A popcorn masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2020)

I still continue to be blown away by the sheer awesomeness of this movie. I remember being dropped off at the theater in the summer of 1993 with my little brother, not knowing what to expect. And basically nearly crapping my pants. I mean at 13 it scared the utter crap out of me. It was the first movie with digital surround sound and it was amazing. Steven Spielberg's popcorn masterpiece has a number of sequels at this point but nothing even comes close to the original. It's scary, funny, smart and action packed. It's nearly flawless in every way from the perfect performances pretty much all around except for some questionable moments from Dern. The movie's spectacular effects also hold up surprisingly well. It's still the best blending of practical and CGI to date. The characters are developed enough to care about and the movies pacing is perfect from the awe inspiring thrills of the first third to the primal terror in its final half. Truly one of the best and scariest movies ever made.
5/5