Review of Jurassic Park (1993) by Alasdair B — 15 Jun 2015

Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest directors of all time. To this day, Schindler's List is-in my humble opinion-his best film. Spielberg has produced so many iconic movies in the past thirty years, including Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. He is one of the kings of special and practical effects. He has made a profound impact on me as an aspiring filmmaker. "Jurassic Park'' is the iconic adventure film-directed by Spielberg. It's considered by many to be one of-if not his best-movies made. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, and Samuel L. Jackson.

During a desert excavation, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Dern) are unexpectedly visited. The visitor is John Hammond (Attenborough), director of bioengineering company, InGen. Hammond has come to offer Grant and Sattler a trip to his dinosaur theme park: Jurassic Park. Agreeing to come with, the two paleontologists are amazed at the real life dinosaurs that await them. In the lab, they discover that scientists have been breeding and creating dinos. Somewhat suspicious of the project, Hammond offers them a special tour of the theme park. Not far into the tour, Grant and Sattler come across sick dinosaurs. Many of the stops on their trip are vacant of any dinosaur activity. Unfortunately, a t-rex has been causing problems all over the park, and the tourists must struggle to stay alive when an unexpected visitor breaks through the fence.

This film is widely considered to be a kind of cult classic-and it really is one. I've never had so much fun watching a film like I did watching this one. First of all, the characters are really likable. Alan Grant is the steadfast leader. He knows all about dinosaurs and their behavior, giving him an advantage when trying to survive. Accompanying Grant are two children who love dinosaurs, yet are naturally very afraid of them. It was really sentimental when Grant was teaching the kids about the dinosaurs. Previously in the film, he stated that he and his wife didn't wish to have children, so the bonding that they shared was really heartwarming. However, my favorite character in the film had to be Dr. Ian Malcolm. He was really witty and funny, delivering some of the most memorable lines in the movie.

I can imagine what it was like sitting in the theater in 1993, watching this movie for the first time. It must have been an incredible experience. The special effects are really incredible. In this day and age, it's easy to not appreciate visual effects, and especially practical effects. We are so acostumned to great visuals that we aren't as impressed by them. However, look at the stunning visuals in James Cameron's, Avatar or in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. This film has an amazing animatronic t-rex. It was a heart pounding thrill ride from beginning to end.

As an action adventure film, this is one of the best I've ever seen. Spielberg directs the film so well. The script is full of fantastic humor and dialogue, as well as quirky and memorable characters. Spielberg and composer John Williams have been working together for years, and his score for this film is just as memorable and iconic as his previous work with the director.

"Jurassic Park" is a bit cheesy, and some of the special effects (CGI) are somewhat outdated. Nevertheless, this is an impressive film for it's time. It's funny, well written, and visually inventive. Spielberg's theme park adventure film is something anyone can enjoy, young and old. It's a cult classic-some would even say a masterpiece-that has stood the test of time.