If you’re here, you’re probably wondering: What are the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure?
You’ve booked the Universal Hotel and bought your park tickets.
Now you got your ThemeParkHipster guide downloaded and researched everything there is to know about the food, rides and more.
Heck you even splurged on an Express Pass!
Now there is really only one thing left to do.
Enter the movies…
Universal Orlando Resort is known for allowing its guests to step into some of its most famous and popular films and franchises through its attractions.
If you are a first time visitor, you would want to get a feel for what you’re about to step into, look no further than the movies.
Today, I will be exploring some of the films that one could watch as they get ready to head to Universal Orlando Resort!
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1. Shrek
Somebody once told me, that Shrek was one of the best animated films of all time!
But no seriously, despite Universal Orlando closing Shrek 4-D’s untimely demise earlier this year, it continues to be one of the most beloved film franchises.
Plus, you’ll be able to see the characters in the new Dreamworks Land now open!
Storyline of Shrek
Based on the 1990 picture book by William Steig, it’s all about this green ogre called Shrek and his not-so-chosen buddy, Donkey, as they go on a mission to save a princess stuck in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.
Simplistic enough of a fairytale?
- Audible Audiobook
- William Steig (Author) – Stanley Tucci (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/01/2009 (Publication Date) – Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
Might I add that the ogre is rescuing this princess for Lord Farquaad, ruler of Duloc, in exchange for clearing his home of unwanted fairytale creatures.
I should also add that Lord Farquaad despises fairytale creatures?
Why We Recommend Watching Shrek Before Going to Universal Studios
This 2001 film has been beloved by adults and children alike, starring Michael Myers and Eddie Murphy, an excellent comedic duo. The film is filled with jokes for adults and children.
Also, the movie got a lot of love for its cultural nods, cool animation, catchy soundtrack, awesome voice acting, and great writing.
- Various (Actor)
- English, French, Spanish (Subtitles)
- Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
It snagged a bunch of award nominations and was the fourth biggest box office hit of its year, helping Dreamworks animation step up as a real contender against Pixar.
In 2020, it became the first non-Disney flick to land a spot in the National Film Registry and has led to a bunch of movies, TV shows, and video games.
It is uncertain if there will be more representation for the film will be included in Universal Orlando.
You can still meet Shrek, Fiona and the other characters at their meet and greet location in the new Dreamworks area.
Get Your Universal Orlando Resort Tickets Today! CLICK HERE.
2. Transformers
In 2007, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg presented upon the world a science fiction film based on the extremely popular toy franchise, Transformers.
Starring Shia Lebeouf as the lead along with Megan Fox and Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving voicing Optimus Prime and Megatron.
Storyline of Transformers
It tells the story of a centuries old war between the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons, led by the villainous Megatron for the Allspark.
These aliens can totally morph into regular human stuff, mostly vehicles.
The Allspark made its way to Earth, and the Autobots are hoping to use it to fix up their home, Cybertron, and finally put an end to the war.
While the decepticons wish to overtake earth and use it to give life to all the machinery on the planet.
Shia Lebeouf plays Sam Whitnicky, who gets stuck in the middle of these battling aliens and teams up with Bumblebee, an autobot, to save the world. Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios.
Why Transformers is One of the Best Movies to Watch for Universal Studios
Transformers was nominated and won several awards that year, grossing $709.7 million at the box office.
- Great product!
- Nicola Peltz, Hailee Steinfeld, Mark Wahlberg (Actors)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Its combination of CGI and live action was generally praised but its usage of cars and special effects were slightly criticized when it came to marketing.
Still, the movie did really well and sparked a bunch of toys and five sequels, with the sixth that was rumored to come out in 2023.
The film’s success gave birth to Transformers: The Ride 3D at the Universal Studios theme parks.
It was the one of three and created by Universal Creative, Oceaneering International and Light and Magic.
Transformers: The Ride 3D replaced the Hercules and Xena attraction in June 2013.
It’s a cool motion platform ride that runs on 2,000 feet of track and has screens reaching up to 60 feet, making you feel like you’re right in the action of the epic battle between autobots and decepticons.
The attraction is located in Production Central near the lagoon and is about a four minute and thirty second experience overall.
You can’t miss the giant Autobot at the front. Don’t forget to meet Optimus Prime and Megatron right next to the attraction too!
3. E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial
Almost every 1980s and 1990s child has taken the childhood mecca step of watching this film.
Another project touched by Steven Spielberg.
