If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re probably going to see “Jurassic World” this weekend. Or maybe you know someone who is. Whatever your stance may be on one of the summer’s most hotly anticipated tentpoles, it’s hard to argue that Steven Spielberg’s seminal 1993 original, “Jurassic Park," is a modern masterwork. It’s one of the definitive monster movies of the last half-century and it’s a film that unites geeks and film snobs across the spectrum. Colin Trevorrow’s souped-up fourth installment hits theaters today and while only time will tell if ‘World’ succeeds as the true spiritual successor to Spielberg’s original, early word of mouth is mixed-to-mostly-positive (our own Rodrigo Perez gave it a B+). Before audiences head back to the Park for one more ride, perhaps it’s high time that we looked back at the earlier ‘Jurassic’ films as a whole, with a new supercut titled “Life Finds a Way.”
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Anyone who grew up watching the Amblin movies is bound to experience a surge of warm nostalgia upon hearing the first notes of John Williams’ rousing score and seeing Jeff Goldblum cruising through the towering park gates in one of those super-rad green and red jeeps. It’s also worth mentioning that both the ‘Jurassic’ sequels — that would be the underrated “The Lost World” and Joe Johnston’s third installment, “Jurassic Park III” — are fine, if undeniably flawed, films in their own right. ‘III’ is an enjoyable, if slight, featherweight adventure that features some decent scares and a handful of fun performances from some choice character actors, while ‘Lost World’ features the most visceral, grueling large-scale set pieces since… well, since the first movie. It’s a well-curated selection of some of the franchise’s most iconic moments, as well as a useful primer for ‘Park’ novices looking to brush up on trivia from the previous films before checking out “Jurassic World” this weekend. Watch below.