“God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.” – Dr. Ian Malcolm
Whether it was the first time the T-Rex enters frame, the first shot of the towering Brontosaurus accompanied by the sensational John Williams score or the hide and seek Velociraptor sequence, there’s plenty that people will remember from Spielberg’s first entry into the now decade preserving Dino disaster franchise. The first film of which has just celebrated its 30th birthday, and yet still feels as fresh and fun as ever before.
Spielberg is a name that has become synonymous with the summer blockbuster. Jaws (1975) and his Indiana Jones franchise are some of the greatest examples of the esteemed director’s work and showcasing his success of bringing in revenue even during the hottest period of the year. Forever bridging that storytelling gap between child friendly and adult, Jurassic Park speaks to the inner child in us all by bringing dinosaurs back to life via the big screen, but not shying out of the horrors that such scientific project would truly create.
A dinosaur themed tourist park located on a remote island just off of Costa Rica is the vision of multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). But before his imaginative idea can become a reality, it needs signing off by the science experts for its various safety concerns. Hammond invites palaeontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and chaos theory mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) on an exclusive expedition of the park to iron out the issues with a vigorous inspection. What these visitors weren’t prepared for however is just how real this park really is.
Through some Spielberg-ian stylised sci-fi storytelling, Hammond and a team of scientists have engineered a way of bringing dinosaurs back to life through DNA cloning. The invited guests briefly romanticise the revelation of once again having dinosaurs roam the Earth, before inevitably fleeting to the fear of fighting fate.
Much the same as the technique that Spielberg applied with Jaws decades prior, Jurassic Park’s terror isn’t instantly introduced. Like the characters in its story, we get swept up in the magic of its setting and the opportunities it offers that we forget the plausibility of problems that don’t arise until later into the movie.
When the inevitable happens, it feels earned through its smart and steady build up. Spielberg has always been known for his grand set pieces and the mid way point of Jurassic Park is where his story and directing style really flourishes.
The CGI can look like a product of its time, but many of the practical effects are still picture perfect. Each scene our hero’s face real jeopardy it translates well to screen through sharp and suspenseful sequences that are well shot and structured. Steeped in classic iconography that become a Spielberg staple for many years, Jurassic Park has continued to lure fans in from different generations.
The sequels that followed have always divided audience opinion, with the more recent rebooted franchise leaving fans returning to the more structurally stable opener. That image of the first reveal of the T-Rex has yet to be matched and it will no doubt continue to amaze viewers for another thirty years.
Critical Clay 