Spielberg is an entertainer (spoiler)

Rating: 9/10 (24 April 2003)

Let's face it, no matter how hard he tries, Spielberg cannot help but become the sentimental showman that Kubrick wasn't. That nuance aside, hold onto your lug nuts because thrill rides don't get much bigger or exciting than this! To make my job easier, I'll just run the pros and cons.
Cons: Lack of character development- In Jaws, Spielberg had to rely on technique over style. Thus he was able to flesh out the characters and make a much more thrilling movie than otherwise planned. Here we get characters with about 2 sentences worth of exposition and science babbling then another half-hour of screaming and yelling.
The Gallimimus herd- I'm sorry but the visual effects in that scene just don't hold up as well as the others. Also, they could have disposed of it and no one would've noticed any difference.
"Over-reliance on technology" motif- I'm talking about the script, not the production. Michael Crichton has never been an effective author and his preachiness in the novel translates into here pretty bad. Fortunately they were able to get most of his boring moments from the book eliminated. I still didn't like the annoying part about a 12-year-old being able to hack through a mulit-million dollar computer system to restart the power.
Pros: John Williams- Someone give the guy an Oscar! Please! His music here ranges from intense to breathtaking. I especially love his main theme and the approach to the island segments, but his finale has to be right up there with 'Cadillac of the Skies' in emotion.
The T-Rex attack- Well edited with decent dark humor incorporated and the oft-lauded lawyer chomping. No music though, just like the battles in Private Ryan.
The End- Not that I was happy to finally be done watching it, but I just loved how Spielberg ended the movie with William's score and no dialogue. Here's the only time in the movie when he lets the actor's expressions speak for themselves and it works beautifully.
Overall, a good movie, though lacking in the brains department,