Hello, Mike? Steve here.

Rating: Null/10 (2 April 2002)

I am guessing that about a week before filming started there was a telephone call from Steven Spielberg to Michael Crichton that went something like this:
Hello, Mike? Steve here. You know that film of your book? Well it's coming along great. My tech people have come up with some really terrific looking dinosaurs. Not entirely authentic, but this is Hollywood so what is. John has come up with some of his usual towering majestic orchestral music, you know, blah, blah, blah. Don't tell him I said so, but it really all starts to sound the same after a while. One problem at this point, though. In all the tech meetings and all, we seem to not have a script. Could you dash one off for us? I know it's short notice, but let's face it, who cares. People are coming to see the dinosaurs chase people and kill them. So just write us up some stereotypical cliches - you know the types. Slimy lawyer who absolutely has to be killed. Same with greedy insider turncoat. Write us a heroic scientist and his babe girlfriend. Don't forget the mad scientist type trying to control nature. Yeah, I know there's not much time to develop a story, but I'm telling you, people will just not care if there are gaping holes in the plot or that scientifically the whole thing is dubious at best. With both our names on this, it can't miss. OK I'll see you in a week. Thanks.