Stands the test of time

Rating: 8/10 (13 August 2007)

I remember seeing "Jurassic Park" for the first time in the theater when it came out. It was probably one of the defining moments for me when it came to movies. It was magic, pure and simple. Of course, i wasn't very old and far from as blasé as i am today. But still, i can't shake that memory.
Watching the movie now though, with a bit more sober eyes, proves that it is a very competent movie. It might not be the magic show it was when i saw it for the first time, but how could it be? We have seen everything from Transformers to aliens and every critter imaginable come to life on the screen since then. What was groundbreaking and hot in 1993, is such standard-fare in 2007 that you're more surprised if a movie doesn't have huge impossible creatures running around. Or well, that might not be true, but it's commonplace to be sure.
What surprised me the most was the fact that the movie has aged rather gracefully. It's almost 15 years old now and it feels like the special effects industry has taken leaps since then. But the effects in "Jurassic Park" still look great for the most part. Sure, they are less "there" than the effects today and some effects look rather dated. But for the most part the illusion is intact. And that's important, because this movie is of course about illusions. And when the illusion is believable and you let yourself get immersed into it, you get one of the best adventure movies...ever.
Complaining about the lack of pulse-raisers and heartbeat in many adventure- and action-movies feels almost moot at this point. I've done it in what feels like half my reviews. But the argument is still valid, a movie like this one needs something to raise the pulse and make you sit on the edge of your seat for the rest of the movie. This one has something like that. It starts out rather calm, but with a clear sense of impending doom. And then, when it happens, it doesn't let you go until the very last frames. What is perhaps most impressive is that it does this without excessive use of neither violence nor blood. Of course there is blood and violence, there has to be. But it's used sparingly, and therefore to greater effect when it does happen. And Spielberg might not be my favorite director, but you can't say that he's not a highly competent man. He plays this movie like a grand piano, finding the right pace, the right tone and the right moods at the right moment. The result is a movie with hardly a single dull moment.
In the end this movie has stood the test of time better than i expected. And still, fourteen years later, i found it to be exciting, well written and highly entertaining. I rate it 8/10.