Jurassic Park Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making
The most phenomenal discovery of our time... becomes the greatest adventure of all time.
On a remote island, a wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening the attraction to the public, he invites a top paleontologist, a paleobotanist, a mathematician/theorist, and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park — and help calm anxious investors. However, their park visit is anything but tranquil as the park's security system breaks down, the prehistoric creatures break out, and the excitement builds to surprising results. Based on Michael Crichton's best-selling novel.
| Sam Neill | Dr. Alan Grant |
| Laura Dern | Dr. Ellie Sattler |
| Jeff Goldblum | Dr. Ian Malcolm |
| Richard Attenborough | John Hammond |
| Bob Peck | Robert Muldoon |
| Martin Ferrero | Donald Gennaro |
| Joseph Mazzello | Tim Murphy |
| Ariana Richards | Lex Murphy |
| Samuel L. Jackson | Ray Arnold |
| B. D. Wong | Henry Wu |
| Wayne Knight | Dennis Nedry |
| Gerald R. Molen | Gerry Harding |
| Miguel Sandoval | Juanito Rostagno |
| Cameron Thor | Lewis Dodgson |
| Christopher John Fields | Volunteer #1 |
| Steven Spielberg |
7.50 out of 10 (66379 votes)
Visitor Reviews
One of Spielberg's best; an exciting adventure
posted on 12 Aug 2009It's been 5 years since I've seen this and today I re-visited this timeless classic. I never realised it was so exciting and a movie that just never gets old. Steven Spielberg adapts the novel faithfully and brings the dinosaurs to life with amazing technology which still amazes me to this day. John William's score is still as unforgettable as ever, it's just a really beautiful and moving score that suits the movie perfectly. Sam Neill and Laura Dern are perfect as the leads and Richard Attenborough is a great support.The standout here, though, are the special effects. The dinosaurs are re-created beautifully and all the action scenes are genuinely believable and never hokey. When this came out in 1993 audiences worldwide were amazed, they had never seen something so amazing and it topped the box-office (until Titanic arrived in 1997). This is truly the ultimate blockbuster and I don't think it can be beaten. This is a true cinematic gem and it is what entertainment is all about.4½/5
Disappointing
posted on 09 Aug 2009This film was not as good as the book(as often seems to be the case with movies) and like many adventure movies, its plot isn't exactly strong.
Nonetheless, one complaint level against this film isn't fair. That is that some critics have argued that Spielberg made a mistake by showing the dinosaurs too early, making it less fun. In Jaws, for comparison, the shark isn't see clearly until half way in the movie. But the dinosaurs shown early in Jurassic Park aren't dangerous or intimidating; they aren't monsters. They dinosaurs that do attack people, such as T-Rex, aren't seen until halfway through, while the stars of the show, the "raptors", aren't seen clearly until the end.
JP does it for me!
posted on 19 Jul 2009`Jurassic Park' is truly one of the last true Classics. It combines intellectual brilliance with action and suspense. Jurassic Park explores scientific theories of Chaos and the abuse of mankind's powers of science.Unlike it's terrible and pointless sequels, the original Jurassic Park provides viewers with an unbelievable story that goes beyond people getting eaten by dinosaurs. For example, the scene when the tyrannosaurus rex escapes from his fence and attacks the Ford Explorer is far more than action. The scene goes for a good five minutes or so before the T-Rex eats anything or attacks anyone. Rather than just having the T-Rex come out of his fence and begin attacking the Fords, Spielberg (and Chriton) build up suspense by letting the viewer wonder what the tyrannosaur is going to do next. The viewer actually sees what the children in the SUV do to make the the tyrant lizard king attack them before he actually attacks (I'll let you see the film to find out what that was).Later in that scene, the Tyrannosaur come back towards the Explorer as Dr. Grant (Sam Neil) proceeds to help the kids out of the truck. Instead of having the T-Rex simply come and attack them right away, the scene, as before, builds up suspense by showing the dinosaur's foot stomp into the mud in front of them as they fear for their lives, and then the dinosaur begins sniffing around for the humans he wishes to dine on before he attacks the SUV. This is much better than having the T-Rex simply come back towards the truck and begin attacking it, because it makes the scene more memorable and long-lasting. In `The Lost World', `Jurassic Park's' Sequel, a