Jurassic Park Review.

Because Jurassic Park is being released in 3D today, here is my review of the film in its native 2D formant.

Thoughts: Jurassic Park, one of the most revolutionary films in the field of computer generated effects and one of Steven Spielberg's best films. Possibly the most impressive aspect of Jurassic Park is the technical and special effects aspects of the film. Steven Spielberg changed the way films were made with the ground breaking CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). Despite the it being an "Effects" films, it never let the effects overpower the story, however, that is not to say the story is amazing or Oscar worthy, it just does not forget that it is a movie, not just a visual showcase, which some filmmakers forget. He uses visual effects as a means to tell the story not creating a story around the effects (looking at you Avatar). Also Spielberg was not afraid to make a violent film still within the PG-13 rating. There are severed arms and people being eaten alive by dinosaurs, yet the film is still fun and entertaining. Spielberg's directing is top notch as always, framing each shot perfectly and never uses the horrid "shaky-cam" effect.



Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Suspense, Thriller,
Release date: June 11, 1993 (1993-06-11)
Running Time: 127 minutes (1993-06-11)
MMPA rating: PG-13


The Good: Revolutionary visual effects, Excellent John Williams soundtrack, Original concept, Packed with thrills, Realistic animatronic dinosaurs, Great directing,

The Bad:




Plot: Eccentric billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), CEO of InGen, has recently created Jurassic Park: a theme park populated with dinosaurs cloned from the DNA extracted from insects preserved in prehistoric amber. The park is located on Isla Nublar, a fictional island off Costa Rica's Pacific coast.
After a park worker is fatally attacked by a dinosaur, Hammond's investors, represented by their lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero), demand that experts visit the park and verify that it is safe. Gennaro invites Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), a mathematician, while Hammond invites paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). They are joined on the island by Hammond's two grandchildren—Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex Murphy (Ariana Richards). Hammond asks Malcolm, Grant, and Sattler what their thoughts are about having recreated dinosaur species. The three of them engage in an intense philosophical debate about the ethics of having cloned extinct dinosaurs with Gennaro being the only one to express optimism. The group sets off to explore the park while Hammond observes his guests along with Head Technician Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson) and his game warden, Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck).
The head computer programmer, Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), is secretly in the employ of one of InGen's corporate rivals, and has been paid to steal fertilized dinosaur embryos. During his theft, Nedry deactivates the park's security system, allowing him access to the embryo storage. The rest of the group, who have been stranded in the park due to the system shutdown, are attacked by the Tyrannosaurus, which kills Gennaro. Grant and the children are able to escape.
Meanwhile, a fleeing Nedry crashes his jeep. He decides to use a winch on the front of his jeep to tie it to a tree that will bring him to the road to help him reach the dock. As he's tying the winch around the tree, He encounters a dilophosaurus which kills him.
Watch the movie to see what happens next.


Plot: 8.0/10- Despite a few clichés and ridiculous moments, Jurassic Park's plot is original and well written.

Action: 7.8/10- Although there are not many actual fights, about 1/3 into the film it is a non-stop thrill ride.

Jurassic Park does not have munch fighting which is fine but it does have a lot of chasing and suspense.


Acting: 7.9/10- Sam Neil was solid in the role, and gave a believable performance as the paleontologist. Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler was good, nothing memorable but not bad. Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm was fun and played a memorable character. Surprisingly the child actors Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello were not very annoying overall. They had a few slightly annoying parts but good in the movie. Also Samuel L. Jackson had a brief role in the film and he makes any movie more bada**!


Special effects: 10/10- Some of the best effects ever put on screen! Although it is often praised for its use of CGI, there was a large amount filmed using animatronic for the close up shots that still looks better than anything CGI could have done. In terms of special effects Jurassic Park changed the way films were made and took a giant dinosaur leap forward in the world of special effects.


Soundtrack: 9.9/10- While it is not John Williams' absolute best as some say, it is one of his many amazing soundtracks that elevates the audience and gives the world a majestic feel to it and has more suspenseful Jaws like themes for other areas of the film.


Comedy: 7.6/10- Jurassic Park uses humor well and even makes a guy being eaten by a dinosaur funny in a dark humor kind of way.

Would I Watch This Again: Jurassic Park is one of those films that you can watch many times and still enjoy, so yes, I will watch it again.


Overall: 8.4/10- Overall Jurassic Park is exactly what it needs to be, a fun, thrilling summer Block Buster packed with stunning visual effects and one of the best examples of a fun summer film.

Should You See it in 3D?: While I will not being seeing it in 3D due to the tickets prices and that I have already seen it, die-heart fans will surely be watching it again. For first time viewers, if you happen to have a over abundance of cash laying around for some reason, go watch it in theaters or save your money for Iron Man 3 early next month, that is what I am doing.

Closing comments: While it is not one of the true "Best Films Ever Made", it is an absolute must watch for anyone, because of how influential it was at the time and its classic status.

Recommended for: Sci-Fi movie fans, Adventure movie fans,

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