Put down your Pteranodon-themed can of Barbasol and finish up your Dairy Queen Jurassic Smash Blizzard, because "Jurassic World" is less than a week away.

Seeing as though the original "Jurassic Park" is still my favorite movie of all time, the new film has me about as giddy as that 9-year-old waiting in line to see the first one back in 1993.

Cynics (or perhaps just realists) will say the new film won't come close to the awesome power of the original. I don't expect the new film to top "Jurassic Park," but I'm hoping it will deliver more entertainment than the franchise's previous two sequels.

"The Lost World: Jurassic Park" from 1997, and "Jurassic Park III" from 2001, are not good movies. It shouldn't be too hard for "Jurassic World" to clear the hurdle. Still, as much as people hate these sequels, I can't help but find things to appreciate about them.

"The Lost World"

Not much of Michael Crichton's sequel novel of the same name makes it into Steven Spielberg's theatrical version, save for a double-T-Rex assault on a cliffside RV. The movie has a lot of "same-but-bigger" moments, like the RV assault and a child-vs-raptor chase, now with 100 percent more gymnastics. The only extra action beat is the ridiculous T-Rex rampage through San Diego.

Although it's a pretty typical Hollywood sequel, Spielberg focuses quite a bit of the film on animal behavior, particularly in how the dinosaurs take care of their young. The T-Rex, for instance, is less a ferocious monster and more a defensive parent. Basically, don't mess with Mama T-Rex, or she'll smash you with a giant gas station sign.

The movie as a whole doesn't really work, but Jeff Goldblum is at his Jeff Goldblumiest, and the best dinosaur in existence, the Stegosaurus, is involved in a fun action sequence after missing out completely on the first movie.

Plus you get a serious Vince Vaughn and Toby Ziegler from "The West Wing." Only in this alternate universe, Toby doesn't become a White House staffer because he's brutally ripped apart by husband-and-wife T-Rexes.

As a slight aside, "The Lost World" might also be Spielberg's meanest movie. From a guy known for his sugar-coated endings, "The Lost World" is pretty harsh with its fatalities. Even an innocent pooch is gobbled up by the T-Rex, right in front of a little kid. It's fascinating.

"Jurassic Park III"

There are two schools of thought on "Jurassic Park III." 1. The movie is a fun B-movie monster mash. or 2. The movie is terrible.

While I can see why people hate it, I'm more in the first group. The cheese-factor is definitely amplified, but director Joe Johnston ("The Rocketeer," the first "Captain America" film) does pretty good work with the dinosaur action, including a brief-but-impressive fight between the T-Rex and the bigger, badder Spinosaurus.

The centerpiece sequence is a chase through a Pteranodon aviary (something that appears to be amplified in the new "Jurassic World"). It's an exciting set piece, loosely adapted from the first "Jurassic Park" novel.

Goldblum is missed, but the return of Sam Neill and (briefly) Laura Dern make up for the unfortunate inclusion of characters shrilly played by William H. Macy and Tea Leoni. There's a moment in the final minutes when Leoni is on the verge of getting her face eaten by an angry Velociraptor, and for once you wish the raptor would win.

Basically, my defense for both films comes down to, "They aren't very good, but DINOSAURS!" My residual love for the first "Jurassic Park" is obviously benefiting the lesser elements of the franchise.

Whether or not you think I'm biased, just remember this important piece of information about the new "Jurassic World" - Chris Pratt leads a Velociraptor Motorcycle Gang. See you in line next weekend.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.