similar scene was ruined when the tyrannosaurs simply came running up to the Mercedes-Benz SUV and in less than a minute and a half, was eating the man inside. When you produce a film that is all action, you have no story, and less suspense, but `Jurassic Park' avoids this because each action in the film is a reaction to something that has happened in the minutes before. The non-action events explain why the action happens, and build up suspense before the action happens.The special effects are also outstanding in `Jurassic Park.' These dinosaurs look real. The action looks real. Out of any film Spielberg has ever directed, this one takes the cake in the field of outstanding special effects. In my favorite scene, discussed before, at the moment that the tyrannosaur comes out of the fence, the lighting was so perfect that it could not have looked more real. The way the dinosaurs walk, especially in that scene, looks very real and animal-like. Why wasn't `King Kong' scary? Because the Special Effects were so lousy. Why was `Jurassic Park' scary? Because those dinosaurs looked real! The sequel, `The Lost World,' had equally superb special effects, but they were ruined by lack of story and action scenes that happened too fast. `Jurassic Park' was also full of superb sound effects, which was why it won an Oscar for that. The sounds of the dinosaurs and their mighty roars are another thing that made `JP' more realistic and more scary.Although this film left out many things from the book, for the purpose of time restrictions, everything in the movie more or less follows the book closely. And although many people who read the book complain that the film was not as good, I feel that it is better because the movie left out many of the gory blood-and-guts elements that made the novel unsuitable for younger readers. This film is very suspenseful, but by no means gory. I feel that this film is suitable for anyone who won't be afraid of it. This film is also a heartwarming film about a man who hates children bonding with children, and finding his place in his heart for two special kids.`Jurassic Park' is a film of intense action, but also intense storytelling. It is a film which has special effects that amaze the eye and make the viewer believe. This film builds up suspense before anything happens. Before the viewer even see a dinosaur, they are afraid. The sound is realistic and Spielberg's directing reached it's all-time peak in the making of this 1993 film. `JP' is an excellent compromise between sticking to the novel's storyline and fitting the time slot, and that of providing horror without gore. All of this is the making of a true classic.
Who doesn't love dinosaurs?
posted on 04 Jul 2009Jurassic Park is one of the landmark films of my childhood. One of the earliest memories I have of ever going to see a movie at a movie theater was of seeing this movie. For simple nostalgic reasons this has always been one of my favorite movies, but I think in a way I never fully appreciated the film until I have become an adult.Jurassic Park is truly up there with Jaws as one of the most thrilling monster movies of all-time. Each time Tim and Lex get chased by the velociraptors, my heart pounds. When the T-Rex attacks the jeep on that rainy night, I always get filled with raw excitement. It is hard not to be thrilled by Jurassic Park's many death defying set pieces, but the film truly shines thanks to its characters and its director.What makes Jurassic Park more than your average amusement park ride, is that the director, Steven Spielberg, knew that the film would need great characters in order for the audience to feel any sort of attachment to the film's story. This was a ploy in which he utilized so well in the past in Jaws, and he does here once again with Jurassic Park. The story of Alan Grant leading Tim and Lex through the dinosaur filled Jurassic Park would have not been as thrilling, or even as heartwarming, if Alan Grant was a fan of children. Still the characters on the page were not enough, they needed great actors to bring them to life, which Jurassic Park had; ranging from Sam Neil to Richard Attenborough. I mean could you imagine watching Jurassic Park without Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm. It's almost impossible isn't it.Overall I think Jurassic Park is one of the most underrated films in movie history. The classic Spielberg magic is there, and in my opinion even more so than Jaws. What Spielberg did with Jurassic Park was give it an awe inspiring scale, but also he gave this film true heart. As a kid I thought this was one of the greatest films of all-time, and I still think the same today.I give Jurassic Park a perfect 10 out of 10!
