Jurassic Park

The biggest attraction of this film back in 1993, of course, was the realistic computer graphic animation of the dinosaurs by SGI coupled with the realistic sound effects and the good use of suspense built around them both.

After I first saw this movie in the theatre 24 years ago, I laid in bed awake for hours, not from fright, but from the lingering excitement of the entire experience. Up to that time, nothing like it had ever been done on that scale. This is hard to remember when, since then, the Discovery Channel came up with the whole "Walking with ..." series of documentaries on dinosaurs, early man, and creatures before the dinosaur that use the same techniques that this film did, and thus people have become accustomed to this level of realism in animation both on the small and large screen.

Thus with the "shock value" of the animation removed, this movie doesn't seem quite as "5-star" as it did during its first run. The dialogue, in particular, seems a bit thin now. One aspect of the movie that still impresses me that doesn't get much mention is the outstanding use of sound and sound effects. For example, when the T-Rex first appears in the movie, it is not just the sight of the thing that terrifies, but its tremendous roar. It is still great action adventure viewing for the entire family.

What can be said about this movie that hasn't already been said? Who knows. We all know that this has some of the greatest special effects, even today. Also, if there's anything that can match the awesome T-Rex, it's the movie's musical score. I swear, listen to it more than once, and you're bound to see the movie yet again, if for that sole reason. It's that powerful. Oh sure, acting isn't this movie's strong suit, but who looks for acting in a Dinosaur thriller? Who?!

Anyway, I think I've made my point. Jurassic Park: One of America's greatest classics. Steven Spielberg created magic with this movie. If you haven't seen it once, you haven't seen it at all.

If you were born in the 90s or before, you had a connection with people...you absolutely loved this movie, and it made a mark on you. I think most people remember when they saw this movie first, because it was that awe inspiring of an experience. I remember that it was the first pg-13 movie I was allowed to watch, and what a way to start my grown up movie experience!!! Everything in this movie screams adventure, from the opening scene where the jungle leaves rustle, the shot of mysterious sparkling amber, to the landing of the helicopter on a remote rainforest island, the movie sets the tone for the greatest adventure movie ever made. As you hear John Williams glorious theme start to swell, and you see Alan remove his glasses and start to tremble, you know you're about to witness one of the most magical moments ever put on cinema. I can't go into detail on all the incredible scenes, from the T-Rex reveal, to the kitchen scene, but each one of them revolutionized what we thought movie magic could take us. Thank you Spielberg for making this enchanting piece of art for us, an entire generation is indebted to you.

This movie is definitely one to remember. Despite being filmed in the 90s, Jurassic Park continues to be a classic to this day. Watching the movie now highlights the contrast between the effects then and the special effects available now. This, along with some acting that is a tad overdone, are the only real critiques I would give this film. The child actors were especially hilarious to me-the young boy, Timmy, has moments that really capture a reaction that a child in real life would have ("I threw up." "Well that's ok! That happens sometimes"-Allen-is one of my favorite quotes). Another extremely influential aspect of this film is the music that plays over certain intense scenes and the iconic theme music in the opening/closing. The music combined with the diegetic sound of the dinosaur stomping/approaching builds the suspense and creates an intense tension in the audience. As a classic worldwide, it's no wonder that this movie provided the basis for generations of movies to follow.

It's hard to believe that it's 6 years since this film appeared at the cinemas. At the time it was a truly ground-breaking film, managing for the first time to portray dinosaurs in an extremely realistic manner, unlike those plasticine monsters that we were forced to watch in previous monster movies. Jurassic Park will also be remembered as the movie that finally made George Lucas sit up and realise that it was possible for him to make his prequels.

In hindsight, while it is still an extremely well directed and tension filled movie, the script did seemed dumbed down in order to appeal to as many people as possible - but that's really irrelevant since this film is all about dinosaurs. One of Spielberg's brilliantly directed films, it even managed to make me forget Spielberg's previous disaster of a movie - do you recall HOOK?

8/10.