Complete with dinosaurs that still hold up and a better story than you might remember, "Jurassic Park" stands 20 years after its initial release as another one of Steven Spielberg's masterful adventure films. Even if it's not the classic that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Jaws" are, Spielberg's dinosaur blockbuster is fun, terrifying and thoroughly engrossing in a way that shames many of the action movies of today. In a fairly remarkable transition to 3D, "Jurassic Park" is a treat for any movie lover who has ever been fascinated by the beasts that formerly inherited the Earth.
Just like many of Spielberg's best adventure films, "Jurassic Park" starts from the perspective of the scientists. Similar to the stunned researchers in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Jurassic Park" takes the angle of the dubious experts, and "Jurassic Park" gives us two that have no idea what they're about to get themselves into. While overseeing dinosaur digs, paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and paleobotanist Ellie Sadler (Laura Dern) base their entire lives on digging up dinosaur bones, trying to put together a puzzle they know they'll never have all the pieces to.
Enter John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), an ambitious entrepreneur who dreams big and puts his full fortune behind developing dinosaur DNA into full-scale clones. Though there are some shortcuts that need to be taken, Hammond simply can't imagine having the available technology and not taking the next step. For a man who started trying to entertain the masses with a flea circus, having a living Tyrannosaurus Rex is simply a dream come true. He only needs a few electric fences, a lawyer at his side and an endorsement from a few renowned scientists and he's set to make the greatest theme park in history. In a crisp conversion to state-of-the-art 3D, Hammond's creations pop with life and still look convincing more than 20 years after they were created, allowing us to ponder in amazement just how such creatures could be of this planet. But the plot thickens with the inclusion of Ian Malcolm, an eccentric mathematician played by Jeff Goldblum as a wacked out genius not afraid to fly in the face of convention. When Malcolm joins Grant and Sadler for a weekend at the park, he immediately recognizes the inherent danger in trying to control such an unbelievable power. However, with the gift shops already filled to the brim with Jurassic Park merchandise, this isn't the time for such skepticism.
Of course this leads to a tour of the various dinosaur attractions, where our scientists are joined by Hammond's kids for a very unintended look at the underbelly of the park. Like the mayor in Spielberg's "Jaws," we once again have a character in Hammond so confident in his own vision that he thrusts his own family into the path of danger. After a storm knocks out the power and our characters are left to try to survive on their own, Spielberg treats us to a bevy of action sequences that are so well done that it's easy to get sucked into the story, even if they're pretty far from being plausible. When little Timmy (Joseph Mazzello) has to scamper down a tree in order to avoid a crashing Jeep SUV, we see that an action sequence can come from anywhere, and the 3D experience, for once, seems to enhance the adventure instead of detract from it.
If there is a part of the story that doesn't seem as compelling, it's the plot line about Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), the greedy computer supernerd willing to sell Hammond's secrets to the highest bidder. Though Knight is appropriately annoying and it provides a human villain to root against, his story is mainly just a distraction from the discovery of the park. Yet other side characters add a bit of flavor, including the insipid lawyer Gennaro (Martin Ferrero), raspy systems operator Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson) and the defiant Malcolm, who provides the comic relief and gets some of the best lines of the movie.
Also playing an important role in the power of "Jurassic Park," of course, is the score from legendary film composer John Williams. Though Williams' tunes can occasionally feel a little tiresome, particularly in Spielberg dramas, "Jurassic Park" shows off the perfect marriage between a director and a film composer, giving us a startling anthem that uplifts and blends with the imagery. As we sweep through the lush green of the park on a helicopter, Williams' powerful ballad becomes as much a part of the experience as the pristine scenery.
Perhaps more than anything, "Jurassic Park" is a testament to Spielberg's uncanny ability to connect with a mainstream audience, elevating the experience from the sludge often produced by the domineering studio system. Stanley Kubrick and Orson Welles may have made great films, but Steven Spielberg continues to make great movies. While Spielberg's reputation as more of a showman than serious filmmaker has some grounding, entertaining action films like "Jurassic Park" remind us how gifted he truly he is at showcasing the impossible. "Jurassic Park" may be silly and simple-minded, but it's so much fun that you can understand why no other director has taken a serious shot at making a dinosaur movie.
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