not a fan
posted on 04 Jul 2009I've seen Jurassic Park probably five or six times, and each time I hope I'll like it better than the last, and I never do. A perfectly wonderful book by Michael Crichton is given the 'Spielberg' treatment and aside from the wonderful special effects, betrayed badly.Where to begin? First and foremost, one of Spielberg's worst tendencies is to find annoying personal characteristics endearing. The two children aren't precocious and charming, they're little brats, no matter how hard the director tries to paint them otherwise. The character of John Hammond, in the book, was as I recall a rather devious, unscrupulous man; here, he is portrayed as a cheerful, slightly ditsy, misguided Santa Claus. And Laura Dern manages to almost single-handedly sink this movie. Her perpetual "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" expression is probably the single most irritating element in a film full of them. And everyone smiles WAY too much.Spielberg, for all his supposed genius, also delivers some of the most excruciating action and danger scenes on record. Whenever one of the human characters is in a spot, it is inevitably his or her own stupid fault. They can't lock the door, they won't turn the flashlight off, they're too scared to jump off the fence, they can't run fast enough... every damn scene is like this, to where you want to reach into the screen and slap the hell out of them.Sam Neill comes off best, in what is really a thankless role as the straight man for all this nonsense. But he's dragged down by the same sappy script.Well, what about those special effects, you might ask? Yes, the dinosaurs are spectacular and very believable (much more so than the humans really) and they are the only reason I'm giving this four stars out of ten. In 1993, we were still being blown away by filmmakers constantly upping the ante when it came to mind-blowing effects and sure enough, Jurassic Park was state-of-the-art when it came out. Since then, I daresay people have become more blase about such things as they have become more routine.To be fair, there are some wonderful sequences in Jurassic Park and it's certainly worth seeing at least once. I suppose ultimately that is the most maddening thing about it; it could have been so much better, not just another summer blockbuster, but a truly great motion picture. It's a real shame that it's not.
Spielberg at his best!!
posted on 01 Jun 2009Jurassic Park is one of those films which everyone has heard of. It's presence is apart of our ever day culture, and has lead to a huge franchise, spawning two sequels, toys, video games and other high quality merchandise.The film is about the billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) and his dream to own the most spectacular theme park on the planet. Jurassic Park, a park filled with living, breathing dinosaurs. But after the death of a park worker, Hammond must convince his investors that the park is actually safe. And to do this he invites three scientists, Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Dr Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) And Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to his Island to give their expert opinion and to convince the investors that the park is safe. The film also stars two child actors (Ariana Richards) and (Joseph Mazzello), who play Hammonds grand children Lex And Tim. But after a security breach, the group get separated. Sattler and Malcolm are reasonably safe in the visitor centre with Hammond. Whilst Grant and the kids must safely out run dinosaurs and get back to the security of the visitor centre and of the island in one piece.This film is by far Spielberg greatest achievement. Forget E.T Jurassic Park is the best. With it's breath taking blend of CGI produced by ILM, and the outstanding animatronics created by Stan Winston, the viewer has no problem believing that the dinosaurs are real. The scene of the T-Rex attacking the car is one of the most spectacular scenes in movie history and is definite to stay in the minds of anyone who witnesses it.As well as the amazing plot which was based on the novel by Micheal Crichton. And the breath-taking special effects. The film also has a beautifully mastered soundtrack composed by the brilliant John Williams. Without this the film would be nothing, and would just have been a lonely film reel catching dust in some old storage room.Jurassic Park is one of the greatest films in it's genre and is a definite must see for anyone who is a fan of dinosaurs or Spielberg. The film is rated PG in the UK and PG-13 in the states.Milligan =D
The DNA of dinosaurs runs a bit thin here...
posted on 26 May 2009This film was quite good, but I must insist and state that the book was much better. While the effects were breathtaking, as well as the music being more than fitting, and the acting was brilliant, this film should have kept the original elements of the book. I was shocked and dismayed when I read the book and saw how much content was changed and removed.Overall, something, though not much, of a disappointment.To all the people that enjoyed this film, I must say that they would absolutely loathe the book. While it was masterfully impressive, t also had a small number of flaws.The surprise of the overall film is that with much of the content removed, there are immense plot holes. And with this, so much of the story was changed for the worse.This film is not all bad. The dinosaur sequences make for a thrilling watch. The cases of the corruption within the ranks of human bystanders is well done.With all that said, I can honestly say that Jurassic Park, the film, was good, but it could have been better.
One Thrilling Dino-Film!
posted on 20 May 2009I first watched this movie in the theaters and it was one heck of a ride. The dinosaurs are very realistic and inspiring. Here, two doctors who studied prehistoric plants and dig dinosaur bones were invited by a billionaire to his theme park, inhabited by cloned dinosaurs brought back to life by preserved DNA. All goes well as the doctors, joined by an attorney, a mathematician and the billionaire's grandkids, tour the park. But, all is chaos when a greedy park technician, wanting to smuggle dinosaur embryos off the island in exchange for some big cash, shuts down the park, which released the dinosaurs. Then, it is a fight for survival for the humans. The T-Rex has no heart at all and I wished Spielberg would of tapped in a different "heroic" dinosaur for the climax. But, an astonishing climax nonetheless. The characters acted out very well. I especially enjoy actor Martin Ferrero's role as Donald Gennaro, the T-Rex victim. His hiding in the public restroom is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie. I also enjoyed Jeff Goldblum's role as Ian Malcolm. Every movie needs some sort of humor in it and Goldblum delivered that humor with slapstick and comedy relief. Sam Neill and Laura Dern delivered good drama and on-screen comprehension and Bob Peck is an excellent "game" warden. That boy deserved what he got from Neill's little Velaciraptor claw! The music by John Williams is extremely terrific.His theme for the first appearance of the Brachosaurus is probably my favorite. And, the running, screaming, and thrilling scenes of the dinosaurs and the human characters are just edge-of-the-seat excitement. You never no what might happen next. Excellent dinosaur movie of the 1990s and it surpasses its sequel.Grade A
The movie I watched it 13 times in a year
posted on 14 May 2009This is simply one of the best movies ever made by Spielberg. The cinematic and special effects, the dialogue (not too complex but still manages to impart a sense of scientific grandeur), the acting (not exactly top-notch but well above average), but most of all, the dinosaurs. Never has one seen dinosaurs so big, terrifying, cute and real. The way these giant lizards move, eat, kill and even think was done so perfectly it almost seems like science fact than science fiction (I know it is science-based, but it is still a science fiction movie).I have to admit that the book was much better, that always happens when you adapt a book - most of the subtlety and intrigue has to make way so a film does not become too long. But it was still one of the best adaptations of a book ever made.Watch the movie, but read the book as well, then watch the movie again. You'll appreciate it so much more.
Brilliant idea ( may contain spoilers )
posted on 11 May 2009What makes this movie good is the idea behind it - what if you could bring extinct animals ( in this case, Dinosaurs of course ) back to life using DNA? It's one of those "I wish I'd thought of that" ideas. Another thing that makes it good is it's the first Dinosaur movie ( that I know of ) to realistically portray dinosaurs ( due to exceptional visual effects ).
The story revolves around, as mentioned, a rich entrepreneur using science to create a dinosaur theme park on a tropical island. He invites several 'experts' to the island to get approval at which point, due to a containment problem, the dinosaurs run loose and create havoc and terror for the humans.
Again, the real value of this movie is the original idea behind it and the very good story built on the basic premise.
say what you will, this was brilliant back then!!
posted on 11 May 2009In 1993, nothing - and i mean nothing, was bigger than Jurassic Park. Justly too. what a thrill this was. not a single flaw and all the grandeur & wonder that you can ask for. a scientific fantasy epic that only one man could have delivered - Steven Spielberg.Jurassic Park ofcourse was later tarnished as being a cheap bag of thrills. well - woe unto thee who ill-talk this wonderful bag of ... oh!! well - thrills!!Many complain that the movie never did justice to the tremendous detail in the book. but then thats only to be expected. what would have remained an imaginary world was brought to visual delight by the magic of spielberg. a visual delight for the family. with lots of thrills. boy!! do i love them or do i love them??the sense of awe that first filed me when my eyes set on those magnificent dinosaurs was extraordinary (remember i was 14 then). Jurassic park is a movie for the kids and in a typical spielberg fashion, a special delight fo the adults that accompany them. im sure id love to watch the movie again now. as much as JP2 & JP3 have disappointed me, nothing can take away the special fondness for JP1.a stunning 9
A blockbuster that delivers
posted on 05 May 2009You go to see Jurassic Park for the dinosaurs. And you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for well-developed human characters, great dialogue or top-notch acting Jurassic Park is hit-or-miss. There are some interesting characters, some snappy, witty lines and a few notable acting performances. But there are also some one-note, rather dull characters, some truly inane conversation and some performances which leave something to be desired. But have I mentioned the dinosaurs? A remarkable technical achievement for its time Jurassic Park places fully realized, totally believable dinosaurs right smack-dab into this live-action movie. Watching the human characters interact with each other can at times be rather dull. Watching the human characters interact with these amazing dinosaurs, many of whom are bent on eating the humans for dinner, makes it all worthwhile.The