Why did Jurassic Park make Velociraptors big?

Answered by Douglas Hiatt

As an AI language model, I don’t have personal experiences or emotions, but I can provide you with a detailed answer to your question.

Jurassic Park, the popular movie franchise, portrayed Velociraptors as much larger and more menacing than they were in reality. This deviation from the scientific facts was done for several reasons:

1. Dramatic Effect: By exaggerating the size and ferocity of Velociraptors, the filmmakers aimed to create a more thrilling and terrifying movie experience. The audience’s fascination with large, dangerous predators like T. rex was amplified by making the raptors appear as formidable adversaries.

2. Visual Impact: The portrayal of Velociraptors as giant, reptilian creatures with sharp teeth and claws made for visually striking scenes. The larger size allowed for more dramatic interactions with human characters, enhancing the suspense and danger.

3. Iconic Status: Jurassic Park sought to create iconic and memorable dinosaurs that would leave a lasting impression on the audience. By making Velociraptors bigger and more menacing, they became one of the most recognizable and popular dinosaurs from the franchise.

It’s important to note that the actual Velociraptor, as we understand it from fossil evidence, was a relatively small dinosaur. Standing at about 1.6 feet tall at the hip and measuring approximately 6 feet in length, it was not the towering predator depicted in the movies. Additionally, recent scientific findings suggest that Velociraptors had feathers rather than scales, making them resemble a larger predatory chicken more than a scaly reptile.

The portrayal of Velociraptors in Jurassic Park is an example of artistic license taken by the filmmakers to create an exciting and commercially successful movie. While it deviates from scientific accuracy, it should be viewed as entertainment rather than an educational representation of dinosaurs.

Jurassic Park made Velociraptors big for dramatic effect, visual impact, and to create iconic status within the franchise. The actual Velociraptors were much smaller and had feathers, resembling a larger predatory chicken rather than the towering, scaly predators depicted on screen.