Whether you’re a “clever girl” or just a fan of dinosaurs, theJurassic Parksaga has been the reigning franchise in the genre since the early ’90s. The photo-realistic special effects and tension-filled action scenes are only some of the reasons why these powerhouses of cinema continue tosmash box office recordsand have larger-than-life ticket sales. A very important factor in their success is the characters. Many dinosaur movies have come and gone, but none of them had the bandanna-wearing Dr. Grant or the sexy swagger of Ian Malcolm.
Going through a harrowing and unexpected crisis can bring out the best, or worst in anyone. Certain characters in the franchise give in to the impulses of greed and power. Others find their courage, even if it wasn’t evident in the first place. Here is a breakdown of how some of the characters in the films evolved to fit the occasion, and some who crumbled under the prehistoric weight.
Jurassic Park
In Steven Spielberg’s massive blockbuster, paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are among a select group chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. While the park’s mastermind, billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), assures everyone that the facility is safe, they find out otherwise when various ferocious predators break free and go on the hunt.
10Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight)
Original Appearance: ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
An imperfect and greedy employee, Dennis Nedry becomes the catalyst for the entire series of events that unfold inJurassic Park. Although his motives were impure, this everyman-type character challenges viewers to consider what they would have done in his position. After all, 1.5 million dollars is a lot of money and considerably more than any pension InGen would pay.
Granted, selling out your company to competitors is a huge moral and corporate no-no. Without Nedry, the initial humbling of stubborn creator John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) might have never taken place. Nedry’s character also points out a factor Hammond had never considered in his darkest nightmares, that the compromise of safety would come from thehumans inJurassic Park, and not the dinosaurs.
9Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong)
Another character who may have self-interested motives but undoubtedly is responsible for shapingJurassic Parkis Henry Wu. Wu is responsible for genetically engineering all of the dinosaurs in the attraction and was one of the scientific pioneers to make an extinct species a living, breathing, flesh-and-blood creation again.
As his ethical compass swings with his character arch through following films such asJurassic WorldandJurassic World: Dominion, Wu knew the inherent danger of unleashing such strong beasts back into the world. He was the one who built in genetic safety guards such as making all of the dinosaurs female to discourage uncontrolled breeding and instilling them with a Lysine deficiency, so without being fed Lysine by their human handlers, they would die. Although Wu brings up moral, ethical, and animal rights issues, his genius for finding a way to create them in the first place makes him very important to the canon.
8Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck)
With any beast film, there is usually a hunter. Although The Lost World:Jurassic Parkgave cinema-goers a great character in Roland Tembo, played by Pete Postlethwaite, the gravitas and complex performance of Bob Peck asJurassic Park’s khaki-clad and gun-toting Robert Muldoon can’t be beat.
As a game warden, Muldoon was charged with not only ensuring the safety of the animals, but the safety of the park attendees as well. He worked for John Hammond at his park in Kenya and did such a great job there that it earned him a promotion toJurassic Park. However, being the first game warden to an extinct, dangerous, and hungry animal population was not without its downsides. Ultimately, he gave his life trying to help save his human counterparts. If only they had taken his advice sooner that"They should all be destroyed."
7Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore)
Original Appearance: ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (1997)
It may be a challenge to look at a gigantic T-Rex and see it asanything less than a monster, but that’s exactly what Sarah Harding did. As a specialist in carnivores, she challenged antiquated theories that the T-Rex was a cold-blooded killer and wouldn’t even care for its offspring.
Her passion and determination launched an albeit ill-advised solo mission to an island where dinosaurs roamed unrestricted. Anyone who can survive alone on an island with dinosaurs for a week has to be made of tough stuff. Harding also demonstrated courage when she and Ian Malcolm risked their own lives to lure an adult T-Rex away from the people of San Diego. Without her sharpshooting with a tranquilizer gun, the movie would have ended a completely different way.
6Alexis “Lex” Murphy (Ariana Richards)
Most children grow up with a love of dinosaurs, so it’s no wonder Hammond called themhis “target audience.“But dinosaurs are dangerous, loud, and scary. The vulnerable and realistic character of Lex takes the viewer on a journey of what it would be like to feel small among the gigantic prehistoric reptiles, especially after you’ve almost been eaten by one.
