Jurassic Park (1993)

Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant
Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler
Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm
Richard Attenborough as John Hammond
Ariana Richards as Lex Murphy
Joseph Mazzello as Tim Murphy
Bob Peck as Robert Muldoon
Martin Ferrero as Donald Gennaro
Wayne Knight as Dennis Nedry
Samuel L. Jackson as Ray Arnold





This is one of my personal favorite movies of all time. Jurassic Park is the dinosaur movie to end all dinosaur movies, even twenty years later. Something like Pacific Rim make look amazing, but even the best summer blockbusters will never capture the spectacle of seeing that brachiosaurus for the first time with John Williams' score booming or the terror of seeing your first raptor when you're only eight years old, watching the film on its TV debut on NBC.

Every little boy loves dinosaurs and I think there's a part of us that never really loses that. They are the main attraction of this film, which features not only incredible animatronics from Stan Winston but the first major use of CGI that helped pave the way for just about every big blockbuster we see today. The effects, both practical and computer-animated, still hold up today, which is not something that can be said for other films of that era. The dinosaurs all look great. The T-Rex is menacing, the velociraptors are frightening and the other dinosaurs still bring a sense of wonder.

However, the movie doesn't just throw dinosaurs at the screen from the beginning. Even the trailer held back with the money shots all for that moment when Dr. Grant first sees the brachiosaurus. It's a great build and is part of the reason that scene works so well. The T-Rex isn't seen at all until it's time for a rampage, as that debut has an equally great build-up. The raptors have a more subtle approach taken to them, as we don't see anything until the raptor jumps out, which is exactly how their method of killing is explained in the film. It's masterful direction from Steven Spielberg.

The movie is not a horror film, and it's not a straight sci-fi film. It's an adventure. There are scares, but there is also a lot of suspense, laughs, thrilling sequences and great character work. Even when the movie has slowed down, the viewer doesn't feel bored due to the work of a great cast, including Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. Williams' amazing score is also present at all times and it is one of his best.

The only real flaw of the film, which isn't that noticeable, is that some of the characters don't get as fleshed out as they should. There are brief introductions before the events take place and then we're too deep in the plot to worry about it. It's a flaw that is quickly overcome by the acting and action, and it's forgivable in this case.

Even if there were any serious flaws, Jurassic Park is the kind of movie that defies criticism. It's a thrilling spectacle, a roller-coaster ride that you want to go on again and again. It's almost a shame there were sequels, because neither film stood a chance of replicating the success of the original in this case. The genie's already out of the bottle, you can't capture it again.

Score: 10.0