Big dumb fun that relies on special effects to cover the gaps (Jaws with claws)

Rating: Null/10 (8 February 2002)

Wealthy businessman Hammond has developed a process for recreating dinosaurs from DNA held inside insects encased in amber. He uses it to create an island theme park, Jurassic Park, to cash in on the spectacle. Hammond invites a select group to visit the island under tour conditions - his lawyer, a mathematician, his grandchildren and two archeologists. However during the tour the man in charge of the computer system shuts down the fences so he can smuggle out stolen dinosaur embryos to sell to the higher bidder. With the fences down the dinosaurs escape their compounds and the visiting group find themselves with a much closer view than they expected.
Adapted from Michael Crichton's novel, this is basically a summer blockbuster that relies on special effects to cover the holes in the plot. The story is a little daft from the very start however once you get past the first 30 minutes of science you get to the dinosaurs and Spielberg's set pieces and nothing else really matters. The effects are good and the action is well handled by the master director himself. The film has plenty of suspense and drama - especially when the raptors break free! However the film also has plenty of problems that come out when you look past the spectacle.
Firstly the kids! Why does Spielberg always feel that he's got to put cute kids in every film - just cause it worked with ET doesn't mean it'll come off every time. They both quickly become annoying and I wished that they would just move that little bit slower so something could get them. The film also wants to be a family blockbuster and it doesn't want to upset the audience, hence several main characters that die in the book live in the film so as not to upset sequels etc. The other main weakness is the huge merchandising that came with the film, making it feel like a happy meal package rather than a film. However outside of all this baggage the film moves quickly and contains plenty of good action scenes that more than cover the other weaknesses.
Neill is OK as Dr Grant and he is clearly happy to get involved in a franchised blockbuster. Laura Dern is not as good - she is far too hammy and isn't convincing in her emotion. Goldblum is excellent as the chaos-therorising mathematician, but it's his usual stuttering scientist stuff so he doesn't have to try too hard. The rest of the cast are quality, even if they are only to be dinosaur fodder. Jackson,, Peck, Wayne Knight and of course, Attenborough. However those children - who seem to have most of the screen time really should have been better.
Overall this is a good summer blockbuster - the effects and the action scenes are big and exciting. However the plot is weak, the performances mainly poor - without these major flaws it cannot be as good as it should have been.