1993 Box Office Smash Named in Most Universally Loved Movies of All Time
Dinosaurs, danger, dream direction! What's not to love? An adaptation of Michael Crichton's 1990 novel, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Parkwas an instant classic and a massive success at the box office, enduring today as one of the "Most Universally Beloved Movies of All Time."
In a recent ranking published by Collider, the film is named-checked near the top at No. 4, with only Star Wars, The Godfather, and The Shawshank Redemption coming in ahead. And we love to see it.
Jurassic Park is a masterclass in suspense and spectacle, unfolding at a secret theme park where its wealthy founder has cloned prehistoric DNA into living, breathing, teething dinosaurs. Before opening the park to the public, he invites a select group of researchers to experience it for themselves. And at first, it's a tranquil, magical interaction. Until it's not - and rogue dinos are turning everything in their paths into dinner.
Spielberg said he wanted the film to be a highly immersive "Jaws on land." He added in a 2013 interview, "I was gambling a lot of Universal's money on a brand-new technology that had never been tested, to create leading characters conceptually leading animal characters, to launch a film, and that was the greatest risk I've even undertaken." We'd say he succeeded admirably.
Starring Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Richard Attenborough, and Jeff Goldblum, among others, Spielberg's blockbuster not only infused seamless visual effects and CGI, but it unleashed an unforgettable score by the brilliant John Williams, influenced decades of filmmaking, and launched a fledgling franchise that's still roaring today.
Released in June 1993, the film cleaned up at the 66th Academy Awards, winning all three of the awards it was nominated for. This year, the creature feature will celebrate its 33rd anniversary and has the follow-up to Jurassic World Rebirth to look forward to in the coming years. Now that's a monstrous legacy.
Related: 1984 Nostalgic Hit With Saddest Scene of All Time Named in Greatest Fantasy Movies
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 9:42 AM.