“Jurassic Park”
(1993) starts with a billionaire (Richard Attenborough) who invites scientists
on a journey of a lifetime, to an island where cloned dinosaurs roam. This, of
course, inevitably leads to complications and a multitude of regrets. At first
glance the film is indeed an adventure with dinosaurs but reading between the
lines reveals the true meaning of the movie – family values and developing
characters.
Roger Ebert is very critical about the film: “Spielberg enlivens the action with lots of
nice little touches; I especially liked a sequence where a smaller creature
leaps suicidally on a larger one, and they battle to the death. On the monster
movie level, the movie works and is entertaining. But with its profligate
resources, it could have been so much more.” (Ebert, 1993) The movie
however is a true spectacle for special effects and brings a very effective
switch from CG dinosaurs to puppets, which even now look realistic. (fig. 2 –
movie still)
The film touches upon the dangers of lacking any rules in
modern scientific achievements and poses a number of questions towards modern
science as well. Are we, as people, playing God? Do we follow the laws of
nature, or bend and twist them for our entertainment? Janet Maslin talks about
that: “Mr Crichton, who wrote the film
with David Koepp, delights in such details and presents his story as a
fascinating, obsessively detailed treatise on both the possibilities and the
evils of modern science. “Jurassic Park" is that rare high-tech best
seller punctuated by occasional computer grids to advance its story.” (Maslin,
2015)
The film also shows the transformation of Sam Neill who is
married to his archaeological career at first, but by facing the adventures
with the young children, his paternal instincts are fully awakened. (fig. 3) The
film is also a masterful play on suspense, which Samuel Walters talks about: “Then there is the suspense and excitement of
the film. Spielberg does a wonderful job of building up the tension within the
film itself. Nothing embodies this more than the T-Rex – the film’s ultimate
monster. The reveal isn’t, perhaps, quite as effective as it was in Jaws, but
nevertheless, the T-Rex provides a visceral experience that helps the film a
great deal.” (Walters, 2015)
In conclusion, “Jurassic
Park” is wonderfully exciting and an inspiration for CG artists even today.
A true classic that gets better with time and a film that is clearly separated
from the typical blockbusters, not just showing us a mindless plot for our
enjoyment, but conveying a deep and interesting story.
Images:
Fig 1 - Dauntlessmedia.net, (2015). [online] Available at:
http://dauntlessmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/jurassic_park_poster_large.jpg
[Accessed 6 Mar. 2015].
Fig. 2 – 1.bp.blogspot.com, (2015). [online] Available at:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jNuh1zz28b1KEOzq9Df7_1cKqgYmLAzDpbRRtNRfdNFrFPrPRPvYkzSgqASI4axHoiXXG3Y2KWjLzSC2o1qVmzbD1Kf1u-wmbUjbdbjLQsc5-U5CxsUMtbvpON4f8UYyMaz179azu-_s/s1600/jurassic-park-3d-turn-off-the-flashlight.jpg
[Accessed 6 Mar. 2015].
Fig. 3 - Oracleoffilm.files.wordpress.com, (2015). [online]
Available at: https://oracleoffilm.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/jurassic-2.jpg
[Accessed 6 Mar. 2015].
Bibliography:
Ebert, R. (1993). Jurassic Park Movie Review & Film
Summary (1993) | Roger Ebert. [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at:
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/jurassic-park-1993 [Accessed 6 Mar. 2015].
Maslin, J. (2015). Movie Review - Jurassic Park - Review/Film;Screen Stars With
Teeth To Spare - NYTimes.com. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CE1D71E3DF932A25755C0A965958260
[Accessed 6 Mar. 2015].
Walters, S. (2015). Jurassic Park – Film Review » DauntlessMedia.net. [online]
Dauntlessmedia.net. Available at:
http://dauntlessmedia.net/film/jurassic-park-film-review.html [Accessed 6 Mar.
2015].
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