Anthony's Film Review - Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park excels in delivering a heart-stopping ride with great special effects...

When it comes to special effects in films, Star Wars in 1977 was no doubt a huge milestone that took cinema in that direction. As impressive as that movie was visually, there was still plenty of room for further innovation. Filmmakers still had the opportunity to wow the audience with special effects. Among post-Star Wars films with special effects, James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991 was visually impressive. In my opinion, another movie would stand out for the same reason: Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park in 1993.

Before I go into the special effects of Jurassic Park, I want to talk about its intriguing premise. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park poses an interesting question: Can we bring dinosaurs back to life? What if the DNA of dinosaurs was preserved for 65 million years such that they could be extracted and used to form new dinosaurs? I have to admit. This is the kind of pitch that could easily grab the attention of a Hollywood producer (or book publisher, in the case of Crichton's novel).

With the resurrection of dinosaurs comes the development of a zoo for these creatures: Jurassic Park. The story centers on various characters who are the first to explore its wonders, including Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and two young kids named Tim and Alexis. Even though there's no action just yet, it's very cool to see the various sections of the park and the dinosaurs that inhabit it. If there were a real-life Jurassic Park, I know I'd be in awe.

So now I go back to talking about special effects. They come into play when something goes wrong with the park's security system and the dinosaurs get loose. I loved the scene where a Tyrannosaurus Rex constantly damages a park vehicle with the kids trapped inside. The way it's shot and the computer-generated dinosaur create a very terrifying scene. I also remember a scene where a T-Rex is chasing another vehicle. The shot where the dinosaur rams through a fallen tree really stuck in my mind. All of this should give you a good idea of how the effects really enhance the suspense.

When Jurassic Park first came out, a lot of people I knew saw it before I did. They were very excited by it and highly recommended it to me. The more I heard such praise, the more I wanted to see it. When I finally did, I was stunned. Jurassic Park was THAT good, certainly good news for director Steven Spielberg and novelist Michael Crichton. As stated in its poster, Jurassic Park is an adventure 65 million years in the making. In my opinion, it was made well.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Jurassic Park, visit the Internet Movie Database.