I haven’t fully looked forward to a Jurassic Park movie since Jurassic Park III for one big reason, but book by Michael Crichton, the Jurassic Park franchise is largely responsible for the world’s obsession with dinosaurs, including my own. The original film brought to life the thought, “What if we brought back dinosaurs?” Of course, gigantic reptiles co-existing with humans just isn’t possible, no matter what Jurassic Park Dominion says.

Since then, the franchise has only continued to grow, resulting in six feature-length Jurassic Park films (with another trilogy on the way), two TV shows, and numerous games. As a lifelong fan of the Jurassic Park trilogy, I hoped for the best when it came to the Jurassic World movies. Unfortunately, one significant barrier stood in the way of me feeling excited. I’ve spent 14 years hoping that horror would return to the Jurassic Park movies. Luckily, Jurassic World Rebirth already promises to bring back my favorite part of the originals, and I can’t wait.

Jurassic Park III Is The Last True Jurassic Park Horror Movie

The Original Jurassic Park Trilogy Included Horror Elements

In addition to increasing my love of dinosaurs, the Jurassic Park trilogy fostered my love of horror films at a young age. The original movies defy genres, incorporating horror and thriller elements into the sci-fi/adventure story. Jurassic Park had stakes. The story taps into a palpable, primal fear that kicks the survival instinct into high gear. The main characters felt like they were in actual danger of dying instead of having plot armor. The Lost World continued this, and Jurassic Park III found a way to amplify the horror feeling in an exciting way.

Jurassic Park III is the last actual Jurassic Park horror movie, and I’ve been dying for new movies to return to their horror-thriller roots.

The premise of saving marooned characters makes Jurassic Park III a survival movie at its core. Although they’re not technically dinosaurs, the Pteranodons in the movie also added extra terror to the film, as the characters had to confront flying reptiles who wanted to kill them on top of the landbound dinosaurs and aquatic reptiles. Between the fog, the swooping reptiles, the Pteranodon walking across the bridge, the onscreen adaptation of the aviary scene from the Jurassic Park book is nightmare-inducing.

Additionally, even though the T. Rex is the more iconic villain, the Spinosaurus feels more threatening and dangerous than the predecessor. The increased horror in Jurassic Park III contributes to my unpopular opinion that the threequel is a great movie. Unfortunately, Jurassic Park III is the last actual Jurassic Park horror movie, and I’ve been dying for new movies to return to their horror-thriller roots.

The Jurassic World Trilogy Felt Like Action Instead Of Horror

The Hollywoodization Of The Story & Cinematography Removed The Horror

Unlike many Jurassic Park fans, I don’t hate the Jurassic World movies. The sequel trilogy isn’t as good as the originals, but I think they’re still quite enjoyable. However, I knew from just watching the trailers that it wouldn’t satisfy my desire for more horror. Jurassic World’s previews felt too polished, reflecting the Hollywoodization of the franchise. The visuals lacked the grittiness and dark lighting that contributed to the ambiance of the original trilogy. On top of all those changes, the trailers focused on the humans instead of the dinosaurs, removing the driving force behind the terror.

I can’t fault the trailers because they did their job by setting proper expectations. As promised, Jurassic World is an action movie with little to no horror elements. Fallen Kingdom and Dominion follow suit, mirroring the tone and style of the first Jurassic World movie. Fallen Kingdom tries to have a darker tone, removing some of the comedy, but the end result doesn’t have the desired impact. Ultimately, this is positive since the films feel like three parts of one whole story instead of separate entities.

Still, the Jurassic World trilogy leaning toward action instead of an adventure and horror-thriller fusion means that I didn’t feel nearly as excited about any of them. Each film still left me wanting, even if I enjoyed it overall. Luckily, Jurassic World Rebirth promises to satisfy me by incorporating the horror elements that the past three movies removed.

Jurassic World Rebirth’s Director Describes The New Movie As Action-Horror

The Director Of Jurassic World Rebirth Has Remained Adament That Horror Is Part Of The Jurassic Park Franchise

Director Gareth Edwards, who previously made Monsters (2010) and Godzilla (2014), is leading Jurassic World Rebirth, and I’m thrilled that he’s repeatedly described Rebirth as a horror-action film. He has emphasized the importance of both genres existing in the movie. Additionally, his interviews have shown his intrinsic understanding of the role fear plays in the Jurassic Park movies. When speaking to Empire Magazine (via Inside The Magic), he explained why he thinks dinosaurs are such a great subject for scaring audiences, saying this:

“There’s something very primal about dinosaurs because we’re mammals with millions of years of embedded instinct that tells us some giant creature at some point is going to chase us and try and kill us. So it feels instantly relatable.”

This statement makes me confident that he understands the fear well enough to harness it onscreen. Additionally, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Edwards also spoke about the horror elements in the original Jurassic Park movie. He said this:

“Jurassic Park is a horror film in the witness protection program. Most people don’t think of it like that. We all went to see it as kids. But I was scared shitless, to be honest, when I was at the cinema watching the T. rex attack. It’s one of the most well-directed scenes in cinema history, so the bar’s really high to come on board and try and do this.”

Edwards described my mentality about the movie franchise perfectly in this quote. Horror is part of the DNA of Jurassic Park, whether people assign the story that label or not. As such, the inclusion of horror in Jurassic World Rebirth gives me hope that the movie will feel more like the original trilogy instead of the sequel trilogy. Moreover, I love that Edwards is a fan of Jurassic Park. He clearly appreciates the Stephen Spielberg movie on both an audience level and a directorial level. I’m excited to see how his love for the franchise comes through in the film.

The Jurassic World Rebirth Trailer Promises Grittier Visuals & Scarier Dinosaurs

Jurassic World Rebirth’s Trailer Feels More Horror Than Action

While the comments from Gareth Edwards increased my anticipation for Jurassic World Rebirth, I didn’t feel the complete spark of excitement until the first trailer was released. Jurassic World has a similar premise to Jurassic World III in that a team of humans has to get in and back out of an island safely. The survival aspect will undoubtedly add tension.

The visuals also strike a great balance between the Jurassic Park trilogy and the Jurassic World trilogy. The trailer starts with more polished visuals when they’re planning the trip, but they get grittier and moody as soon as they’re on the island. The grittiness makes the story feel like it’s happening in real life, raising the stakes. I actually feel afraid for the main character’s safety again, although I doubt they’ll kill most of them off.

Additionally, the dinosaurs shown in the Jurassic World Rebirth trailer tease exciting and terrifying showdowns with the humans. The voiceover promises that these are the dinosaurs (to use the colloquial collective term) deemed too dangerous for the park, which immediately sets expectations for heightened, albeit still family-friendly, violence. Eight dinosaurs are shown, and most of them pose a serious threat to Zora’s team. They will face threats from the land, the sea, and the sky. Ultimately, Jurassic World Rebirth’s trailer makes me confident that Edwards was telling the truth when describing the genre, and I can’t wait to see the film.