DVD Challenge #22: JURASSIC PARK

Jurassic Park
1993
PG-13
Run-time: 2 hours, 7 minutes

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough


When Jurassic Park hit theaters in 1993, I was a five-year-old kid who had an over-the-top obsession with dinosaurs. Because of this, my parents thought it'd be fun for me to see the "new dinosaur movie." Little did they realize that this film probably wasn't meant to be seen by a kindergarten-aged child. The night after seeing the film, I had one of my most vivid nightmares I've ever had - one that still sticks with me today - and yet, Jurassic Park has easily become one of my favorite films of all time.

As I've grown older and have watched the film over and over again, I've started to notice some of the holes in the storyline and the less-than-brilliant acting performances. Still, there's something very endearing and magical about what this movie brought to the table. It's an "it" factor that the subsequent sequels simply couldn't match. When audiences first saw the massive brachiosaurus walking across the plain, they had the same reaction of wonder and awe that characters Alan Grant (Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Dern) have. It's an astounding scene, punctuated by the ever-reverberating line, "Welcome to Jurassic Park."

I think what makes this particular film so great is the fact that it takes the audience along for the emotional ride that the characters also experience. We're astounded when we first see these majestic creatures; we're disappointed when we're on the park tour and don't see the dinosaurs lurking in their paddocks; and we're utterly terrified when the power goes out and the dinosaurs start to roam free. It's almost as though we're right there with the actors and actresses, doing whatever we can to survive this entire ordeal as well.

We're also given a resounding musical score from none other than John Williams. It's easily one of the most beautiful scores he's brought to the screen, and it completely embodies the beauty and majesty of the film. Here's the score, in case you're interested in hearing it:

Although I've grown older and have started to see the little holes here and there, you simply cannot deny the magic that this film brings to the movie-going experience. Jurassic Park brings you everything that a movie should bring, and it does so no matter how many times you watch it. It's a beautiful film that needs to be respected for what it brought to the table, and even though the sequels didn't quite live up to the bar this one set, nothing can take away from the amazing spectacle that is Jurassic Park.