'Jurassic Park's Best Line Is Still the Greatest Quote in Franchise History

Published Oct 19, 2026, 11:11 PM EDT Lloyd 'Happy Trails' Farley: the man, the myth, the legend. What can be said about this amazing - and humble - man that hasn't been said before? Or, more accurately, what can be said in public? Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Lloyd is a master of puns and a humorist, who has authored one pun book to date - Pun and Grimeish Mint - and is working on a second. His time with Collider has allowed Lloyd's passion for writing to explode, with nearly 1,000 articles to his name that have been published on the site, with his favorite articles being the ones that allow for his sense of humor to shine. Lloyd also holds fast to the belief that all of life's problems can be answered by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and/or The Lion King. You can read more about Lloyd on his website, or follow his Facebook page and join the Llama Llegion. Happy trails! The Jurassic Park franchise is filled with great, memorable moments, like the ripples in the water cups, an ominous sign of something big and toothy approaching; or that very first awe-inspiring view of a living, breathing Brachiosaurus, a groundbreaking moment which we as an audience got to share with the characters. But what often gets forgotten in comparison is how immensely quotable the series is as well, from the simple-yet-beautiful pace of John Hammond's (Richard Attenborough) "Welcome . . . to Jurassic Park" in the first film to "No one's dumb enough to go where we're going" from Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) in Jurassic World Rebirth, a quote that can arguably be applied to every film in the franchise. The greatest quote in the franchise's history, similarly, is a line that summarizes the franchise as a whole, from a man who is easily Jurassic Park's most quotable. This ‘Jurassic Park’ Quote Drives the Franchise That man is Jeff Goldblum's charismatic and cynical Dr. Ian Malcolm, and the quote is part of a dressing-down he gives to Hammond for his cavalier attitude toward genetic engineering: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." It's a quote that packs a lot into its 19 words. It elevates the film beyond its summer blockbuster trappings, shadowing the intense action and cutting-edge CGI with the question of ethics in science. In context, it's a quick and dirty summation of the criticism being levied against the genetic scientists in Hammond's employ and, in a broader sense, Hammond and the "blood-sucking lawyer" on his side, who aren't thinking of the possible repercussions of opening the park. And, as the movie goes on, it becomes clear that it had been practically dripping in foreshadowing. In fact, the quote actually foreshadows what drives each and every film, with the exception of Jurassic Park III. Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), Hammond's nephew, gets the brilliant idea to have a dinosaur theme park in San Diego, because he can, only for all hell to break loose when a T. Rex goes rampant in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The creation of a whole new dinosaur, Indominus Rex, forces the evacuation of the working dinosaur theme park in Jurassic World, only for that lesson to be pushed aside for the promise of mega money at a dinosaur auction with the introduction of the Indoraptor in Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. Jurassic World Dominion sees Biosyn create genetically modified locusts in order to corner the world's food supply, only for that to also go south. At least there was an altruistic reason for tracking dinosaurs in Jurassic World Rebirth, but, again, just because you can, should you? The Eerie Real-World Relevance of Dr. Ian Malcolm's Iconic Quote in 'Jurassic Park' Interestingly, it's the real world significance of Malcolm's great quote that truly sets it apart. After all, history is filled with examples of pushing boundaries simply because they could be pushed, but never should have been. Creating the atomic bomb, the final word in warfare, just because it could be done, doesn't mean it should have been dropped on Hiroshima in World War II. The ability to create a cheap, potent insecticide in DDT doesn't mean it should have been used indiscriminately without thorough testing. And today, we're struggling with the A.I. question: just because we can push the boundaries of what artificial intelligence is capable of, should we, in light of the lack of proper guardrails? But back in the fictional world of Jurassic Park, paying attention to Malcolm's sage words would have seen the franchise come to a dead stop, probably after The Lost World: Jurassic Park. That wouldn't have done for a franchise that to date has a combined box office of around $7 billion, which means that, in a very ironic, meta way, Universal is faced with the very same situation: filmmakers could make another Jurassic Park movie, but should they? Trick question, because it doesn't matter. So long as filmgoers come to see the latest in the franchise in theaters, they'll rifle them out as long as they can. Even if, to use Dr. Ian Malcolm's other iconic quote, it's "one big pile of s**t."