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Rating: 6 out of 5
Jurassic Park is one of my all-time favorite movies. When people ask me what my favorite film is, it is in my top 3. It is one of the films that I am incredibly biased towards and defend no matter what. I LOVE JURASSIC PARK!! Some background information, I remember learning about dinosaurs back in 1st or 2nd grade. I remember looking at the picture book and seeing the all-mighty T-Rex. How I would walk around my house or with my friends and pretend to a mighty dinosaur. The closest I got to seeing a dinosaur was at the museum and looking at the bones or watching The Land Before Time. Then in the summer of 93 came around, and Jurassic Park dropped on the world. I had one of those old school tape recorders and would record the trailers. Yes, I was a strange and interesting kid. When I finally got the chance to see the film, my mind just exploded. Right in front of me was a real dinosaur. I didn’t have to imagine it because it was right there on my screen. I remember getting chills when the T-Rex first appeared. I watched Jurassic Park in the theater a grand total six times. Till this day, the music and film still excite me.
Directed by Steven Spielberg from the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, Spielberg brings to life what so many had dreamed of and saw when they were younger. Spielberg doesn’t just wait to do a steady build-up with the film; he lets you know immediately that certain dinosaurs are dangerous and you will get eaten alive. The film starts off in a grand way with being on Isla Nublar, a small island 120 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. A large group of construction workers and animal handlers offload a large container. You don’t know what is in the container, but it must be big and dangerous as everyone has weapons. As the gatekeeper lifts the gate, the animal attempts to escape, which leads to wide panic. As the creature starts eating one of the workers, all you see is the eye of the creature.
The story jumps ahead with the founder of the park, John Hammond, (Sir Attenborough) requests Paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Neill) and his assistant/boo thang, Dr. Ellie Sattler (Dern) to come to the park and ensure that it is safe. He wants some respected people to give their seal of approval to open up the park as he states religiously, “he spares no expense.” Also joining the crew are Hammond’s lawyer Donald Gennaro (Ferrero) and chaotician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Goldblum). As they reach the island and drive through the park, they see something that they only dreamed of. Hammond has created living dinosaurs. As the amazement hits, doubts soon creep into everyone’s mind. To try to change the experts’ minds, Hammond believes that the best way is to give a grand tour of the park. Hammond’s grandchildren Lex and Tim (Richards and Mazzello), join the group on a tour of the park. As the park tour begins, the dangers and terrors of the new beasts soon become apparent.
What can I say about Steven Spielberg? The man is an all-time genius in film! What he did with this film must be commended, and it sure did age well. Some of the CGI might be a little dated, but they were extraordinary for its time, along with bringing a dinosaur to life. What Spielberg did in this film was show the element of fear but also the anticipation. He showed us a glimpse of a dinosaur in the beginning. The moment when everyone is driving through the park, and Dr. Grant turns his head, the anticipation of what he was seeing was just right. When we see our first dinosaur, a Brachiosaurus, it was GRAND. I remember holding my breath the first time I saw the dinosaur. After that scene, Spielberg made one of the greatest moves in this film. He stopped showing the dinosaurs but made sure their presence was all around. When everyone was on tour, and the announcer stated the dinosaur, we didn’t get a glimpse of it. When the T-Rex showed up, and they tried with a goat, we saw nothing. Then the triceratops was sick. I could say the disappointment was high, but the genius of Spielberg was just getting started.
When the tour stopped right in front of the T-Rex pin, that’s when Spielberg released the terror, anticipation, and every other emotion you were feeling. First, the water cup scene. To watch the water’s vibrations in the cup move with each step of the T-Rex was chilling. Then to hear the steps slowly approaching will give goosebumps. Once the cables are snapped, and the T-Rex walked out, it was a popcorn dropping moment. Also, when the dinosaur attacked the kids, fun fact, that was real, and the dinosaur’s head malfunctioned. That was real terror right there. Spielberg doesn’t let up the pace of this film.
Composer John Williams needs to get a shout out! The dude has a score to remember. The theme song of Jurassic Park is one iconic piece. Williams stated that when he was composing the piece, he needed to write pieces that would convey a sense of awe and fascination. When listening to the music, those were the exact emotions one got. I had this whole soundtrack on tape.
The plot of the film can be confusing with all the technical and DNA information. As a little kid, they created a dinosaur from a toad while using DNA from a mosquito encased in amber. Overall, I don’t know if that is possible, but we just roll with it. Gotta make dinosaurs come to life somehow, and you need a source. Pretty much the story is, rich dude gets some DNA who spares no expense. You know what is going to happen because it is a dinosaur movie. People will and must get eaten along with some dinosaurs. If no one gets eaten, then it’s not a dinosaur movie. Somehow and some way, everyone must figure out how to escape.
The cast of this film is good. You really don’t need to be special for this type of film. No Academy Award-winning performance here, but everyone still did great. First, Sam Neill, as Dr. Alan Grant, was outstanding. He seemed so calm and relaxed in the face of danger. I mean, there was a T-Rex standing in front of you, and he just looked at it like it was some giant cow. He played his character with such calmness that it was crazy. The lovely Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler was a G. She played Ellie with strength, and she spoke her mind when she needed to and let some people have it. The homegirl could move when she wanted to. Then there was Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm. What can you say about Goldblum in this film? The main started a meme almost 30 years later while lying on the table with his shirt open. Sir Richard Attenborough as John Hammond was actually funny and a highlight in the film. I heard his character was completely different in the book, and this version was way better. As an eccentric billionaire, he spared no expense on his park and seems to be a delight to be around. Also, the man who makes a movie every month, Samuel L. Jackson, is in this film.
I don’t know what to say about Jurassic Park. It is one of my all-time favorite films. Seeing dinosaurs for the first time will always be special to me. The music will make you excited and draw you into the movie each and every time. This film is definitely a “Clever Girl”!
