Ultimate Guide to Dinosaur Movies: 8 Classics Beyond 'Jurassic World'

While Jurassic World: Rebirth stomps through theaters, there's a whole plethora of dinosaur films beyond the famous franchise. From animated adventures to bizarre B-movies dinosaurs have been roaring across our screens long before CGI made them look so terrifyingly real. Here are 8 dinosaur films that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

1. ‘Dinosaur’ (2000)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Dinosaur has 65% from critics and 48% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Dinosaur is rated 6.4/10.

Dinosaur follows Aladar, an Iguanodon raised by lemurs, who must lead a herd to safety after a meteor strike. It's a solid dino adventure with enough emotional weight to keep both kids and adults engaged.

Available on Disney+.

2. ‘The Land Before Time’ (1988)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Land Before Time has 65% from critics and 79% from the audience.
• On IMDb, The Land Before Time is rated 7.4/10.

This animated classic follows Littlefoot, a young “Longneck” who loses his mother and must find the Great Valley with his newfound friends. Despite being marketed to kids, it doesn't shy away from heavy themes like death, prejudice and survival. The film was so successful it spawned 13 sequels.

Available on: Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Spectrum On Demand.

3. ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ (2008)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Journey to the Center of the Earth has 60% from critics and 51% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Journey to the Center of the Earth is rated 5.8/10.

It follows a scientist and his nephew who discover a hidden world beneath the Earth's surface, complete with luminous birds, man-eating plants and, yes, dinosaurs. This fun adventure doesn't take itself too seriously. The dinosaur chase scenes deliver exactly what you want from a popcorn flick.

Available on: VIX for free with ads; Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV.

4. ‘The Valley of Gwangi’ (1969)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Valley of Gwangi has 73% from critics and 60% from the audience.
• On IMDb, The Valley of Gwangi is rated 6.2/10.

This bizarre western-meets-dinosaur film follows cowboys who discover a hidden valley of prehistoric creatures and decide to capture an Allosaurus for their Wild West show. What could possibly go wrong?

The Valley of Gwangi is exactly the kind of wonderfully weird cinema they don't make anymore.

Available on: Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV.

5. ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ (2009)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs has 46% from critics and 63% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is rated 6.9/10.

In this third Ice Age film, our friends discover a hidden world under the ice that's crawling with dinosaurs. When Sid tries to play parent to some dino eggs, the real mama dino snatches him away, forcing his friends to venture underground for a rescue mission.

Available on Disney+.

6. ‘Land of the Lost’ (2009)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Land of the Lost has 26% from critics and 32% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Land of the Lost is rated 5.3/10.

Land of the Lost follows a scientist and his companions who get sucked into a parallel dimension filled with dinosaurs and lizard-people called Sleestaks. Sure, it's silly and over-the-top, but Will Ferrell and Danny McBride's comedy keeps things fun.

Available on HBO Max.

7. ‘Tammy and the T-Rex’ (1994)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Tammy and the T-Rex has 43% from critics and 41% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Tammy and the T-Rex is rated 5.3/10.

In possibly the wildest dinosaur movie ever made, a mad scientist puts a teenager's brain into a robotic T-Rex. Naturally, he then goes on a revenge spree against his bullies while trying to reconnect with his girlfriend.

Available on Kanopy, Plex and Fawesome for free.

8. ‘We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story’ (1993)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story has 38% from critics and 50% from the audience.
• On IMDb, We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is rated 6.0/10.

This kid-friendly animated film follows a group of dinosaurs who gain intelligence. They end up in modern-day New York City where they befriend two kids and get caught up in a wild adventure.

While it's not exactly a masterpiece, it has enough charm and colorful animation to keep the little ones entertained. And the voice cast includes stars like John Goodman and Jay Leno.

Available on: Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV.