Unlike the dinosaurs, Jurassic Park never gets old

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2019)

I was the dinosaur kid growing up. Books, toys, movies, drawings, my eight year old imagination was often filled with images of meat-eaters, plant eaters, T. rexes and triceratopses. So one could figure that watching Jurassic Park for the first time was a milestone for me. Technically, I did not see the suspenseful opening scene the first time because I was cowering through it. After that, the movie eased up and I was able to take in all of the thrill that the characters, story, music and, yes, the dinosaurs brought to it. The film was everything I had hoped it would be.
A decade and a half later Jurassic Park still holds up as an incredibly rewatchable movie, right up there with big hits like The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's also super quotable. Instead of covering my eyes in the opening scene I enjoy anticipating each line as it comes, almost like a game. Ian Malcom's character, played by Jeff Goldblum in perhaps his most iconic role, has some classic deliveries. "Dino d-droppings? Droppings?" That line itself is too much fun, and there are dozens of others that stay with you.
Do not think I am all tongue-in-cheek about what makes the film enjoyable, however. Jurassic Park is extremely well made. In addition to the dialogue, the story is very effective. While it can be corny at times, its strength lies in the fact that it does not try to do too much with the dinosaurs and with the carnage people often associate with monster films (which is what JP is at its core). This allows the film to be more concentrated on one location and a small set of characters, and thus make the overall story stronger. It also helps with the suspense! With Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg has mastered the art of the monster film by not revealing too much of the dinosaurs too early. These were techniques he certainly learned while working with B-movies and ones he further cultivated with Jaws as well. But Jurassic Park's effects blow the shark flick's out of the water. Not only does the CGI from Jurassic Park look more realistic than the one from Jurassic World (released more than two decades later!), the crew even created legitimate animatronic dinosaurs that were as close to perfect as anyone has ever attempted. Put that all together and you have a film whose special effects make it timeless.
I haven't even gotten to the music yet! John's Williams' score for the film is tied to its legacy in the same vein as the dinosaurs and Ian Malcolm are. I cannot imagine the film scored any other way. The music will stick with you just as much as the memorable lines.
I may be biased towards Jurassic Park, as it is intrinsically tied to my childhood. But unlike other movies from my early days, I still find myself watching it again and again. The story may not be the deepest, although it does contain an important message about the power of the natural world, but the craft and wonder that is behind the production make you feel transported whenever you watch. It is a special moment when John Hammond steps out onto the field and utters the famous words, "Welcome to Jurassic Park." Even on the twentieth viewing, it still feels as if you have arrived for the first time.