Three years ago, the 24 days leading up to Christmas, Strangers and Aliens presented 24 Christmas movies that aren’t Christmas movies, but really kind of are, for various reasons. And now, we’re doing it again! Here’s 24 more Christmas movies that are set around Christmas or use Christmas to set tone or set up a theme . . . but weren’t made to be Christmas movies…

#41 — Jurassic World

What it’s supposed to be: The long-awaited sequel to the Jurassic Park franchise — nearly 20 years in the making! Sort of.

Why it’s a Christmas movie: Taking place just before Christmas, the opening of the movie has Christmas carols and snow and feels just like a Christmas movie, right down to the strained family dynamics. The two boys are going to spend time with their Aunt, who runs Jurassic World, presumably for the holidays. As soon as they arrive on the island, though, those trappings are forgotten. Of course, they’re in Costa Rica, so the snow wouldn’t be present anyway. The movie ends with a family reunion, perfect for a Christmas more, although the parents are probably still getting a divorce.

Thoughts: This is one of the best Jurassic Park movies. The dinosaurs make it exciting; the family dynamics make it interesting. While not perfect by any stretch, the characters are generally speaking likable (more so than in Snowmageddon!) and the action is spectacular. The sad reality of divorce and its effect on children make it poignant. The timing — that this is happening at Christmas — makes it even more poignant. It also gives a new twist to all those vacationers visiting the park for the holidays. 

Some of them won’t be going home for Christmas.

I’m curious, honestly,y why they set the opening scene at Christmas and then, for the rest of the movie, made no mention or visual reference to the season, almost as if the opening and the main action of the movie were originally separated by something else to give it a longer period of time between the two segments.

Is It Naughty or Nice? As far as strange Christmas movies go, there’s weaker connections. 

Santa Ben’s Verdict:

Nice

Your verdict? Let me know below in the comments!

Next: King Kong (2005)

Previous: The Curse of the Cat People

You can follow this series of posts by clicking here: Strange Christmas Movies

Ordering things from Amazon after clicking the links doesn’t add anything to your cost, but helps Strangers and Aliens and our operating costs! Thank you! Strangers and Aliens is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.