Science+Profit = Trouble

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2005)

When I first watched this movie years ago, I didn't like it. I thought the movie was one big special-effects extravaganza with theatrical and uninspiring acting (except, of course, in the scene with the lawyer sitting on the toilet who's gobbled up by an out-of-control and hungry Tyrannosaurus Rex. I don't know if that scene was meant to be funny, but I recall that it provoked a certain amount of laughter.) Subsequently, I didn't give this movie a second thought. Then recently I happened to be watching television and lo-and-behold I switched to a channel that just happened to be showing Jurassic Park. So I watched the movie and this time I liked it. Indeed I thought this movie was great, and I'll tell you why. Despite the overblown special effects and contrived script and the almost laughable acting, especially by "Newman" from Jerry Seinfeld in one of the worst cases of miscasting in the history of movie making, this movie successfully and effectively deals with a serious theme - what happens when highly sensitive, highly experimental and potentially lethal scientific knowledge and technology gets into the hands of people who want to exploit this knowledge and technology for profit. This movie shows how the technology of cloning, when used irresponsibly and with little of any thought for possible consequences, can produce disastrous results, in this case, dinosaurs running amok with no way to control them. It seems far-fetched, but really no more so than the possibility of people being able to fly or communicate electronically over huge distances. It only seems far-fetched until it becomes a reality and then it's like it was always meant to be. But getting back to this movie, now that the dinosaurs are unleashed, the question is: how can they be controlled? They were supposed to be placed on display in a park, but it doesn't quite work out the way it was intended. Instead of the dinosaurs being confined, they literally go on a rampage, completely trash the park and in the process reveal a level of intelligence and cunning that is entirely unexpected, with dire consequences. The raptors, for instance, are not mere reptilian brutes but rather are cunning and highly intelligent creatures which makes them even more dangerous. And the humans who unleashed these creatures are simply no match for the ferociousness and strength of creatures that are now beyond all control. Compared to the dinosaurs the humans puny and helpless bystanders who are literally running for their lives when not caught and devoured. The humans' weapons are absolutely no match for the ferociousness of these creatures, who easily overpower and out-think the humans. The movie ends with the surviving humans getting out while they can, leaving the dinosaurs in charge of the park. Now, what happens if the dinosaurs escape from the park? Could the human species survive?
In a way, this movie is akin to the stories "Frankenstein", "The Invisible Man" and "Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" which also deal with issues relating to consequences of irresponsible scientific research.