Jurassic Park is without doubt one of the greatest
blockbusters of all time; it perfectly blends humour and horror, awe and
action, ethics and erudition, drama and…. dinosaurs.
1.
Plot
You know the plot, so I’m not going to sloppily rehash it
here. What I feel is worth commenting on, however, is how even today after
twenty years of other blockbusters, it is still Jurassic Park that feels the
most full of wonder and heart when I think back about the films I’ve seen. It’s
that feeling you get when the Star Wars theme hits, but stretched out over an
entire movie.
The pacing is also expertly handled; you’d never guess that
the dinosaurs only have around 13 minutes of screen time during the film
because of how well the story is put together. Put that up against, say The
Dark Knight Rises, which feels like Batman is barely in it despite having more
or less the same amount of screen time as the first two films of that trilogy.
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2.
Characters
I learned recently that grumpy-gramps Harrison Ford was
originally meant to play Dr Alan Grant, and while that would have been
incredible casting and another few hundred feet added to the mountain of cash
he hordes (you just know he’s the type of guy who doesn’t trust banks), the characters in this movie
are all great to watch already.
From the late Richard Attenborough, whose character brought
all-dem-dinos to life, to semi-mulleted Jeff Goldblum in porn-star pose and at
peak-bumble, everyone adds to the story and the spectacle. There’s even a
small-ish role for sci-fi and profanity aficionado Samuel L Jackson.
Yep, everyone’s great. I mean except for the boy.
What? I don’t have to explain myself to you! He just annoys
me, alright?
All I’m saying is a boy that age given the privilege to be
around actual dinosaurs should be gracious enough to not whine and complain
when they go into attack mode – they’re the coolest things you could ever hope
to see! Just let them eat you, you ungrateful prick.
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3.
Tone
The T-Rex and the Raptors are terrifying, the human
characters are relatable and likeable (for the most part…), the John Williams
theme enhances the spectacle and the film can be enjoyed by anyone of any age.
This is essentially the perfect Hollywood Blockbuster, in line with Indiana
Jones and the original Star Wars movies.
Its’ not too kiddy (a whole bunch of people get shredded by
raptors) and it’s not too dark. While there is occasionally a bit of scientific
exposition, either we get that colourful powerpoint presentation with the DNA
cartoon character to explain what’s going on, or one of the human characters
will just outright yell it into our faces.
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4.
Effects
Much has been said about the seamless blend of practical
effects and CGI on display in Jurassic Park, and by people who know a lot more
about the technical aspect of filmmaking than me.
So I’ll just say this: as far as I’m concerned, the
dinosaurs in this film are REAL dinosaurs. There’s no other way my mortal mind
can comprehend what’s on screen. Steven Spielberg got a bunch of scientists to
create actual dinosaurs and populate an island with them, before sending in a
bunch of actors and filming the ensuing hijinks Big Brother style. No other
explanation.
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5.
Re-watchability
God only knows the amount of times I’ve seen this film.
Whilst I was too young to see this film at the cinema when it was originally
released, I’ve certainly made up for that in VHS and DVD viewings. There was
even a 3D cinema run a few years ago which drew decent numbers, so this film is
undoubtedly a timeless classic that will no doubt fuel generations of young
kids to come in their obligatory dinosaur phase, as it did me.
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Final Score: 5/5
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