Although Lex starts the film very timid and almost paralyzed with fear, her character grows to be one of great courage. She not only risks her own life to distract a Velociraptor that is chasing her brother, but her quick thinking and knowledge of computers comes in handy when she is the one who ultimately reboots the failed security system.
5Owen Grady (Chris Pratt)
Original Appearance: ‘Jurassic World’ (2015)
A hands-on animal behavior specialist, Owen Grady dedicates years of his life to bonding and training an animal species that many believed couldn’t be trained. It is unclear if he truly was naive and did not think that the ability to train raptors would eventually be militarized. Regardless, he forms a bond with them,which is no small task.
Grady demonstrates his bravery and heroics by risking his life to save a coworker who accidentally falls into the raptor enclosure and assisting Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) in finding her nephews Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson).
4Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum)
To be an expert on chaos, one must have to encounter it at some point. Unfortunately for Dr. Malcolm and his companions, that is exactly what happens on their trip to the park. A mathematician by trade, and almost specializing in unpredictability, he isone of the first charactersto warn the audience that John Hammond may well have opened nature’s version of Pandora’s Box.
Although severely injured, Dr. Malcolm survives his harrowing adventure on the original island and continues a campaign to bring public awareness to the dangers, inherent, in allowing the dinosaurs to be near humans. He travels back to rescue his then-girlfriend Sarah Harding inThe Lost Word: Jurassic Park, and plays an important role inJurassic World: Dominion.
3Dr. Ellen “Ellie” Sattler (Laura Dern)
There were more than just dinosaurs alive in the Cretaceous Period, there were plants too. Ellie Sattler joins the first expedition toJurassic Parkand quickly begins using her expertise in paleobotany to identify plants around the compound that may be harmful for the creatures' consumption.
However, once things turn south, Ellie quickly proves that she hasas much brawn as she does brains. She risks her life venturing into a park where the inhabitants are uncontained to rescue her then-boyfriend Alan Grant (Sam Neill). She also goes toe-to-toe with a Velociraptor later in the film so that electricity can be restored to the damaged amusement park. She saves Grant and his team from another near-death encounter in the filmJurassic Park III, and plays a pivotal role inJurassic World: Dominion.
2Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill)
Not only is Alan Grant the primary paleontologist on the first team to ever view the park, he is also one ofthe main characters in the Jurassic Park franchise.Viewers follow his journey from digging at dust to find any sort of clue to how these ancient animals lived, to viewing more than one species up close and personal.
Through Grant’s perspective, the films dive into dialogues about animal behavior at its best and its worst, and if humankind’s behavior is any match or companion for it. His coolness under pressure and adaptability to think on his feet and blend what he thought he knew about dinosaurs with what he is viewing right in front of him, make him an excellent character and one you would want to have handy on a walk through the park.
1Dr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough)
Is he the hero of the saga, or is he the villain? The character of John Hammond is far more complex. Throughout the series, the films see him believe in, doubt, regret, and ultimately still cherish his creation, for good or for evil. Hammond explores a character type that has so much money and success that ordinary pursuits no longer apply. So what next? Play God.
Although vastly determined, stating that creation is “an act of sheer will,” Hammond must be confronted with his shortcomings when he has a heart-to-heart with Ellie Sadler. The scene, which takes place over a table of melting ice cream, is one of the most iconic. The conversation escalates until the arrogance and pride of Hammond must humble themselves before the powerful forces of nature. Whether it was an addiction to court the ever-eluding hallucination of power, or an ingrained sense of stubbornness that only comes when you’re a vastly successful entrepreneur, Hammond ultimately keeps his ties with InGen andJurassic Park. His lasting pursuit to somehow salvage a flawed and imperfect dream lasted until his death, when Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), at last ultimately (but not sustainably) realized his original vision of having an operating dinosaur theme park. Perhaps the real controlJohn Hammond never thoughtto obtain was self-control.
Jurassic Park is available to stream on YouTube, Apple TV, and Peacock in the US.
