Certification. PG
Running Time. 2 hours 7 mins
Director. Steven Spielberg
Cast. Richard Attenborough, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Sam Neill.
Rating. 80%
"Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?"
Except when Jurassic Park was released back in 1993, Steven Spielberg was at the helm. We should have known what to expect. An unforgettable adventure that pushed the limits of technology to the very extreme.
Perhaps, somewhat surprisingly the director elects to reveal the dinosaurs to the audience early on in the film, with a memorable first encounter a mere 20 minutes in. This is no Aliens, where James Cameron builds suspense, by deliberately waiting a full hour to give the audience the first glimpse of a xenomorph. And whilst the initial reveal may have had more impact 30 years ago, when CGI technology was very much still in its infancy, it remains hard not to feel the same sense of open-mouthed awe as Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill) when he first sets eyes on a brachiosaurus, a here-to implausible vindication of his life's work and a realisation that many of his theories were indeed correct.
Whilst the animatronics employed in the close-up encounters with the triceratops and brachiosaurus look a little dated today, the imagination of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and velociraptors remains impressive. Jurassic Park was the standard bearer, nothing like it had been seen before. For a generation brought up on the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen (One Million Years B.C., The Valley Of Gwangi, The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad and Clash Of The Titans), the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were terrifyingly realistic. The predatory species, in particular, were rapid and ran smoothly. Great credit must go to the special effects team of Stan Winston, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Michael Lantieri and presumably numerous technicians employed by Industrial Light & Magic.
In the cold light of day, the characters are largely under-developed - Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill) is uncomfortable around children and Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is a sarcastic, wise-cracking, rock-star of a mathematician - but the film is driven by the storyline, albeit a rather formulaic disaster movie storyline. The ensemble cast wrestles with a range of emotions and moral dilemmas. From idealism to realism. Scepticism to pessimism. But all approach the experience from a point of jaw-dropping wonderment. Even the sardonic Dr Malcolm is initially impressed, "You did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you did it."
In full flow, the film is marvellous. Jurassic Park delivers excitement and suspense in spades. When a storm strands two carloads of guests in the middle of the park, this is Steven Speilberg in his element. To this day, the initial encounter with the Tyrannosaurus Rex is a fantastic action sequence. A masterclass in suspense. The ominous vibrations on the surface of the water in the cup gloriously signify the upcoming terrifying encounter. Repeated and reimagined in subsequent films, but in my opinion, never bettered.
The gore (and body count) from Michael Crichton's original novel are toned down, but Jurrasic Park is surprisingly scary for a PG certificate. 30 years after its theatrical release, Jurassic Park remains a nail-biting, roller-coaster ride. Of its time, of its genre, the film deserves the accolade of a modern classic.
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