Jurassic Park
Composite Score: 86.57
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, BD Wong, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Samuel L. Jackson, and Wayne Knight
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Michael Crichton and David Koepp
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense science fiction terror
Box Office: $1.10 billion worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
Jurassic Park is the original billion-dollar blockbuster (though it didn’t technically hit that mark until its 20th anniversary re-release in 2013, earning over $900 million in its original run), adapting the novel by Michael Crichton about a billionaire’s planned dinosaur theme park that features living dinosaurs brought to life through genetic science and cloning. Like so many of director/producer Steven Spielberg’s films, it’s an endlessly rewatchable hit that has defined a niche in the science fiction/horror/monster/disaster film genres that no other film (not even its five sequels nor probably the upcoming sixth sequel) has been able to fully fill. It’s got big dinosaur action, so the kids like it. It’s got relatively tame levels of violence, so the more conservative adults like it. It’s got riveting action/terror (I don’t know that I can get away with fully calling it horror), so the more progressive adults like it too. It checks so many boxes thanks to Spielberg’s direction, David Koepp’s skillful adaptation of Crichton’s work, decently-aged visual effects, and one of the most iconic scores of all time. This is a film that won Oscars for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects, and Best Visual Effects, and it continues to look and sound great, with many still comparing modern billion-dollar films against it and finding them severely lacking in comparative quality. To date, fifty-five films have grossed a billion dollars at the global box office (three of which are Jurassic Park sequels), and of those, only twelve (fifteen if we want to quibble about some of the higher quality MCU films) can come close to matching the quality and effort of Jurassic Park. That’s not even mentioning the infallible score by John Williams and the endless run of iconic scenes – seriously, Williams’s score does make basically every scene memorable to the point that even the helicopter ride to Isla Nublar is immediately recognizable to anyone who’s seen the film even when it plays on mute. The leading performances from Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough accompanied by strong character showings from Samuel L. Jackson and Wayne Knight only serve as a boost to the wonder that is Jurassic Park.
Obviously, the film isn’t perfect, featuring a few plot holes as the Internet has been faithful to point out over the years, and not every piece of the film’s CGI has held up as well as the rest of its visuals. Nevertheless, the thrill of adventure, the marvel of seeing people chased by a t-rex, and the human connections that tie the film’s story together go a long way in earning it a place among the greats. If you’re looking to stream this film any time soon, you can find it for free on TNT, TBS, and TruTV right now or can rent it on most other streaming services, but really, you should just buy a physical copy and have it ready to pop in whenever you want.
