Dinosaurs captivate all ages. The creatures that dominated Earth ages ago, populating our world for 165 million years, will always be fascinating. And, on screen, as part of movie history, dinosaurs have always been a go-to genre for incredible spectacle and chilling thrills – whether you’re into t-rexes, pterodactyls, raptors, or gentle giant brontosauruses.
Dinosaur movies transport us back in time to the era of these wondrous reptiles, while other instances show dinosaurs living among us, either on a secluded island lost to history or as cloned beings brought back by science for our amusement (and dismemberment).
The Jurassic Park/World franchise has raked in over $6 billion in box office bucks over the past 30 years, proving that these glorious beasts can bring home the bacon. But which dinosaur films are the best?
Here are our picks of the 10 best dinosaur movies, from trampled theme parks to warring prehistoric titans.
Looking for more movies featuring giant lizards?
Jurassic Park (1993)
Um, duh. Yup, not only is Spielberg’s Jurassic Park one of the best “dinosaur movies ever,” it easily doubles as one of the “best movies ever.” Adapted from Michael Crichton’s novel (and second story about a futuristic amusement park gone lethally haywire), Jurassic Park is endlessly entertaining and infinitely quotable, providing equal parts laughter and horror. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum star in this tyrannosaurus-sized tale about scientists evaluating a – er – unique family attraction before it opens to the public. Hold onto your butts, because this appraisal winds up with a body count.
See our guide on how to watch the Jurassic Park movies in order.
Jurassic World (2015)
More than 20 years after the original Jurassic Park (which wound up becoming a trilogy), Jurassic World kicked off a new segment of the franchise, with greedy corporations and opportunistic scientists learning nothing from previous tragedies and opening “Jurassic World” to patrons everywhere. Naturally, things go horribly awry and carnage ensues and Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard anchor a budding dino-apocalypse. The films would eventually bring back the original three stars but the first World installment stands tall as a formulaic but fun feast for the senses.
The Land Before Time (1988)
From George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, this Don Bluth animated classic blossomed into a decades-spanning franchise featuring 13 sequels, several video games, and a TV series. The story of a young orphaned dinosaur named Littlefoot, who embarks on a great journey to find a paradise called the Great Valley, The Land Before Time is a beautifully animated ’80s staple. The saga teaches kids about the importance of friendship, the dangers of prejudice, and the power of hope.
Dinosaur (2000)
Disney’s Dinosaur, the company’s 39th animated feature, finds a lot in common with The Land Before Time as it also follows a young orphaned dino, this time on a trek to discover to the idyllic Nesting Grounds after a meteor shower devastates their island. A mix of live-action, many of the backgrounds were filmed on location while the dinos themselves were computer-generated, making it the most expensive computer-animated film at the time. Voiced by D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis, Joan Plowright, and Hayden Panettiere.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Though it’s technically the first Pixar film to not quite meet profitable expectations, The Good Dinosaur is wacky, charming family entertainment, supplemented by the voices of Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, Jeffrey Wright, and three-time Oscar-winner Frances McDormand. Like most animated dino films, the story involves a thrilling, meaningful journey, though this time it’s within an alternate history where reptilian dinosaurs never went extinct. In The Good Dinosaur, a shy Apatosaurus, Arlo, meets an unlikely human friend while traveling through a dangerous and mysterious landscape in order to return home.
King Kong (1933)
Most King Kong films are good for a ravenous dino or two, so why not revisit the 1933 original and watch humans discover Skull Island, home of not only Kong but prehistoric life of all kinds: including the Tyrannosaurus-rex, the Stegosaurus, the Pteranodon, and more. King Kong is a classic, famous for being a true spectacle at the time with game-changing special effects, from stop-motion pioneer Willis O’Brien. Kong is still thriving today, as part of Legendary’s MonsterVerse, with the latest entry, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, worth checking out too.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
King Kong’s MonsterVerse reboot began with Kong: Skull Island, a rollicking Vietnam War-era adventure starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman as a part of a mix of scientists, soldiers, and scholars trapped on Kong’s dreaded isle of terrifying creatures. In a twist though, the island’s usual dinosaurs have been beaten and eaten by new giant monsters, unique to the film and the MonsterVerse itself. And it totally works. Separating itself from the Jurassic Park/World franchise, Kong: Skull Island gave viewers a fresh batch of nightmare fuel to fawn over.
One Million Years BC (1966)
This ’60s British fantasy-adventure, from Hammer Films, starred Raquel Welch as a cavewoman struggling to survive in a fictional past where humans and dinosaurs coexisted. A remake of a film from 1940, One Million Years BC is a largely enjoyable, kitschy featuring dinosaurs (and giant sea-turtles) roaming a scortched Earth, brought to life by stop-motion genius, and Willis H. O’Brien apprentice, Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans).
The Valley Of Gwangi (1969)
Another Harryhausen home run was cult dino-Western, The Valley Of Gwangi, as the stop-motion pro took over the project from mentor Willis O’Brien after O’Brien passed away before production. The story itself was conceived by O’Brien and combined cowboys and dinosaurs as a rodeo horse is revealed to be a fifty million-year-old, prompting members of a Wild West show to venture into Mexico’s Forbidden Valley in search of fame and untold wealth. There, however, they confront prehistoric monsters, including “Gwangi,” a giant dinosaur that decimates their ranks.
Land of the Lost (2009)
Will Ferrell and Danny McBride turn a 1970s Sid and Marty Krofft TV series (which itself got a short-lived ’90s revival) into a comedic romp in Land of the Lost, where a mysterious vortex sucks a disgraced scientist (Ferrell), his assistant (Anna Friel), and a survivalist Will (McBride) into a world populated by marauding dinosaurs and fantastically bizarre creatures.
And that’s it for our pick of the best dinosaur movies of all time. Did you favorite make the cut? Let us know in the comments.
Upcoming Dinosaur Movies
Two new dinosaur movies are in the works and are worth keeping an eye on. The first is the next installment in the Jurassic World series, Jurassic World Rebirth, due to release July 2, 2025. The second is a bit more of a mystery. It Follows director David Robert Mitchell is working on a dinosaur movie, set to release in 2026, which will feature Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor. According to rumors, the film has been titled Flowervale Street and is rumored to be about dinosaurs and set in the 80s.
