June 11th, 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park, the dinosaur-fueled adventure that started a multi-million dollar franchise. The film has spawned multiple movies, video games, and theme park attractions in its lifetime. With so much content, it is no surprise that the franchise has created numerous iconic quotes.
RELATED: 10 Biggest Box Office Hits Of The 1990s, Ranked
The Jurassic Park franchise is full of dinosaur-based action, but the movies also include many themes, most notably about man vs. nature and power. These themes lend themselves well to quotable lines, whether it's Ian Malcolm's moving speech in Jurassic World: Dominion or John Hammond's iconic introduction in the original Jurassic Park.
10 "We Not Only Lack Dominion Over Nature, We're Subordinate To It" (Jurassic World: Dominion)
Dr. Ian Malcolm
Jurassic World: Dominion is far from the best-received movie in the franchise, but it still has some cool moments. The film reintroduces Alan, Ellie, and Ian. In Dominion, Dr. Malcolm gives a lecture to a group of students that really hits home.
Malcolm's speech gives Dominion its title and also pulls at a major theme of the franchise: no one can control the natural world. The Jurassic Park franchise repeatedly shows that life cannot be contained. Malcolm's line sets up the film's resolution where humanity needs to find a way to coexist with the dinosaurs.
9 "That's The Difference Between Imagining And Seeing: To Be Able To Touch Them" (Jurassic Park III)
Dr. Alan Grant
Jurassic Park III is the black sheep of the original Jurassic Park trilogy. It was the worst reviewed when it released, and time hasn't softened opinions. However, it does mark Alan Grant's return as he rescues a lost boy trapped on Isla Sorna.
RELATED: 9 Best Movie Trilogies Of The '90s
During this adventure, Grant must tangle with greedy men who want to use the dinosaurs for profit. After saving the day, Grant gives a passionate speech to the young boy he saved. He reminds the boy that as great as the experience is, some things are better left to the imagination.
8 "I Wanted To Show Them Something That Wasn't An Illusion" (Jurassic Park)
John Hammond
"With this place, I wanted to show them something that wasn't an illusion. Something that was real, something they could see and touch. An aim not devoid of merit."
John Hammond is a key character throughout the Jurassic Park franchise. As the founder of the original park, he looms large as the main cause of most of the conflicts. Though he created the terrifying dinosaurs, Hammond is not a villain.
Hammond is more misguided than malicious. This quote explains his mindset regarding the park; he has good intentions and wants to create a spectacle that people will love. Unfortunately, he never truly recognizes that he is playing with fire.
7 "These Creatures Were Here Before Us" (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)
Dr. Ian Malcolm
"These creatures were here before us, and if we're not careful, they're going to be here after."
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a drastic departure from the first Jurassic World movie. The film focuses on a debate about which rights dinosaurs should have. Some, like Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, want to save the dinosaurs from a volcano. Others, like Dr. Ian Malcolm, want to let them perish.
Dr. Ian Malcolm appears before a committee to determine the dinosaurs' fate. He makes his case for the creatures' death very clearly. Malcolm has been against the dinosaurs since the beginning, but not because they are scary. He believes that meddling with fate and reviving an extinct species is extremely dangerous, and he was right.
6 "I Didn't Have Enough Respect For That Power" (Jurassic Park)
Dr. Ellie Sattler
"I didn't have enough respect for that power, and it's out now. The only thing that matters now are the people we love."
Dr. Ellie Sattler is the beating heart of the first Jurassic Park film. While all the characters play an important role, Ellie is the one who keeps them honest. When Dr. Grant and the kids were lost on the island, Dr. Sattler holds the others together and keeps hope alive. She pushes John Hammond to take responsibility for his actions and fix his mess.
RELATED: All The Jurassic Park Movies, In Order
This quote comes from Ellie's speech to Hammond about his faults. Hammond keeps trying to justify his choice and find a way to make Jurassic Park work. Ellie cuts him off and forces him to acknowledge that what is important is saving the people they love.
5 "Clever Girl" (Jurassic Park)
Robert Muldoon
Muldoon is one of the standout characters in Jurassic Park. As the game warden, he has a lot of up-close experience with the dinosaurs. The first scene in Jurassic Park focuses on him facing off against the raptors. This opening perfectly foreshadows his later death.
While Muldoon's one-liner isn't too deep, it is iconic. Realizing that he's been outwitted by the raptors, Muldoon only has time to compliment the creatures before they pounce. The game warden spent a lot of time warning the others about the danger the raptors pose, and it's too bad Muldoon has to die to be proven right.
4 "That's How It Always Starts" (The Lost World: Jurassic Park)
Dr. Ian Malcolm
"Oh yeah. Ooh, ahh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running. And screaming"
The Lost World: Jurassic Park is the second movie in the franchise and is based on the novel of the same name. The film stars Dr. Ian Malcolm as he explores Jurassic Park's "Site B." In the Jurassic Park sequel Malcolm, his daughter, and a group of people visit the island.
While the dinosaurs excite many of the visitors. Malcolm is quick to point out that while the creatures are breathtaking, they are also dangerous. This quote serves as an excellent, if unnecessary, foreshadowing of the events of the film. Viewers don't really need any hints that this will go wrong, but part of the fun is in anticipating the disaster.
3 "We're Just Used To Being The Cat" (Jurassic World)
Dr. Henry Wu
"Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat."
Jurassic World is an ambitious attempt to restart the franchise. While the movie has an almost entirely new cast, B.D. Wong's Henry Wu did make a reappearance. Wu is only a minor character in the first film, but he returns as the chief scientist of Jurassic World.
Wu is responsible for Jurassic World's completely fabricated dinosaur: the Indominus Rex. The bioengineered creature, predictably, escapes and wreaks havoc. When others call the creature a monster, Wu is quick to defend it with an analogy about a cat and a canary. He points out that Jurassic World had long been playing with fire, and it isn't the Indominus Rex's fault that it was created to be so deadly.
2 "Creation Is An Act Of Sheer Will. Next Time, It'll Be Flawless" (Jurassic Park)
John Hammond
John Hammond is a truly tragic figure in the Jurassic Park franchise. While he has good intentions initially, his greed and ego continuously blind him to the dangers of Jurassic Park. He spends a majority of the first film attempting to justify his creation of Jurassic Park. Even after everything goes wrong, he still tries to save his park.
RELATED: 10 Best Practical Effects In Jurassic Park, Ranked
John Hammond's insistence on repeating his mistakes points to another theme of the Jurassic Park franchise. Human ego is dangerous when left unchecked. Despite all that has gone wrong, Hammond proves with the above quote that he still believes he can bend the universe to his whim.
1 "Welcome To Jurassic Park" (Jurassic Park)
John Hammond
While this Jurassic Park moment does not have any deeper meaning, it is probably the most iconic line from the franchise. John Hammond delivers this line as the main characters enter the titular park. This simple phrase kicks off the entire world that audiences know and love.
Hammond's line actually serves a dual purpose. On a surface level, it is a literal welcome from John Hammond to his beloved Jurassic Park. However, it also starts the adventure properly. From this moment on, characters and viewers alike are stuck in the titular park, and it becomes clear that there is more going on than meets the eye.
NEXT: 10 Best Dinosaur Movies Of All Time