Disclaimer:

The following movie is rated: PG-13

As a result, there will be violent images, harsh language and scenes inappropriate for younger readers.

It’s been a long time coming, but I for one feel great to be back. How ’bout y’all? Considering the movies that’re out now, I thought it would be a good time to cover another iconic Hollywood franchise. Enter: Jurassic Park. To put it mildly, this title has come a long way from the original Michael Crichton penned duology. While I haven’t read the original source material, in this day and age fewer people can say they have. That’s how iconic these movies are.

Most of what we now know about Jurassic Park stems from the Steven Spielberg film released in 1993. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even with it being a film adaptation of a novel, it still managed to be revolutionary in its own way. I’m not the first to say this, but Jurassic Park completely changed how we look at CG effects. That along with its memorable premise, high suspense/tension, and fierce action burned it into the public’s consciousness.

With all that said, and the fact I still enjoy this movie, that doesn’t mean it’s flawless. I can’t deny that there are some noticeable issues with the film even today. However, rewatching it may give me a better understanding of how to approach this. Regardless of any problems this film has, I know this will be a fun experience. Y’all ready? Without further delay, hold onto your butts.

Let’s spare no expense on this trip back to Isla Nublar in Jurassic Park.

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The biggest question for this review: where do I even start? Considering how central to pop culture this movie has become, I feel like I shouldn’t have to cover the plot. Old guy makes a dinosaur park, things go wrong, dinosaurs kill people, and our protags escape. Sorry. Spoilers. Funnily enough, I realized, rewatching this movie after so long, just how much I can nitpick right out the gate. Surprisingly, there’s a lot.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot wrong with this intro when you pick it apart like that. Similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark which Spielberg also had a hand in creating. Although, what this movie does well is a combination of two things. The first one I’d like to cover is its character motivations. Particularly John Hammond (played by Richard Attenborough). The father of Jurassic Park is easily the most well-developed and complex character in the movie.

Folks, including myself, have a hard time following the in-depth conversations John has throughout the film. Particularly upon first viewing. The sheer amount of them, you could argue, is another issue with the film, but I personally don’t think so. When you really analyze what they’re saying in these moments, John specifically, you fully understand who he is. Sure he has a dream, but he’s a showman. First and foremost.

He drops in by helicopter at the dig site –

– just to break into Ellie (played by Laura Dern)’s trailer and pop some champagne.

He flies everyone into the island by helicopter.

The first thing he does is show off his dinosaurs.

He explains the process through a short film with him at the center.

Sidenote: notice how he focuses on the background music before moving on.

He’s also convinced himself that anyone can enjoy this park regardless of socioeconomic status.

But then, things start to go wrong in the form of Dennis Nedry (played by Wayne Knight).

As the head of the computer systems in the park, he has access to all sorts of security protocols. Which he then uses to steal and sell dinosaur embryos to some shady people. Remember John’s catchphrase?

Let’s examine that, because Nedry tells a different story.

When John says “Spared no expense,” what he means is that he maximized spending on his top priority: spectacle. As we’ve seen, Hammond is a practiced showman, so he cares most about showing off something amazing. He even admits as much later on in the movie.

Right there, we see where his priorities lie. The movie itself also supports this idea. Since John’s biggest priority is spectacle, part of what this movie is best known for is its visuals. Y’all knew this was coming eventually and here it is. Because, yes, the CG effects in this movie are fantastic. Even today.

But that’s not all. Not only are there great CG effects, but they’re combined with outstanding animatronics/puppetry and sound design as well. It sells the illusion that much more. Take a look.

And who could forget –

Yeah, so while John spent a fortune on spectacle, he skimped on basic necessities. You’ll see this in various ways throughout the movie. Of course, the first is hiring Dennis Nedry, but the most apparent is the lack of effective safety features.

Ultimately, the point I’m trying to make is this: John’s main character flaw is what leads to the tragedy later. When you understand the man that John is, how this movie plays out makes a lot more sense. The second thing this movie does well is its knowledge of suspension of disbelief. It wants to give us a fun ride and it knows just how much we’re willing to forgive. Take this movie’s most iconic scene.

