One of the most overrated movies ever

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2000)

I've seen Jurassic Park a few times, and each time get more and more disappointed by it. It has to be one of the most overrated movies ever (coming in right after a sinking-ship flick I won't bother to discuss here). A possible reason for my disgust comes from the fact that I read the book the day before I saw the movie. Talk about a letdown. The book's action sequences, had they been filmed as written, would have put several of the film's action sequences to shame. In addition, the "moralizing" and ethical questioning from the novel is much more compelling and sophisticated than the dumbed-down tripe we finally see in this film.
Don't get me wrong -- the movie isn't a bomb, just overrated. Yes, the CGI were revolutionary and ushered in a new era of filmmaking; much of the action truly thrilled and terrified me and still does so today, and the concept was a fascinating one with (as we now know) a somewhat sound scientific basis.
However, the holes in the plot are huge and frequent. Subplots and scientific factoids from the book are given some compulsory screen time, only to be completely forgotten when the chasing and slaughter begins. I left the movie asking, "But what about...?" over and over, with no answers in sight. The acting is passable at best, grating at worst (those frustrating Spielberg cookie-cutter kids being one notable example), and the dialogue wanders from scientific b.s. to pure Hollywood kitsch. Much of the science in the movie is also silly and poorly executed, yet it's hard to stop and notice for all the scaly beasties running amok.
The "never tampering in God's domain" preaching was about as subtle as a T-Rex walking through an electric fence. I was hoping to see a movie with sophisticated, thoughtful characters that acted like adults and were involved in a compelling, desperate situation. Instead I saw a sanitized, over-edited, Speilberg-ized "family adventure" (translation: something with an attention span and the intelligence of an 8-year-old).
I think I'm one of the few people that actually liked "The Lost World" better (at least in a few respects) than the original. It's not as boring (the first half of this movie is a total snoozer), and it doesn't try to be so preachy. It's just a bunch of big lizards runnin' around eatin' people and scarin' the heck out of everybody. Not that I'm advocating more brainless action flicks (we have too many of those already), but at least the sequel didn't take itself so seriously.
Watch Jurassic Park once on a big screen TV with good sound and you'll be blown away. I don't recommend more viewings -- could be unhealthy.