Science fiction cinema has come a long way. Thanks to half a century’s worth of technological advances, directors now have the power to showcase these far-out stories realistically. No single movie or director is responsible for making sci-fi the powerhouse it is today, but there are still a handful of films throughout movie history that pushed the world of special and practical effects forward to a new level.
Jurassic Park is one of those movies. Released in 1993 by director Steven Spielberg, and based on Michael Crichton’s novel, the film about a dinosaur theme park gone awry shook the world with its astonishing visual effects, sparking a franchise and inspiring countless other movies that followed in its wake.
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Jurassic Park takes the viewer to Isla Sorna, where billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) has been building a unique theme park where the main attractions are genetically engineered dinosaurs. However, before the grand opening, Hammond’s investors demand the approval of a group of experts to satisfy their safety concerns.
The assembled group includes paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero). John’s two grandchildren also join them on a tour of the island, supervised by Hammond and some of the park workers. However, when the park’s systems — including the electrified fences containing the dinosaurs — go down, the tour devolves into a dangerous attempt to survive.
One of the best and most timeless aspects of Jurassic Park is how magnificent these creatures look. Both the CGI and the cutting-edge animatronics are remarkable, especially for a movie released in the early ‘90s. But it goes beyond the special effects. The plot is entertaining as it steadily builds tension, and the characters stick with you too.
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I first saw the movie when I was 11-years-old, and I remember being amazed by Grant’s dinosaur and biology knowledge, his passion for his work, and how he used his smarts when faced with dangerous situations. After seeing Jurassic Park, I was even determined to become a paleontologist for some time.
Jurassic Park changed cinema forever, becoming an instant classic and even holding the title of highest-grossing movie until the release of Titanic. Spielberg delivered a masterpiece that mixes action, suspense, and horror, along with well-measured notes of comedy. The only problem with Jurassic Park is that it’s so great the sequels could never compare to the original, but the entire franchise is still worth watching (or re-watching) while it’s streaming on HBO Max.
Jurassic Park is streaming on HBO Max.
