Jurassic Park




Welcome ... to Jurassic Park.

If there's someone who makes good blockbusters, it has to be Steven Spielberg. Even after taking on an enormous budget, Jurassic Park became a box office smash. But it was just another notch in Spielberg's belt.

Dr. Grant (Sam Neil) and Dr. Sattler (Laura Dern) are two paleontologists who are roped into inspecting an amusement park run by a rich businessman (Richard Attenborough) who spares no expense. Also along for the ride is Dr. Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). But sparing no expense does little good when a greedy employee (Wayne Knight) attempts to steal the secrets of Jurassic Park and causes some very big problems. As it seems, scientists have discovered a way to extract dinosaur DNA from prehistoric mosquitoes to clone and essentially create real dinosaurs. Anyway, the visitors of the park are soon fighting for their lives when control over the dinosaurs is lost.

Cutting to the chase, this movie is flawless in nearly every way. Though it isn't very deep, it's a blockbuster and nothing more. Spielberg does his magic here, squeezing out every ounce of thrills and terror he can. And he has plenty to work with here. People's fascination with dinosaurs is a given, and this movie sparked an even greater interest.

The beginning is pretty devoid of action, but that's all right. In fact, I prefer it to mindless explosions that would be in any other action movie. The script is consistently smart and sets up what plot there is well. This is one of the enduring strengths of the film. But when the action starts, hold on to your butts. Excellent use of the dinosaurs and the environments the hapless Homo sapiens find themselves in is utilized to the fullest.

The acting is excellent across the boards, and even the kids are passable. Though the formula of a broken family (sort of) thrown against abnormal danger is getting a little unoriginal from Spielberg, it works well here. You can't help but like reserved yet sarcastic Grant and his girlfriend. Goldblum and Attenborough also do well. And with a supporting cast with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson and Wayne Knight, (perfect for his role) you can't go wrong.

Though the moral of the story (don't mess with nature) is slight, you really don't care. The appeal of the movie is broad, ranging from survival horror to science fiction combined with a bit of wonder. In every category it shines. Never being too dark or lingering on the marvels for too long, it keeps its velocity on track. And speaking of the marvel, the special effects hold up even after over twelve years. The CGI does pale somewhat compared to today's stuff, but it mixes well with the use of mechanized dinosaurs. Also of note is John Williams' score, which has one of my all time favorite themes.

Definitely an action film to see. This is a good example of how to do a blockbuster right.



-The Gnome