Dino-mite

Rating: 8/10 (11 June 2015)

I vividly recall my friend coming over the day he saw 'Jurassic Park' and telling me that it was the best movie he'd seen since 'Star Wars'. That set the bar awfully high, and while my experience wasn't quite the same as his, I was certainly in awe of the amazing special f/x and I did enjoy my self immensely. Over the years I've revisited the original about once every five years or so, and each time I actually gain a bit more of an appreciation for it. The wonder and discovery of the first act is something they were never able to re-capture in the sequels (for obvious reasons) and the white-knuckle intensity of its action scenes are proof of just how good Spielberg was at this sort of thing before he started making these kinds of popcorn films more out of obligation than passion.
The cast is great, with Sam Neill proving to be a charming lead in what could've been a thankless roll. Richard Attenborough is an absolute delight, Laura Dern is likeably spunky and Jeff Goldblum steals every scene he's in as the eccentric "chaotician" Ian Malcolm. My one complaint has always been sidelining Malcolm in the third act.
This really is a grand adventure. A sort of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' meets 'Jaws', fitting given they're all directed by the same man.