Spectacular Adventure from the Master Storyteller

Rating: 10/10 (12 June 2000)

Rarely will a film capture my imagination and lose me in its own world. Jurassic Park is one of them. After seeing the mosquito-in-amber trailer, I read the book and couldn't wait for the movie.
Spielberg was the only choice to direct this film. He has one of the best and most recognizable styles of all directors. From the opening moments, he leaves the audience knowing that a fantastic adventure will soon take place. He learned suspense from the best, and perfects it. I loved the first scene on Isla Nublar, with the Raptor being transported to its holding pen. We don't see the animal, however, we really get the feeling that there is something horribly vicious inside! We also get this feeling from the scene where the visitors witness the slaughter of a bull by raptors. Spielberg does this with his lighting and sound effects, along with expertly paced editing. When, after much suspense, he does show us the carnivorous dinosaurs, they are terrifying. The T-Rex scene is a classic! It is extremely intense and scary.
This movie has almost everything. It has a great story, a great concept, and thrills galore. What I guess it does lack the most is characterization, and although the characters are one-dimensional, they are brought to life well enough to tell the story. My favorite character in the book and the movie was Muldoon (the big game hunter), although in the novel he didn't suffer the same fate as he did in the movie. It still is a very good adaptation of Crichton's novel, and holds its own if you haven't read it. You can't have a summer without movies like this! Grade; A.