Jurassic World Dominion: The Death of the Park Concept
Jurassic World Dominion is the final nail in the coffin for the original Jurassic Park concept. The movie takes place in a world where dinosaurs have been integrated into ecosystems across the globe.
There’s no park, no containment, and no sense of boundaries. In a way, the franchise has moved from a focused narrative about one park’s failure to a sprawling exploration of what happens when dinosaurs exist alongside humans, altering ecosystems and societies worldwide.
The film also revisits some of the original characters—Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum)—in a nostalgic nod to the first trilogy.
However, their presence feels more like a send-off than a revival of old themes. They are no longer fighting to contain dinosaurs within a park; they are navigating a world where humans and dinosaurs co-exist in the wild. The “park” is no longer relevant, and the centralized, controlled setting that made the original film so suspenseful is now a distant memory.
Proving the Original Jurassic Park Idea Is Dead
The original Jurassic Park thrived on the tension between the desire to control nature and the consequences of that control failing.
In Jurassic World Dominion, there is no control—only survival in a new reality where dinosaurs are part of the global landscape. The park concept has been rendered obsolete, not just in the literal sense but in terms of narrative focus. The idea of a park filled with dinosaurs is no longer exciting or novel; it’s been replaced by the chaos of an uncontrollable world.
The film’s international scope, which sees the action take place in various locations across the globe, further distances itself from the original park setting.
Rather than the contained thrill of dinosaurs escaping their enclosures on a remote island, the danger now lies in the unpredictability of a world where dinosaurs roam freely. This radical shift in scope proves that the original concept of a dinosaur park is not only dead but has been replaced by something entirely different.
The Legacy of Jurassic Park
While Jurassic World Dominion may have marked the end of the original park concept, the legacy of Jurassic Park(1993) remains intact. The film’s themes of human hubris, the ethics of scientific experimentation, and the dangers of playing god will always resonate.
However, the franchise has evolved beyond the park setting, choosing instead to explore the broader implications of living in a world with dinosaurs. This evolution may not satisfy every fan of the original film, but it’s a natural progression for a series that has always pushed the boundaries of science fiction and adventure.
What’s your favorite part of the Jurassic World franchise?