*ROAR!*

While it’s frickin’ awesome, there are some key moments that don’t add up. First, does the movie know how high the ground is behind the electric fence? ‘Cause when the T-Rex comes out, she just waltzes out without issue. However, when Dr. Grant (played by Sam “I’m totally not from New Zealand” Neill) and Lex (played by Ariana Richards) go into the enclosure to escape, there’s suddenly a sheer drop on the other side.

Also, there’s this key detail the movie uses on multiple occasions –

However, the movie gets away with it. At least, I let it slide. Why do I do this? Are these not major problems? Don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely a problem. The difference here is the scene design. If you ignore all those things, which I have before, this scene is absolutely amazing. There’s so much tension, brilliant sound design, perfect pacing, and the lawyer (played by Martin Ferrero) dies.

As the movie continues, there are many other examples of this. Sure the suspension of disbelief is stretched to its limit, but if you go with it there’s plenty to enjoy. The scene of Alan getting Tim (played by Joseph Mazzello) out of the tree is pretty cool.

Outrunning the T-Rex is heart-pounding.

Running with the flock of ostrich dinos is fun.

Not to mention the kitchen raptor scene.

After chaos theory breaks out, my biggest issue is actually just Tim and Lex. I know they’re kids, but they make some pretty dumb choices. Even for kids. Because of that, I get annoyed pretty easily whenever they’re on screen. They don’t follow directions well and are much more clumsy than the adults. Worst of all, they frequently get themselves into trouble forcing the adults to save them. Mostly due to their lack of critical thinking skills.

I could keep going, but I just had to get those off my chest. What’s important is: when you take away those moments and let the movie play, it’s a lot of fun. Why do I make an exception for this movie? Aren’t I usually the person to condemn movies’ lack of foresight and clumsy writing? Yes, I am. In this movie’s case, it’s notably different. How different? Each choice, no matter how farfetched, was carefully planned out by the film makers.

The film makers crafted their scenes for the purposes of sowing tension, action, and visually pleasing moments. You can agree or disagree with the choices they made, but one thing you can’t say is it’s not compelling. While I said there were two main things this movie does well, there’s a third I’d like to mention. That’s the concept of the movie itself.

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The most enduring part of this movie is the concepts it presents to its audience. Using science beyond our means to defy nature and create a world that was never meant to exist. This was both the point of the movie and the book. Granted, this isn’t the first story to tackle this concept. Several other stories, as far back as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, have covered this idea. What makes Jurassic Park unique is its societal approach.

Other stories focus on this concept as it relates to humanity’s limitations. Jurassic Park does too, but it also turns the idea to economics, society, and misguided dreams. Who is fit to make choices like this for nature? Is anyone fit to do so? What does it say about the person who came up with this idea? For example: where they came from, their economic resources, or their goals? When nature makes a choice, should that choice be final?

These are the kinds of questions that Jurassic Park raises, and they haven’t been entirely answered to this day. Ultimately: is bringing back extinct animals a good idea?

Even to this day, we still have scientists studying ancient extinct species for the purposes of cloning them. Take the woolly mammoth. For a long time I’ve heard news stories about this kind of research, but when you think about it…should we? Is bringing back the woolly mammoth really a good idea?

Maybe if it were something like buffalo then I could understand it. That’s a species that was wiped out due to human intervention, so they reasonably deserve another shot. With animals like dinosaurs, dodos, and several other species eliminated due to mass extinction events, it gets trickier. They survived for millions of years and like Haircut (played by Jeff Goldblum) said –

This is where Jurassic Park stands out as a classic. While its concepts aren’t necessarily new, they’re being handled in such a unique way. With spectacular visuals, brilliant story structure, edge-of-your-seat action, and the power to remain unforgettable, I can’t help but love it. If, by chance, you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it. Don’t think too hard about it. Let it wash over you and I’m sure you’ll discover a movie you have no choice but to love.

I originally felt inclined to rate this movie lower. However, I’ve managed to talk myself out of it. I’ll say this movie is a solid 4/5 dinosaur bones. Do the problems I mentioned still exist? Absolutely. Can they be distracting at times? Of course. But does it ruin the experience? Definitely not. This movie is still revolutionary to this day and the reason we all love dinosaurs so much. Unlike Avatar, this movie managed to be fun and a game-changer. Still amazing.

(I make no claim of ownership for any of the images used in this post)

(Each of them are owned entirely by their respective copyright holders, which are not me)

(I’m just a humble blogger who talks about movies, I do not make them)

(Especially since this one came out before I was born)