JURASSIC PARK (1993) Part of the A LOOK BACK series July 25th, 2001 Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Steven Spielberg is one of the few directors that can produce real movie magic on screen. Consider the magic wand he waved in such classics as "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "E.T.", "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." "Jurassic Park" is no exception and though it is no classic by any means, it is a thrill-happy, terrifically exciting action picture bringing back Spielberg's whiz-bang intensity that the otherwise middling "Always" and the overblown "Hook" lacked.
Based loosely on Michael Crichton's novel, "Jurassic Park" focuses on a group of scientists (Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern) visiting a fantastical park in a South American island populated by live-breathing dinosaurs, including a vicious Tyrannosaurus Rex, quick-tempered, meat-eating velociraptors, and cuddly Brontosaurus specimens. According to John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), the owner of the park, the dinosaurs were genetically engineered by dinosaur blood found in mosquitoes, which were preserved in amber! Essentially, Hammond is like Frankenstein, bringing back dinosaurs from the dead!
"Jurassic Park" is a thrill ride from start to finish. Spielberg and writers Michael Crichton and David Koepp are not interested in character development - they simply know that audiences are too interested in seeing dinosaurs. You have to remember that the year 1993 was a revolutionary year for cinema - the term CGI was born. This meant that creating believable creatures and landscapes with the use of computer-generated images was a true possibility. Thus, this film was the first to ever show the most realistic dinosaurs ever seen in film history and that was the draw for audiences. Today, CGI seems like an afterthought but back then, it was an astounding achievement.
Spielberg uses CGI to his advantage. There are two exceptional Spielberg sequences: one is a scary, horrifying sequence in which the T-Rex attacks two kids trapped in a car, and the other is when the velociraptors trap the same kids in a kitchen. There are lots of dino chomping scenes but then there are some purely amazing moments that evoke a sense of wonder and joy. The first glimpse of a dinosaur is the brontosaurus as it tries to reach a tree branch - Spielberg shoots the scene from a low-angle so that we get the feeling we are witnessing a majestic, prehistoric creature too grand and mysterious for our eye level. The T-Rex itself is astounding, and the impressive soundtrack (recorded in DTS, digital sound, for the first time ever) enhances the credibility and realism of these creatures.
So much talk about the dinos, what about the humans? Well, they recede in the background because any movie with creatures, especially dinos, will steal scenes from others, no holds barred. Still, this is a helluva good cast. Attenborough is appropriately and equally gleeful and stubborn as the gullible owner, unaware of what he has created. Sam Neill, an actor I dislike, gives a pleasing performance as Dr. Grant who seems to have a dislike for children. Laura Dern is wasted as Grant's wife, capable of much more than screaming fits. The actor who upstages them all is Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm, a chaos theorist and mathematician who wears funny sunglasses and a rock n'roll leather jacket - he seems to have stepped out of "American Graffiti." His one-liners and his ridicule of this dangerous theme park bring a level of irony that Spielberg could have carried further than he does.
As a story, "Jurassic Park" lacks much thrust or significance, though it can be construed as a modern-day Frankenstein tale where the act of creating rests solely on whether something should be created, particularly when you meddle with nature. The characters are thin but they remain watchable personalities (including Samuel L. Jackson in a small role as a computer expert and Wayne Knight as another computer expert who decides to steal some specimens). But for undeniable thrills and escapist entertainment, nothing can beat Spielberg's exciting dinos and kinetic action sequences. As Pauline Kael once remarked, Spielberg doesn't just thrill you, he spooks you with giddiness and exhilaration.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml
E-mail me with any questions, comments or general complaints at faustus_08520@yahoo.com or at Faust668@aol.com
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