plot, such as it is, is really rather simple and serves only as a way to get hungry dinosaurs chasing after terrified humans. Through a miracle of science wealthy John Hammond, played in one of the film's better performances by Richard Attenborough, is set to open a new theme park where real, living, breathing dinosaurs are the attraction. Before the park can open lawyers insist he gets the park approved and declared safe by a team of scientists. Enter dinosaur experts Alan Grant and Ellie Satler and chaos theory proponent Ian Malcolm. While Sam Neill shines in the role of Grant, really holding the whole film together, Laura Dern as Satler comes off as a bit of a cliché, the woman in peril trying to prove she's as tough as the guys. And Jeff Goldblum's portrayal of Malcolm, who thinks the park is a really, really bad idea, conjures up memories of the rather annoying guy you knew who always couldn't wait to tell you how much smarter he was than you.Anyhow, suffice to say that once our threesome of experts enter the park (with Hammond's grandchildren in tow because, well we need some kids in danger don't we?) things go terribly wrong. Dinosaurs break loose and these magnificent creatures are bent on destruction. So for the rest of the film, dinosaurs chase humans, humans try to avoid being eaten by said dinosaurs and Malcolm gets to say "I told you so" a whole lot. You expect moments of great drama, sheer terror and somewhat unbearable suspense and Jurassic Park delivers. The movie promised a great dinosaur action-adventure and it delivered on that promise. Yes, you have to sit through some cheesy dialogue and some annoying performances. Dern is kind of dull, Goldblum somewhat too smart for his own good and the young actors playing the grandchildren quite obviously too inexperienced to handle much of what goes on around them. And the less said about Wayne Knight's cartoonish portrayal of blubbering idiot (yet supposedly brilliant computer technician) Dennis Nedry the better. So yes, Jurassic Park has its flaws. But once those dinosaurs are let loose the film is a rollicking good time and one can't ask for much more than that.
A groundbreaking classic film adaptation
posted on 05 May 2009Jurassic Park was a pioneering film in a number of ways. Firstly it showed that computer technology was the future of film making, secondly that dinosaurs were not the monsters we perceived them to be and finally that a film can be successfully adapted from a book. Jurassic Park accomplishes these things and more.I was amazed when I first heard this film was originally adapted from a novel. Indeed Jurassic Park is a classic piece of sci-fi fiction, written by respected author Michael Crichton. The book documents man's relationship with nature and his struggle to control it for financial gain.The film itself does follow along this route but deviates for the mainstream audience. Primarily this is a suspenseful thrill-ride rather than a philosophical piece about man's desire to harness the power of nature. There are some parts of the film that explore these ideas but nowhere near the intensity of the book.The movie is quite dissimilar to the book. The characters for example are almost completely different. Alan Grant for example likes children in the book but hates them in the film. Hammond is far more egotistical and manic in the book while characters such as Arnold, Gennaro and Wu barely feature in the movie. Not really a criticism but if for some reason you've never seen the film but read the book then the film doesn't follow the plot to the letter.What really stands out however in this film is not the people but the dinosaurs themselves. For the first time the dinosaurs are perceived as mere animals rather than monsters. Even the predators, the "villains" of the film, are forgiven for only "doing what they got to do". In that respect the dinosaurs do get a lot of notice in this film.Furthermore Jurassic Park introduces two of the biggest characters in "monster-movie" history. The T-Rex and the Velociraptor. Through the great power and size of the T-Rex and the evil, calculating persona of the raptors we find some of the most memorable characters from the "monster" genre and also some of my earliest memories of fear.Certainly the kitchen scene and to a lesser extent the T-Rex attack scene are two of the most atmospheric and suspenseful scenes from that time. The kitchen scene in particular is a classic.However Jurassic Park is not just a film that re-introduced the public to dinosaurs, it is also is one of the first movies that pioneered CGI on the screen. For the first time a film was shot with CGI being a major part in the make up rather than just being a shiny extra. This means that Jurassic Park was an pivotal moment in film history and one of the most important film from the 90s. Certainly from a technological point of view.However this is not just a film that relies on technology to pass it by. It does have heart. Spielberg does put emotion into the movie. The scene with the Brachiosaur and the landscape with the herbivores is a beautiful piece of cinema. So to is the music which helps ratchet up the tension but appropriately creates a sense of melancholy and reflection when needed. Combined with the CGI this gives the film excellent production values and really hammers the idea home that these are sentient creatures not Godzilla like monsters.So in conclusion Jurassic Park, while being a simple monster film on the surface, is so much more at heart. It is a film that helped pave the way for CGI, gave audiences some of the most memorable pieces of cinema in history, while making the excellent novel palatable on the big screen. A groundbreaking classic.
