But if the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the Pirates don't eat the tourists.

Rating: 9/10 (12 March 2009)

Science has advanced so far, to the point that scientists are able to clone dinosaurs to populate an island. Turning it into a maximum security theme park seemed to be a good idea, but when human mischief and a breakdown of said security occurs, the result is terrifying.
One of the unwritten facts in cinema history is that some folk, no matter what he does, will deride Steven Spielberg's achievements in movie making. Be it popcorn bonanza's such as this dinosaur riot, or the serious, emotionally wrought likes of Schindler's List which was released this same year, Spielberg is not a popular name amongst the arty farty set. Thankfully, those people are in the minority because Spielberg and his movies cater for the mass majority of the honest cash paying movie fan, he is by definition a fan himself, to hear him interviewed and chatter away about cinematic greats such as David Lean is as enlightening as it is as entertaining as his best work.
Jurassic Park finds Spielberg directing like a child locked in a sweet shop, all the tools available to him are used with gleeful abandon, the result being one of the most enjoyable sci-fi/fantasy/monster/disaster movies of the 90s. Going on to make a lifetime gross, at the time of writing, of $914,691,118 after being made for just $63 million, I think it's safe to say that Jurassic Park is loved by a lots and lots of people. The charges of the actors being secondary are of course warranted, at times stilted and plain, Laura Dern, Sam Neil, and even Richard Attenborough, possibly do their respective career phone ins; but that's OK in a film of this type, besides, elsewhere Jeff Goldblum rises to the challenge as Ian Malcolm, all quirky and sly, Goldblum gets to look cool and gives the picture it's comedic relief.
However, we are ultimately here for the terror, the rampaging dinosaurs expertly assembled at ILM are a pure feast for the eyes, with Spielberg brilliantly creating edge of the seat set piece after set piece. Craftily he lulls us into a false sense of security {aided by screenwriter and novel writer Michael Crichton of course}, it's all lovely, vegetable eating dinosaurs and kiddie friendly fodder. But then, oh then, it's hello T-Rex, Raptors and thrills on the edge of your seats, from that point in it's time to strap yourself in for a magical roller-coaster ride. Thank you Steven Spielberg, Hollywood would be a poorer place without your efforts. 9/10