10 Best Moments from the Jurassic Park Franchise
5. Cliffhanger
(The Lost World: Jurassic Park)
Although the first Jurassic Park sequel does have a handful of memorable moments, the most notable is that of the cliffhanger scene, a scene in which an RV holding Jeff Goldblum, Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore is pushed over the edge of a cliff, leaving the trio to work together in order to get themselves out of the fatal situation.
This sequence is by far the best in the film – an incredibly tense few minutes which get the audience thoroughly invested in both the situation and the characters, a feeling that is never quite replicated throughout the rest of its runtime.
In of itself, this is a terrific example of Spielberg’s horror-inspired direction, the iconic shot from below the RV of Moore’s hand causing the glass she has perilously landed on to crack being impeccable, the entire sequence injecting excitement and tension that are otherwise absent from much of the film.
4. Raptors in the Kitchen
(Jurassic Park)
Those bloody raptors, they get in everywhere don’t they?
Without a doubt the most famous raptor moment of the entire Jurassic series is the famous kitchen scene.
Spielberg’s direction throughout this sequence rivals that of Alfred Hitchcock’s when it comes to building tension. From the unveiling that Raptors can open doors to every single moment that it looks like Lex and Tim may meet their demise, Spielberg has the audience in the palm of his hands and has them hook, line and sinker with every twist and turn throughout.
Sure, dinosaurs are cool, but here they’re utterly terrifying too.
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3. Goodbye Isla Nublar
(Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review
Whilst it may be considered the worst of the series by many, there is no denying that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom featured one of the most emotional, if not the most emotional moment of the entire series: the final goodbye to Isla Nublar.
The moment itself is incredibly beautiful. The island’s volcano has erupted and endangers all life; in a vital attempt to rescue the dinosaurs not everyone can be saved, leaving a lone Brachiosaurus at the island’s harbour. It is slowly enveloped by ash, wailing as the light of volcanic eruptions silhouette the gentle giant against the plume of ash and smoke. Showing the death of both the island that started it all, as well as the dinosaur that started it all, this symbolic goodbye makes for an incredibly powerful moment that signals a change in the franchise and brings a tear to the eye.
