One of the best examples of thrilling escapist entertainment.

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2003)

**** out of ****
When I was a kid, I always had an obsession with dinosaurs, so it was natural that, at the tender age of 9, I embraced Jurassic Park as THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE. I have since grown considerably since then, and now in my late teens, have come to the conclusion that Jurassic Park is indeed not the greatest movie ever made. But it's a damn good one, and it's an even match with any of the Indiana Jones films for sheer escapist adventure (thank God Steven Spielberg directed films during my adolescence).

This movie is, of course, hardly plot-driven, but a summary of sorts is in order. Sam Neill stars as Alan Grant, a paleontologist who doesn't much like high-tech equipment, or kids for that matter. Laura Dern stars as his girlfriend, Ellie Sattler, apparently a paleobotanist. Both of them (along with Jeff Goldblum as a chaos theoretician) are invited to an amusement park by a rather kindly, enthusiastic old man named John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). Well, it turns out the park is full of cloned dinosaurs and they've arrived as experts to deem whether or not the place is safe for tourists. But a saboteur within the park knocks out the power, leaving the guests stranded somewhere in the island, and the hungry dinosaurs on the loose, searching for food.
Premise like that sounds like fun, doesn't it? And yes, Jurassic Park is very fun. It's unlikely anyone who's reading this review has never seen the movie, but it's always nice to reiterate to a fan (or detractor) why it is I hold such adoration for this film. Ever since Jurassic Park's initial theatrical release, the movie's always had a lot of unfair criticism thrown at it, a lot of it aimed at how Spielberg should have learned his lesson from Jaws and show restraint toward presenting the dinos, or how the character development was somewhat lacking. I'm guessing the fact it was directed by Spielberg set it up for far more nitpicky complaints than if it had been helmed by someone else (which makes it all the more amazing how acclaimed Spielberg's movies, especially his most recent ones, are).
To both alleged faults, I cannot agree with. Whether or not anyone actually noticed, Spielberg actually showed restraint by not revealing the T-rex (or dilophosaurus) right off the bat, waiting patiently until the perfect moment, when all hell breaks loose. As a result, its first appearance is truly terrifying. Besides, these are dinosaurs, gargantuan sights that are appropriately astounding and awe-inspiring (with these images nicely boosted by John Williams' rousing score), and with such great special effects on hand, holding back the sight of the dinosaurs would be a pretty silly notion.
As for the characters, most everyone here made at least a slight impression on me. Sam Neill is great as always, playing the likeable Grant as a convincing action hero who never resorts to ridiculous stunts. The friendship he develops with the two kids (Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards) is "typical" Spielberg, but what's typical of his is still far better done than your average, first-rate filmmaker (yeah, I admit it, I'm an exremely ardent Spielberg fan). The other performances are good; Jeff Goldblum is very funny as the sarcastic chaotician, Laura Dern makes a sexy heroine, and Bob Peck is simply too cool as the park's game hunter. Loved the man, wish he was in the movie more.
It's interesting to note that the pacing is so good, I never noticed that the film doesn't get into the dino action until almost the halfway mark. The film was enjoyable before the dinosaur mayhem, and once the dinosaurs start chomping down on puny humans, the movie jumpstarts into a remarkable thrill ride. There are two action sequences, in particular, that stand out. The first is the T-rex assault on the motionless cable cars, which nicely builds up suspense, then pays off in spades. The climactic cat-and-mouse game with the raptors is an even more impressive nail-biter, initially set in a kitchen, then turning into a full-blown chase through the ducts, all the way to a wide-spaced museum.
Opinions for this movie have always been rather mixed, but with the majority aiming toward the positive. JP's got great action, first-rate special effects, and charismatic leads; what's not to like? Personally, I enjoyed it a bit more than Jaws, probably because Williams' score never goes inappropriately playful at any point in JP. By certain definitions, Jurassic Park might not rate as a great movie, but it's great entertainment, and what more could you ask from a film?