Rotten Tomatoes Says This Low-Budget Dino Movie Is Better Than Most Jurassic Park Films

When you think of dinosaur movies, it's almost inevitable that the "Jurassic Park" franchise comes to mind. Released in 1993, the first "Jurassic Park" film is considered one of the best movies of all time, blending thrilling dino action with comedy, groundbreaking CGI, and a smoldering Jeff Goldblum. Over three decades later, Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film remains among the highest grossing films of all time, with NASA even dubbing it one of the most scientifically accurate sci-fi movies (even if Raptors didn't actually hunt in packs).

"Jurassic Park's" success resulted in the release of two direct sequels — released in 1997 and 2001, respectively — with the franchise resurrected again in 2015 as the "Jurassic World" series, a (to date) four-film series that has revamped the family-friendly dino action for modern audiences — and is due yet another entry, rumored to release in 2028. And that's just the films the franchise has also been the subject of several books, comics, and TV shows, including the Netflix hit, "Jurassic World: Chaos Theory."

But not every "Jurassic Park" or "Jurassic World" film has been a roaring success; five of the seven movies have a "Certified Rotten" Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with only "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World" rated "Fresh." However, there is an underrated low-budget dino movie that's rated higher than all five — and it has nothing to do with the iconic park. Set during the Vietnam War, "Primitive War" sees a recon unit going boot-to-claw with prehistoric predators in the jungle in a much bloodier, less family-friendly sci-fi adventure — and there's already a sequel on the way.

Released in 2025 and directed by Luke Sparke ("Occupation: Rainfall"), "Primitive War" is an Australian sci-fi action horror film based on the novel of the same name by Ethan Pettus, who co-wrote the script.

Set in 1968, during the Vietnam War, "Primitive War" follows the Vulture Squad recon unit — headed up by Sergeant First Class Ryan Baker (played by "True Blood's" Ryan Kwanten) — who are sent to an isolated jungle valley to find out what happened to a missing Green Beret platoon. The unit soon discovers they aren't alone and that brutal dinosaurs roam the valley as a result of shady Soviet science experiments. The Vulture Squad must abandon their training and rely on their savage, primal instincts to prevent the dinos from causing global destruction.

Alongside Kwanten, "Primitive War" features familiar faces and voices, including Nick Wechsler (Jack Porter in "Revenge"), Tricia Helfer (EDI in "Mass Effect 2"), Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold in "Entourage"), and Aaron Glenane (Charlie Pendergast in "Shantaram").

But be warned, this isn't a family romp like "Jurassic Park" or "Jurassic World." Expect plenty of profanity, gore, and blood — and plenty of cheesy fun. Imagine "Predator" meets "Jurassic Park" and you'd be on the right track.

"Primitive War" wasn't exactly a box office blockbuster like "Jurassic Park." While it had a theatrical release in Australia, it had a limited release in select other countries, grossing $1,261,992 worldwide. However, it also had nowhere near the budget of Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, with Luke Sparke confirming the budget was around $7 million.

Given that budget, the critical reception to "Primitive War" is pretty impressive. The film has a 60% "Fresh" Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% Popcornmeter (audience) rating. For comparison, "Jurassic Park's" first sequel, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (the film with the highest "Rotten" rating for the franchise) has a 57% Tomatometer rating and 52% Popcornmeter rating.

Critics praised the film as entertaining, heartfelt, and brutal, with Flickering Myth describing it as "an action movie with enough bite to make a Tyrannosaurus proud," and Film Threat calling it "the dinosaur movie fans have been waiting for." However, others had a more mixed response. Empire Magazine described "Primitive War" as "an unashamed exploitation movie with teeth" that features "all the dinosaur devilry and gun-ho soldiering you could want," while Decider panned the film, writing that "it's not quite Primitive Snore but it comes a little too close."

You can decide for yourself, as "Primitive War" is available to stream on Hulu. Now is the perfect time to watch, too, as Sparke has confirmed that "Primitive War 2" is in the works and should be released in 2027.