This movie tells the tale of a young boy named Elliot who comes across an alien nicknamed E.T., for extraterrestrial, who was left behind on earth.
- E.T. – The Alien (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Spain Import, see details for languages)
- Castilian, Czech, Greek, Italian, Polish (Subtitles)
- English (Publication Language)
With assistance from friends and family, they help E.T to find his way back home. Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios.
Why We Recommend Watching This Movie Before Going to Universal Studios
The film featured an all-star cast but was noted for its young stars, Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore.
This film recently celebrated its 40th anniversary on August 12, 2022 and during that time, has been considered a cultural phenomenon.
E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial film was added to the National Film Registry in 1994 and made $792.9 million at the box office.
Since its debut, the film has been called “heartwarming” and received universal acclaim by all.
It received many nominations and awards, most notably nine nominations at the 55th academy awards and going home with four, including best original score.
E.T. Adventure Ride at Universal Studios
Almost a decade after its 1982 debut, E.T. Adventure opened at Universal Orlando and has been known as the one Spielberg attraction that he will raise hell for if they ever even think about removing it.
It is the only version left at any Universal Studios park.
The suspended dark ride puts you in the seat of one of the most famous scenes of the film as you help E.T go home.
But it goes one step further, taking you to E.T’s home world, the green planet, which was featured in the sequel novel.
A special part of the ride is E.T thanking riders for helping him at the end of the ride by name and the distinct forest smell in the queue.
It is a beloved attraction located in Kidzone at Universal Orlando and you can watch E.T on Peacock or rent it on Prime Video.
4. The Harry Potter Franchise
This next one on the list is a given. Universal Studios is known for its phenomenally accurate and successful Harry Potter lands.
Working with J.K. Rowling, they worked to truly bring the wizarding world to life in every sense. If you are a fan of the books or films, everything you could hope for will be here.
Which Harry Potter movie should I watch before going to Universal Studios?
But in particular when it comes to the franchise, I would personally recommend watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Deathly Hallows Part 2.
These are the final two films in the series where we watch Harry journey with his friends to defeat Voldemort and ultimately save the wizarding world.
These two films, essentially give you an overall idea of what entails the wizarding world and will help you to better understand the “Escape from Gringotts” attraction, which takes place around the Deathly Hallows films.
- Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint (Actors)
- English (Subtitle)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Other attractions include Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, which takes you through the forbidden forest.
There’s also Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which takes you through the famous Hogwarts Castle.
Now if you want to dive into the full lore of the story to fully enjoy and immerse yourself in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, I would make a fun time of watching all the films and maybe some behind the scenes specials on HBOmax.
5. Men in Black
Based loosely on the marvel comic, the 1997 film “Men in Black” is known as one of Will Smith’s most commercial and famous roles.
We see the Industrial Light and Magic team make a return as they helped with this, being praised for their makeup work and special effects, as well as winning and being nominated for several awards.
Men in Black stars Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K and Will Smith as Agent J.
Storyline of Men in Black
In this film, Jones plays a veteran agent showing Smith the ropes to become a new recruit in a hush-hush organization that keeps an eye on alien life on our planet, all while keeping it a secret from everyone else.
- Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Hemsworth (Actors)
- Barry Sonnenfeld (Director)
- Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Indonesian (Playback Languages)
- Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Indonesian (Subtitles)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
The film was praised overall for its comedy, soundtrack and effects making $589.3 million at the box office.
Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios.
While not in the National Registry, it has made several AFI lists. It has spawned three sequels.
Why Men In Black is One of the Best Movies to Watch for Universal Studios
Today, Men in Black Alien Attack is located in World Expo area of the park and beloved for its amazing queue and story.
The entire project was overseen by the Universal Creative Team.
It is one of the more popular attractions of the park to this very day and great fun if i do say so myself. A good tip, press the red button.
After five years in the making, Men in Black: Alien Attack finally dropped in April 2000.
It’s an interactive shooter dark ride where you get to step into what looks like a World’s Fair, but it’s really the MiB Headquarters.
What to Expect on This Ride at Universal Studios
On this attraction, you will be recruited to test your skills and take down aliens throughout New York with laser guns, while racking up points!
Back then, it was the largest dark ride ever made at a Universal Park, featuring over 100 animatronics. Eighty of those were crafted right in-house by Universal Creative.
Men in Black Alien Attack received an award shortly after for its inception by the themed entertainment association for outstanding achievement.
