Jurassic Park (1993) Dir: Steven Spielberg
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Steven Spielberg, of course, has some of the greatest films ever made among his extensive filmography, but few are quite so popular and consistently referenced as this 1993 classic. It's a film I've watched many times since my childhood, as I'm sure many of you have too, such is the legendary stature of Spielberg's adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel.
No review on this wonderful film would be complete without giving its flowers to the incredible soundtrack, composed by the masterful John Williams. The main theme is among the best to ever grace the ears of cinema-goers, and has continuously been named as one of the greatest themes in cinema history. Everyone, even those few who haven't seen the film, would recognise it - it's just that good.
In terms of the visuals, you could be forgiven for dismissing a film from the early 90s, as far as modern eyes go, but, for my money, the animatronics are superb, even now, and the CGI that compliments it, while noticeably more dated, still doesn't look too bad, for the most part.
The cinematography is really worth talking about generally too. Both in terms of the general beauty of the film, and in regards to the shot choices too. The way in which Spielberg reveals the dinosaurs is so excellent, especially the initial introduction of the first dinosaur, which is such a special moment.
Something really underrated about the film, is how well it addresses themes of greed, morality, ethics, capitalism, etc. It could have been a lazy, shallow dinosaur thriller, and likely still turned a profit, but instead the audience is witness to some extremely poignant and thought provoking topics, put into words most famously by Jeff Goldblum, of course.
The entire film, to that end, is extremely quotable and remarkably memorable. Even the seemingly less consequential scenes stay with the audience. I think it's testament to how well the film was made, and, moreover, how well it was written.
Even the inevitable exposition was done in fun and well-disguised ways, so that it didn't feel like a chore to learn what we as an audience needed to know. A good example of this, is the opening few scenes, which work so well to establish the two main protagonists, as well as foreshadow some of the later sinister events of the film.
The story is, without a doubt, thrilling. It utilises elements of many genres, including action, science fiction, and, of course, horror. It's just such a succinct medly of feelings and entertainment, and it really ticks so many boxes of what makes an epic blockbuster, which is partly why it has had such good longevity.
Sam Neill provided a typically very solid performance in the film's leading role. I really loved how he interacted with both his co-stars, as well as the dinosaurs. He really embodied his character quite wonderfully, in my opinion.
Laura Dern was remarkably endearing in her key role, and she only got better as the film progressed. I like how she was able to show both vulnerability and strength in abundance - she really came across like a strong character.
Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards both have some amazing moments in the film, particularly once the dinosaurs get involved. Their facial expressions and chemistry were really good, and I love how they interacted with Neill in particular.
Jeff Goldblum's performance in this is one of my favourite of his career. I really like the way he delivers both the serious and satirical lines of dialogue, and how cheeky and charismatic he is, especially with Dern's character.
Richard Attenborough embodied that naive, childlike joy that makes his character so lovable and frustrating all at once. He was really enjoyable in every scene, and did marvellously to make his character feel at times like an innocent child who doesn't understand what he did wrong.
Other actors, such as Bob Peck, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight and BD Wong all deserve mentions too for their various supporting roles, which they all played pretty well, I felt, especially Knight, who was very entertaining.
Overall, this is, without a doubt, in my mind, one of the greatest films ever made. It's just brilliant. Few films could even dream of being so memorable, so iconic and so universally loved. It's a special piece of cinema, and one that will always be worth revisiting whenever the mood takes you.
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