The Jurᴀssic Park movies prominently feature many dinosaurs from the Jurᴀssic period, but one specific dinosaur has been inaccurately portrayed since Spielberg’s first movie, and it still bothers me. With six movies across the Jurᴀssic 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 Jurᴀssic franchise. With that in mind, the original Jurᴀssic Park films featured some of the most iconic dinosaurs from periods other than the Jurᴀssic.
Recently, inaccuracies have been identified in some of the classic film’s most iconic scenes, particularly the Velociraptor kitchen hunt and the final sH๏τ of the T. rex roaring beneath the banner for Jurᴀssic 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 Jurᴀssic Park and Jurᴀssic World Dominion.
The Dilophosaurus In Jurᴀssic Park & Jurᴀssic World Dominion Do Not Align With Scientific Understanding
The Dilophosaurus Was Actually Far Larger In Scale Than The Ones In The Jurᴀssic Franchise
The Dilophosaurus first appeared in one brief, yet iconic, scene in Jurᴀssic Park, then was not spotted until the sixth installment, Jurᴀssic World Dominion. While the Jurᴀssic 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.
By all means, if Jurᴀssic 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, Jurᴀssic 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 Jurᴀssic Franchise’s Most Memorable Deaths
The Dilophosaurus Killed Two Very Important Characters In Jurᴀssic Park & Jurᴀssic World Dominion
The first appearance of the Dilophosaurus in Jurᴀssic 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 ᴀssociate 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 Jurᴀssic Park novel was significantly more violent than what was depicted in the film adaptation. However, aside from a hologram in the inaugural Jurᴀssic World, the Dilophosaurus wasn’t seen again until Jurᴀssic World Dominion.
Jurᴀssic 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 Jurᴀssic Park.
