Listen, I'm well aware that The Lost World: Jurassic Park is not a great movie. In fact, it's a pretty disappointing sequel to the awesomeness that was 1993's Jurassic Park. BUT... Jeff Goldblum. Steven Spielberg. John Williams. This trio made something extremely fun with The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I always viewed this movie as something a kid would come up with while playing with dinosaur toys -- it just kinda scratches the itch for that old timey monster movie. I do love it; it's fun. So if you think it's a steaming pile of T-Rex dung, I guess just imagine any of my runner-ups won instead. :)

"Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts... and then there's running and-and-and... screaming."

Honorable Mentions: Men In Black. When I first made this list in 2021, I actually chose this as my top pick for 1997 until I proofread this page and remembered Lost World came out the same year. There was something magical about the very first Men In Black movie. It definitely grossed me out in more ways than one back in 1997, but I've found it to be a fun sci-fi comedy to revisit in the fall nearly each year. I've loved watching Tommy Lee Jones in movies since The Fugitive and he's just fantastic in this movie, alongside Will Smith. Titanic. It was tough not picking Titanic for 1997, especially since I've had a fascination with the ship since its wreckage was discovered in the mid-80s, and the movie held a lot of nostalgia for my teenage years. But its heavy themes, sad ending and controversial content made it easier to skip for this list. Liar Liar is also a standout for me that year, as it was one of the few movies I saw in the theater and just an absolute hysterical comedy. But, again, the content is another reason to knock it down from being a top pick.
        - John DiBiase