JuicyTalk
The Jurassic Park movies prominently feature many dinosaurs from the Jurassic period, but one specific dinosaur has been inaccurately portrayed since Spielberg’s first movie, and it still bothers me. With six movies across the Jurassic timeline, the series has been praised for how well the visual effects hold up today, and the depiction of these dangerous species. However, with the initial film’s release in 1993, the scarcity of information on certain dinosaur species has contributed to inaccuracies in their depiction across the Jurassic franchise. With that in mind, the original Jurassic Park films featured some of the most iconic dinosaurs from periods other than the Jurassic.
Recently, inaccuracies have been identified in some of the classic film’s most iconic scenes, particularly the Velociraptor kitchen hunt and the final shot of the T. rex roaring beneath the banner for Jurassic Park. It’s clear that some of these inaccuracies make the films more enjoyable because of their dramatic flair. These scenes are now iconic and irreplaceable, but their inaccuracies prompt us to question what other scientific liberties the franchise took. For me, the most striking inaccuracy involves the Dilophosaurus, even though its rare appearances still led to two of the series’ most memorable on-screen kills in Jurassic Park and Jurassic World Dominion.
The Dilophosaurus In Jurassic Park & Jurassic World Dominion Do Not Align With Scientific Understanding
The Dilophosaurus Was Actually Far Larger In Scale Than The Ones In The Jurassic Franchise
The Dilophosaurus first appeared in one brief, yet iconic, scene in Jurassic Park, then was not spotted until the sixth installment, Jurassic World Dominion. While the Jurassic Park dinosaurs do have many inaccuracies, the Dilophosaurus is perhaps the most striking example of this. Scientists have found this particular species to have been 20 feet long, and a considerable predator. If this dinosaur were to be true to scale, the Dilophosaurus would have been far larger than the legendary Velociraptor. The Dilophosaurus likely didn’t have neck frills or spit paralyzing venom, either, mostly because the dinosaur’s scale and carnivore diet did not need it.
Related
Which Jurassic Park Dinosaurs Are Real (And Which Are Made Up)
While most of the dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films are real, some are enhanced by fiction, and a few are wholly fictitious.
By all means, if Jurassic Park were to have introduced an accurate depiction of the Dilophosaurus, it would have been far more dangerous than the Velociraptor. This different approach allowed the film to present them as a major threat without overshadowing the opposing species. More specifically, because significant information about the Dilophosaurus is a relatively new development, Jurassic Park had to take creative liberties with the species due to the scarcity of data available at the time. While the dinosaur is still incredibly frightening throughout the series, it’s disappointing that the universe hasn’t provided a more historically accurate portrayal.
The Dilophosaurus Is Still Responsible For Two Of The Jurassic Franchise’s Most Memorable Deaths
The Dilophosaurus Killed Two Very Important Characters In Jurassic Park & Jurassic World Dominion
The first appearance of the Dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park was at a pivotal moment in the film. Dennis Nedry came up against the species during his attempt to smuggle embryos from Hammond’s lab, in exchange for a rather sizable monetary gain from an associate for Biosyn. Interestingly, the Dilophosaurus was first portrayed as an inoffensive species but was soon discovered to be an immense threat. In actuality, Nedry’s death in the Jurassic Park novel was significantly more violent than what was depicted in the film adaptation. However, aside from a hologram in the inaugural Jurassic World, the Dilophosaurus wasn’t seen again until Jurassic World Dominion.
Jurassic World Dominion marks the most recent appearance of the Dilophosaurus. Claire Dearing has a close encounter with the dinosaur in the final act before being saved by Owen Grady and the contract pilot, Kayla Watts. Later, the species returns as a trio to hunt and kill Lewis Dodgson. Dodgson is Biosyn’s CEO, and acts as the series’ main antagonist. His death at the hands of the same species that killed Dennis Nedry creates a satisfying full circle, and highlights the connection between their fates. Consequently, Dodgson meets the same end because of his involvement in Nedry’s death in Jurassic Park.