6. Furious 7
If you make the unfortunate decision to experience Fast and Furious: Supercharged, then I would recommend you sit down and take a gander at Furious 7.
This is, as I’m sure you would imagine, the 7th installment in the Fast and Furious franchise.
This was the final film for Paul Walker, who played the role of Brian in almost every film in the franchise up until that point.
He passed away in 2013 in a tragic car accident and his brothers filled in to complete most of his filming for the role, which caused the film to be delayed until its 2015 release.
If you are familiar with the franchise, you may need a refresher to remember the characters. If you aren’t, fortunately, you will really only have to watch the 7th installment.
Furious 7 Storyline
The 7th movie has “the family,” and trust me, you’ll catch that word at least 20 times during the ride, coming back to the States to just chill and live regular lives after getting a pass for their past mistakes.
They run into trouble once a man named Deckard Shaw, a rouge assassin, comes after them to avenge his brother who is in a coma due to their actions.
Experiencing this Movie as a Ride at Universal Studios
The film was one of the most expensive ever made costing $250 million to produce but grossed over 1.5 billion globally.
- Furious 7 – 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD Brand New
- Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (Actors)
- James Wan (Director) – Neal H. Moritz (Producer)
- English (Subtitle)
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
It was also praised for its absolutely astronomically impressive stunts, set pieces, cast performances and its tribute to Paul Walker.
The film mostly gained nominations and awards due to its tribute song to Walker, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
With that being said, the attraction does not live up to the film and in fact, the Universal Creative Senior Vice President stated in an IAAPA interview that the attraction was the biggest mistake of his career.
I will say that if you have never ridden it, to at least try it once as the queue is worth seeing!
There are amazing vehicles and props from the film within and a tribute to Paul. But most visitors will tell you to skip it.
I could honestly try to explain the ride to you, but to this day, I’m still very confused.
Read NEXT: 7 AMAZING Things I Can’t Wait to Do at Universal Epic Universe in 2025!
7. The Mummy
One of the most popular, if not the most popular attraction at Universal Studios is Revenge of the Mummy. But before we dive into that, let’s talk about the movie!
This 1999 cult classic is a remake of one of the famous Universal Monster movies of the same name.
Storyline of the Mummy
It starred Brendan Fraser in the lead role as Rick O’Connell, who travels to the city of the dead with Evelyn, a librarian, and Jonathan, her brother.
They totally end up waking up Imhotep, this cursed high priest with some crazy powers who had a fling with the pharaoh’s lady.
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- Brendan Fraser, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Rachel Weisz (Actors)
- Stephen Sommers (Director) – Stephen Sommers (Writer) – James Jacks (Producer)
- French, Spanish (Subtitles)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Once they take out the pharaoh after their secret gets out, the mistress ends up taking her own life, and Imhotep takes off, thinking he can bring her back.
He’s stuck right in the thick of the whole resurrection thing, getting buried alive with these creepy, flesh-eating beetles and shoved into a sarcophagus.
It is a truly riveting film that was praised for its CGI, live action and stunning visual effects, brought to you again my Industrial Light and Magic.
Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios.
Why We Recommend Watching This Movie Before Going to Universal Studios
The film took years to make but it brought in $416.4 million worldwide, leading to two sequels, a prequel, and an animated series.
While nominated for numerous awards, it only won two for Best Makeup and its original score by Jerry Goldsmith.
Revenge of the Mummy Ride at Universal Studios
Its successful Universal Orlando attraction debuted in May 2004 replacing Kongfrontation.
If you actually look up, you can still see some of the old attraction throughout the ride. You learn more about the attraction here.
Since 2011, it consistently won best indoor coaster yearly until 2019 when the category was retired due to its wins every year.
After this, it was given legendary status by Golden Ticket Awards.
8. Jurassic Park & Jurassic World
The Jurassic Park franchise is absolutely synonymous with Universal Studios!
Most likely if the first thing that comes to mind isn’t Harry Potter, the runner up usually is Jurassic Park.
But in this case, Universal did a spectacular job of bringing the immersive land to live for visitors.
- Attenborough, Richard, Neill, Sam, Goldblum, Jeff (Actors)
Jurassic Park, based on the book of the same name by Michael Crichton, was another film creation by Steven Spielberg.
Storyline of Jurassic Park
The first movie in the trilogy is set on Isla Nublar, near Costa Rica, where a rich guy and his crew of genetic whizzes have built a wildlife park… packed with dinosaurs that were thought to be extinct.
