When the first Jurassic Park movie premiered in 1993, it would go on to launch a 30-year franchise. The first movie, about a corporation who uses fossilized dinosaur DNA to breed them in a park, only for things to go wrong, was a major blockbuster that has stood the test of time. Its visual effects on the dinosaurs, done in a combination of animatronics and CGI, showed just how good and impactful that technology could be. The results would change visual effects forever. Here are the best visual effects in the franchise, ranked.
The Sick Triceratops – Jurassic Park (1993)
While on their tour in Jurassic Park, Ellie (Laura Dern) stops to look at a triceratops suffering from a mysterious illness. While it doesn’t have any major action, what makes the scene so special is how real it looks. The stegosaurus is an animatronic, moved by puppeteers, that looks like a real, living creature. When Alan leans against its side, we watch its body move with each breath. It’s a small moment that lets the visuals be appreciated, without any danger.
The Indoraptor – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom sees the birth of the Indoraptor, which is made from breeding the Indominus Rex with a velociraptor. The Indoraptor is advanced and highly intelligent. Its dark coloring and long, sharp claws make it look dangerous and frightening. The dinosaur was made with a combination of CGI and animatronics, like the arms, for the actors to interact with.
Velociraptor Training – Jurassic World (2015)
Jurassic World introduces us to Owen (Chris Pratt), who works in the new park. As part of his work, he is training a group of velociraptors, and has even bonded with them. It’s the introduction of these raptors, and gives a new perspective on the dinosaurs who were the antagonists for much of the original trilogy. We watch them behave like real animals, responding to Owen’s signals. The scene mixes CGI and practical effects to look seamless.
Spinosaurus vs T-Rex – Jurassic Park III (2001)
In Jurassic Park III, Alan (Sam Neill) returns to the park with a couple who are searching for their son. Soon after arriving, the group is ambushed by a spinosaurus, who attacks the plane and eats the pilot. He then turns on the group, but a T-Rex emerges, and begins fighting with the spinosaurus, who wins. Though dinosaur fights had been seen in the franchise, this one introduces a new dinosaur with the spinosaurus; it shows how powerful it is by defeating the T-Rex. Both were lifelike animatronics that add to the realism.
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