The Benchmark
posted on 29 Apr 2009It has been more than 13 years since I first saw this movie at the theatre. To this day, I still have not seen special effects in any movie that has surpassed the quality of the effects used in this film.The Tyrannosaurus scene is my benchmark for rating all other effects driven scenes that I have seen since 1993 and no film has even come close.It's amazing that this much time has gone by without a film to pass the torch to, but this is the case. I fear that mass produced CGI is flooding the theatres these days with, in my opinion, unsatisfactory results. When I walked out of Jurassic Park, I literally had to re-school myself on the fact that dinosaurs have indeed been extinct for 75 million years and did not "come out of retirement" to make this movie!
An Excellent Special Effects Thrill Ride
posted on 26 Apr 2009I remember seeing Jurassic Park back when it was first released in theaters with the booming THX sound and big screen. It quickly became one of my favorite fantasy films of all time, and still remains so today. While it takes several artistic liberties from the book, it has a great cast, a wonderful musical score (Courtesy of the ever-talented John Williams), and the special effects still hold up as well today as they did when it was released nearly 7 years ago.Jurassic Park is a movie to be savored, like "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones".
It's one excellent non-stop thrill after another that can only be described as fun. The introduction of the T-Rex is still one of the most memorable scenes in the entire film, and the raptors were just relentless. I don't think the dinosaurs would have been nearly as frightening if they were just "monsters". The fact that these creatures behaved like instinct-driven animals kept the tension factor high.My only complaint? I wish that the "Lost World" sequel had been as good to keep the thrills up past this film. At least Jurassic Park didn't have as many drastic changes made to it like the sequel. Overall, another excellent Steven Spielberg film.
The best dinosaur movie ever made.
posted on 23 Apr 2009"Jurassic Park" is one of the best dinosaur movies ever made, quite possibly the best. A multi-millionaire (Richard Attenborough) invites a paleontologist (Sam Neill), a palaeobotanist (Laura Dern), a mathematician (Jeff Goldblum), a lawyer (Martin Ferrero), and his grandchildren (Joseph Mazzello/Ariana Richards) to experience the island where the dinosaur theme park is located in. This and "Schindler's List" are two of Steven Spielberg's movies that debuted in 1993. I have "Jurassic Park" on VHS and I highly recommend it.10/10 stars.
Classic Sci-Fi film!