The businessman, John Hammond, has to calm his investors down and gather some experts along with his grandkids to check out the park.
In the film, there’s been some sneaky stuff going on behind the scenes, and now the power’s out all over the island. The dinosaurs are totally going wild!
Now it’s all about everyone scrambling to survive and get off the island.
Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Jurassic Park Makes History
The film itself was an absolute marvel at the time and the special effects still hold up almost 30+ years later!
It was called one of the best blockbusters of all time, with critics praising the life like animatronics and special effects.
The wonderful people from Industrial Light and Magic had hands on this project.
It even took over E.T as one of Spielberg’s top sequences since Jaws. Fun fact: out of all the dinosaurs shown in the movie, just two are actually from the Jurassic Period.
During its run, it grossed $1.046 billion at the box office, won more than twenty awards, including three academy awards, and was placed in the National Film Registry.
World of Jurassic Park: The Sequels
While this film has spawned five sequels, I will only be talking about one in this piece, and that’s Jurassic World.
Released 22 years after Jurassic Park, it is the 4th sequel, set in the exact same setting as the original film.
I find that the idea by John Hammond was successfully brought to life and has been for several years since it opened to the public.
They have once again pushed the envelope too far as their latest genetic creation has escaped and is running amuck on the island.
There is also double the chaos when there turns out to be a conspiracy within the staff.
Industrial Light and Magic returned for this project along with Legacy effects to help out with the animatronics. It was a major success grossing $1.6 billion at the box office.
This made it the highest grossing in the franchise, second highest grossing of 2015 and the third highest of all time, tied with The Avengers and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Recommended: The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide
Why We Recommend Watching This Movie Before Going to Universal’s Islands of Adventure
The movie was seen as a great sequel and fresh start for the franchise, making waves as a summer hit, and it snagged a few awards, taking home four in total.
Jurassic Park Ride at Universal Orlando
When it comes to the attractions it has inspired in Islands of Adventure, we can look no further than VelociCoaster and Jurassic Park River Adventure.
Jurassic Park River Adventure is a river-based attraction inspired by the original book that debuted in May 1999.
It’s based on a scene that didn’t make it into the movie, where Dr. Grant and the kids are trying to paddle their way back to the visitor center.
Some elements of the film are included like the T-Rex, several dinosaurs, etc. It’s a very popular attraction to beat the Florida humidity and heat.
This is because it has the ability to push 3,000 riders through per hour. It’s also known for its 50 MPH (miles per hour) final drop.
Meanwhile, VelociCoaster is one of the crown jewels of roller coasters in Orlando and some consider one of the best in the country.
We touched base on what makes this attraction inspired by Jurassic World truly incredible in our other piece here.
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9. Despicable Me
The Despicable Me franchise might be one of the most popular animated franchises after Shrek for the company and rightfully so!
Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios.
Storyline of Despicable Me
It follows the original tale of a supervillain adopting a trio of orphaned girls.
On top of being a parent, he is currently working on trying to steal a shrink ray from his mortal enemy in order to shrink the moon and steal it!
Despicable Me made its debut in summer 2010 and boasted a truly great cast with:
- Steve Carell as supervillain Gru
- JuIie Andrews as Mama Gru
- Jason Segel as Vector
- Miranda Cosgrove
- Kirsten Wiig
- Russel Brand
- Danny Mcbride
- Will Arnett
The movie got a ton of love for being super fun, great for families, really cute, and one reviewer even said it felt a lot like Pixar, not holding back on the silly or goofy moments.
- Various (Actor)
- Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Awards and Recognition of Despicable Me
It made $543.2 million at the box office and while nominated for many awards, it only won two for Favorite Animated Movie from the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and Best Animated Film from the Women Films Critic Circle.
It had quite a bit of competition with Tangled, Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon around that time.
Nonetheless, it was popular enough to spawn two sequels with a 4th coming in 2024, a prequel and spinoff for the Minions of the film.
- Steve Carell, Sandra Bullock, Jason Segel (Actors)
- Pierre Coffin (Director) – Chris Meledandri (Producer)
- Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Not to mention one of the first attractions you see when entering Universal Orlando.
Why We Recommend Watching This Movie Before Going to Universal Studios
You will see the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction as you enter the park. It is usually packed as its a very popular family friendly computer simulator ride.
This Universal Studios Ride opened in the summer of 2012, just two years after the film made its successful debut.
The Minions ride matches the atmosphere of the film in which it is silly, carefree, amusing and fun.
You will find Gru trying to transform humans into minions, but he reassures everyone that, even with past mistakes, there’s really nothing to stress about.
While you are getting scanned, the orphans show up to pitch in with the minion training.
The attraction itself is truly delightful and has won two awards for Best Animated Special Production and Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project!
Certainly, worth riding at least once!
Be sure to discover the NEW Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida!
10. Kong: Skull Island
I feel like I would be remiss if I did not mention the king of monsters on this list.
You would have to watch Kong: Skull Island to get a better idea of what they are about to walk into as far as its attraction.
- This refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, and may arrive in a generic box
- Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman (Actors)
- Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Director) – Dan Gilroy (Writer) – Tom Peitzman (Producer)
- Spanish, French (Subtitles)
- Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Most frequent visitors know of Kongfrontation which was replaced by Revenge of the Mummy, who is on this list.
Kong: Skull Island is a reboot of the King Kong franchise and the second in the Legendary Pictures Monsterverse which features Godzilla as well.
This is also the 11th movie in the Kong series overall! This giant has been cashing in pretty regularly.
Storyline of Kong: Skull Island
The film debuted in March 2017 and was praised for its special effects, action sequences and performances from its cast!
The movie takes place in 1973, where a bunch of Vietnam soldiers and scientists head to a mysterious island to look for some ancient creatures that were just found nearby.
They find Kong, this massive ape who’s the last of his species, plus a bunch of other super-sized beasts that clearly want to make them dinner.
Especially the acting from Samuel L. Jackson and John C. Reilly got the most love.
Why Skull Island is One of the Best Movies to Watch for Universal Islands of Adventure
Of course, Industrial Light and Magic had a hand in the creature design for the famous Kong.
Looks like the inspiration for his look and actions was inspired by Studio Ghibli’s “Princess Mononoke,” along with No Face from “Spirited Away,” Cubone from “Pokemon,” and all of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series.
Even the two-legged lizards from the original King Kong film were an inspiration for the Skullcrawler creatures in this film.
Making it one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Islands of Adventure.
Awards and Recognition of Kong: Skull Island
Globally, it grossed $398 million and is to date the highest grossing in the monsterverse.
All in all, it received good reviews and was a huge stepping stone for Brie Larson, who soon landed the role of Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It got nominated for a bunch of awards, but didn’t end up winning any.
The Skull Island Ride at Universal Orlando
Skull Island: Reign of Kong gets direct inspiration from this film. Located in Islands of Adventure in its on-Skull Island area, it made its debut in July 2016.
It is a trackless 3D attraction created by Universal creative and Oceaneering International.
The 6-minute ride places guests in a safari truck where they come across an expedition group getting ready to set up camp.
In line, the locals are chatting up riders about the spooky stories and legends of kong.
At first, Team Members dressed as locals would jump out from holes to give guests a good scare, but that got cut after the pandemic and hasn’t come back.
The expedition leader, Kate, gets swooped up by some flying creatures, and the crew goes after her to bring her back.
You’ll then go through all of the different areas of the island and come face-to-face with some of the most powerful and terrifying creatures, including Kong.
The attraction was praised for its visual effects, story and jaw-dropping animatronics! It is amongst the favorites when visiting Islands of Adventure.
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My Final Thoughts on Choosing the Best Movies to Watch for Universal Studios
Universal Pictures and its subsidiaries have been bringing out a plethora of memorable and jaw dropping films since its inception of 1912.
Among this list is just ten of the amazing products they have offered viewers and have managed to bring to life for its visitors in its spectacular Orlando based theme parks.
And this is just the beginning as work on its 4th park, Epic Universe, is being done as we speak!
While we don’t know much about what will be inside or what Universal Pictures films will have attractions here, we do know that Universal Monsters and Super Nintendo World will get some love in the 750-acre park.
Epic Universe is scheduled to open in Summer 2025. Til then, you can enjoy their large library of films to prepare to enter the movies!
What’s one of the best movies to watch before going to Universal Studios? Let us know in the comments section below.
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
Victoria is a professional solo traveler here to make your solo trips as stress free AND enjoyable as possible for you.
She has over 5 years of Disney and Non-Disney travel experience and was featured by POPSUGAR as one of the Top 50 Black Disney Creators you should follow.
She is a Proud Native to Baltimore, Md but always will call Disney World home.
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(Original Article Date: October 5, 2022/Updated by Editor on December 4, 2024)