It could be said that 2025 has been an interesting time for dinosaur fans thanks to Jurassic World Rebirth’s current run in theaters. Then again, that outlook may be a touch too positive depending on who you’re talking to, as critical reaction to Rebirth hasn’t been as kind.
But things could be worse! That development is a bit of a “glass half full vs. half empty” scenario, especially when put in the full context of the franchise’s critic approval rating percentages on Rotten Tomatoes. Looking at the numbers for both the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies, Steven Spielberg’s entry in the canon of the best ‘90s movies obviously sits at the top of the list. As you’ll see with the full list of the Jurassic Universe’s critic scores below, the legacy and reception of everything outside of that sci-fi classic is open to discussion:
- Jurassic Park (1993) - 91%
- Jurassic World (2015) - 72%
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) - 56%
- Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) - 53%
- Jurassic Park III (2001) - 49%
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) - 47%
- Jurassic World Dominion (2022) - 29%
Even putting my actual admiration for Jurassic World Dominion aside, I’m still shocked to see director Colin Trevorrow’s second dino blockbuster ranking as low it does. For now, I'll take solace in the fact that Jeff Goldblum's feelings on Dominion share the same sort of disappointment that the third Jurassic World entry is, by the numbers, the bottom of the barrel.
This then leads to scratching one's head when noticing that somehow Jurassic Park III got a stronger reception than both Dominion and Fallen Kingdom. Yes, the same 2001 sequel that broke up Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler is somehow pretty highly on the list. The exact movie – streamable with a Peacock subscription – that gave us this scene is somehow the second most rotten entry:
Reckoning with that reality only leads one to spiral further down when one recognizes that only two titles in the Michael Crichton-inspired saga are actually sporting “Fresh” ratings. Right about now is when the bleakness is kicking in, because even a Distortus Rex would be likely to read that news and start humming “What Was I Made For?” in the corner.
Don’t cry, D-Rex; I can answer that existential question with two words: “The Fans.” Though the Jurassic movies have had a rough go with critics for the majority of its run, the fans still show up. Jurassic World Rebirth’s opening weekend grosses may seem to counter that assumption, but with an apparent rebound in terms of how critics see this franchise overall, things might turn alright in the end.
Jurassic World Rebirth is pretty early in its theatrical run, which means there’s plenty of time for fans to catch Scarlett Johansson’s battle with dinosaurs. As for the rest of the franchise, everything but Jurassic World is available to stream through Peacock – which is perfect for those of you who want to update their personal franchise rankings.
