Quick Reviews!!

Rating: 10/10 (14 February 2005)

Breathtaking effects which brought tears to my eyes (and to the eyes of many palaeontologists too), excellent set pieces, action and stunts, non-stop fun in the typical Spielberg fashion, a brilliant score, good acting all round, many iconic images, and a good story make Jurassic Park one of the most exciting films of all time. Revolutionary because of the effects, many of which look light years better than those of today, the film is not just a typical summer blockbuster with effects overload, but a good story for all the family.
For years Dr Hammond has been trying to make his dream come true- to bring back the most awesome creatures that have ever walked the earth- dinosaurs. Extinct for millions of years until now, when science has enabled us to bring back that which was once thought to be lost forever. The creatures of course cannot be trained and are extremely dangerous, but they are kept in check by the fact that only females are bred. Hammond is successful, and his idea to create a zoo for the animals needs recommendations. He invites Dr Alan and Dr Ellie, 2 dinosaur experts, and Jeff Goldblum part philosopher part scientist part comedian. His young nephew and niece also come along, as well as the man who will be financing the park. Hammond shows them how he created them, leading to debates on morality etc but what everyone really wants is a trip around the park. So they go. Of course, things soon go wrong when Dennis, a man working for Hammond decides to turn off the security. He is attempting to steal samples for the black market. Soon the dinosaurs are loose, and the group is fighting for their lives.
Each character is brilliantly drawn, and well acted. As many have said, the effects are awesome, and look completely real. Only a few parts look dated now. CGI looks like the future here, along with T2, but has since went downhill. As a child i always had a fascination with dinosaurs, still do, and it has always been a dream to see them in the flesh. As that is unlikely, this is the closest any of us will get. The variety of creatures is good, and they all seem like they did in our imaginations. The action flows fluidly once it starts, and there are many jumpy moments. The first T-Rex attack has become part of our culture, but the tree descent, Raptor kitchen and chase are all equally spectacular and get your heart racing. Spielberg gets the charm going by splitting the central group, meaning we get to see the relationships between Sam Neill and the kids growing, as well as the banter between Goldblum and Dern. The deaths, naturally are pretty gruesome, but hardly over the top, but some parents may find them too scary for kids. Not even Samuel L. Jackson is spared. Most of the smaller characters are killed as the dinosaurs rampage, but we can be certain our group will be OK. It's that they are so nail-bitingly close to having their nails, heads, legs etc bitten that make it exciting. This is what Spielberg is best at.
There is much depth in the film, many issues raised about cloning, right and wrong, nature etc, but these would bog down the film if they kept raising their heads. They are mentioned so they will be in our minds long after the excitement has finished, and when we are ready to talk about them. But i'll leave that to the smart people. What matters is that Spielberg has created another masterpiece, the monster movie he wanted to make years before with Jaws, but didn't have the budget or technology to do so. Make another one like this Spielberg, come one, we know you can.
10 out of 10.