posted on 23 Apr 2009SPOILERS!Like Topgun was a movie about jet fighters, with a plot casually tossed in, this is a movie about CGI and robotic dinosaur parts, with a heist film stitched to a chase casually tossed in.It's a good movie. In fact, it's a classic sci-fi film. It's the classic big budget summer movie from Hollywood. It's the 50s monster movie that looks all the more convincing for better effects. The 'serious' overlay is no different than that of Them or The Thing, as the scientists or survivors discuss the 'bigger picture'. There's just a little too much, with not enough humor, of that, in this. Dern and Grandpa shout over the dinette table, but carry on too long, and cry about it all. Goldblum pounds the conference table in a 50s-looking soundstage with lots of projector screens oddly surrounding it. Serious issue, man made the atom bomb, or man created dinosaurs from the DNA of bullfrogs. Issue made. Now let Mothra rage - or whatever is let loose.The special effects are an improvement over the pure model and stop motion of the past. Harryhausen's work is still watchable, and believable (his crab in Mysterious Island). But here, for the first time, you see dinosaurs done right. Maybe the full size models of T-Rex bobbing and weaving around the jeep, and poking its head into the glass, is a little stiff, and Harryhausen did better, or would have. But splice in the CGI T-Rex ripping off the tires, or chasing Goldblum, and its entirely different, and very believable. A shame they wind up with a smaller Rex in the indoor lobby. The Rex on the grassy field was more in keeping to scale with the one that injured Goldblum - and killed the annoying lawyer.Won't mention all the plot holes and continuity errors, even just in that one scene in the jeep fleeing the T-Rex at night. And the kids and the electrified fence. Kids go through the holes - oh, wait - big noise in background, up you go, hurry! That bothered me even when I first saw it in the theatre. Dern and Neil holding the raptor at bay outside the control room - TIMMY! get the darned gun. The kid's just pounding the back of Lex's chair as she says - this is UNIX system. And then the gun jams when the raptor does break the glass. How convenient. Game hunter in the woods - run Laura, run, no, you can't, they're watching us, run, run now, wait, you'll never make it, go, GO! (reminded me, vaguely, of the Kirk/Spock comedy routine with Mrs. Camden in movie 4) But it's just a movie. It could have been much better. I don't remember those kind of holes in something like Them or even Mysterious Island (which really was a hodge-podge).But it's a good film, still. The cliches and cliched camera movements work. The CGI were excellent, if inconsistent. It still holds up in 2002. If The Thing, by Hawkes, is a classic film, and with a far better script and dialog than JP, and obviously less graphic where the horror and gore are only related second person, then even so JP is still, without question, a classic along the same lines as those old sci-fi films.
The greatest mind trick of all time. That is, until nostalgia fades away.
posted on 23 Apr 2009When I first went to see this in a theater back during year '93 I was blown away for being a typical nine year old. Time went on, my collection of dinosaur toys grew and I dreamed of an effects artist career. So it's an understatement to say that I was merely inspired. But then more time went on, two low-grade sequels entered cinemas, both which I watched. Boy have I changed a lot since then and I'm certainly less gullible presently when it comes to movies. Nowadays every time I happen to catch this on a local television channel I find none of the amusement it used to have. To highlight this further, the very majority of the film involves introduction sequences with nothing happening at all. Only the last half an hour involves any action whatsoever. For a first time view this wasn't a problem, in fact even atmospheric. But when you take another look you simply find yourself bored to tears by observing irrelevant human characters touring the park. The impact only lasts that one time when it's all fresh. The thing is, all that is good at all in this movie begins and ends to the dinosaur effects. End of story. If you seriously want to see this testament of irrelevancy see it for the visuals. Everything else involved is just cloudy nostalgia pulp kept on float by that eye candy. If it weren't for those dinosaurs this film would be worthless which it in fact becomes once you won't get surprised by those either. My reason to respect it is because of those effects, my childhood inspiration. Jurassic Park is actually a bluff so stupid that it even faked it's scientific smartness which doesn't even scratch the complexity of real biology while sounding good in paper(the Michael Crichton novel handles it a lot better too than the film does). If you're one of those young dinosaur geeks it'll do for you but you'll otherwise be left waiting for the SFX shots for the rest of it just doesn't compare to what gives the entire piece of celluloid it's pulling power. 4.5 stars out of 10.
Action packed dinosaur-fest
posted on 30 Aug 2009The first time I saw Jurassic Park, I was 9 or 10 years old and really into dinosaurs. Mainly for that reason, this movie blew me away. The action, suspense, and well designed dinosaurs (both models and CGI) all combined to create a thrilling ride through a clash of time.Compared to today's standards, and because most were models, the dinosaurs obviously weren't as neatly moving or looking. However, back in 1993 they looked amazing and seemed to have their own personalities (the cunning raptors, the ruthless T-rex, etc). Spielberg's directing was well done, with suspense built up in several scenes (for instance when Ellie runs through the trees to get to the isolated electrical shed).The acting is good all round, with Sam Neill his usual serious self, Jeff Goldblum as the slightly odd mathematical genius, Wayne Knight humourously portraying the treacherous computer technician, and others fulfilling their roles satisfactorily. The acting isn't anything amazing, but works overall.So, the best points of Jurassic Park are mainly the excellent action/suspense scenes, and the realistic (as far as we know) dinosaurs. Hugely popular in its day, but still a fun ride to go on.Recommended to anyone who enjoys action involving big (and small) mean creatures!