Jurassic Park (1993)

Release Date: June 11, 1993


What's It About: Breakthroughs in genetic engineering allow scientists to revive dinosaurs from the blood of preserved mosquitoes. A theme park on a remote island is built that will soon open and allow the world to visit the world of the past. However, all goes into disarray when both man and nature intervene, either intentionally or not.


The Good: State-of-the-art special effects that hold up, even in today's age of cutting edge film CGI. A very well-rounded, logical and thoughtful summer blockbuster that is more than simply audio-visual spectacle, as well as a story with alot of heart. The dark lighting, shadows and rain are used to full effect to highlight the visual feast and elevate the film to never seen before heights. This film had a profound effect on the film industry, opening the door to high-tier concept films previously considered impossible and evolving into the modern blockbuster as we know it today.


The Bad: The story is dominated by special effects shots and action sequences, at the cost of the human story. There is an attempt to inject this with Dr Grant's development with Hammond's grandchildren, but these are far overshadowed by the dinosaurs. It's also quite scary, which may not make it suitable for children.


Best Performance: The Tyrannosaurus Rex. Built as as a huge animatronic puppet and crafted with an amalgam of many different elements of nature, the lumbering dinosaur is painstakingly brought to life frame by frame. Famously introduced as ripples in two cups of water, the T. Rex is one of cinema's most iconic special effects creations. The very same one appears in Jurassic World, although this isn't apparent in the film itself.


Should I Watch It: Jurassic Park is a staple of the summer blockbuster and virtually required viewing for any film afficionado. Spielberg injects the film with his own trademark touch, bringing all the elements together into a satisfying finale, paving the way for sequels, which they have thoroughly taken advantage of.


Post-Credits Scene: No


Similar Films: Jaws (1975), King Kong (2005), Godzilla (1998)


Trailer: