If anyone on this planet is a natural-born cinematographer, it might just be Chris Menges. His earthiness and pragmatism combined with his uncanny, innate sensibility for the moving image are what make his films special: Kes, The Killing Fields, and The Mission, to name just a few. If you haven’t seen them, then trust us that they are among the most beautiful movies ever made.
Menges has seen a lot of adventure; he's been all over the world, and he has stories.
In this wide-ranging discussion, we talk about the photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson's influence on Menges' work and the importance of "walking the streets." From his early days in documentary to his later work with directors like Neil Jordan, Stephen Frears, Stephen Daldry, and Sean Penn, Menges is a true master of observation... and he's picked up a couple of Oscars along the way.
I remember being seven years old when the first Jurassic Park movie came out. One day, everyone was on the playground kicking around a ball, and the next kids were pretending to be velociraptors tearing apart the flesh of one another.
It was an incredible time.
Since then, we've had a total of six Jurassic Park and World movies, with a new one coming out this summer.
If you're catching up on the franchise, I wanted to tell you what you've been missing out on and which movies are the best. Here are the six Jurassic Park movies ranked.
Writers: Michael Crichton (novel), David Koepp, Michael Crichton
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, BD Wong, Samuel L. Jackson
There's just nothing better than the original movie for me. I think it's one of the best films ever made, and it contains some of the greatest set pieces ever put to celluloid.
2. Jurassic Park: The Lost World
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: David Koepp (based on the novel by Michael Crichton)
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard, Richard Attenborough, Vince Vaughn, Vanessa Lee Chester
Way more divergent from the book, this movie looks for a larger scale than the original and takes us off the island into the real world, where the size and scale of the dinos are on full display.
3. Jurassic Park III
Director: Joe Johnston
Writers: Peter Buchman, John Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Cast: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, Laura Dern
I think this might be the most underrated Jurassic movie. going back to the island makes this feel like a contained thriller. And the addition of flying dinos as well as swimming dinos keeps things fresh.
4. Jurassic World
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, Irrfan Khan
A real fun new journey into the park that updates the story for the 21st Century. It's as nihilistic as the original novel, which is a nice homage.
5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Director: J.A. Bayona
Writers: Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, BD Wong, Jeff Goldblum, James Cromwell, Toby Jones
The idea of making a horror movie within the JP franchise is such a smart one, I can't believe it took this many movies to get there. I love the bedroom scene with the kid hiding.
6. Jurassic World: Dominion
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Writers: Emily Carmichael, Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, BD Wong, Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie
The ramifications of dinos in the real world is a great high-concept conceit. Seeing the way they bring InGen and Dodson back into the mix is also pretty interesting given the worldbuilding the series has engaged in at this point.
Summing Up All Six 'Jurassic Park' Movies Ranked
So, there you have it. In my mind, the whole Jurassic franchise has been in order of greatness. I am excited about the reboot this summer, especially to see where they take the story.