Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough
On a remote island off of the coast of Costa Rica, John
Hammond (Attenborough) has been behind the development of Jurassic Park, a
theme park and nature reserve with a difference; using DNA extracted from a
mosquito encased in fossilised amber, the scientists at the park are able to
artificially create dinosaurs that live in enclosures around the park. Hammond
manages to get archeologist, Alan Grant (Neill) to visit the unopened park with
his girlfriend, Ellie Sattler (Dern) in hopes of getting an endorsement, but a
computer virus causes the beasts to roam free and cause chaos.
Re-released on the 20th anniversary year of when it first
wowed audiences, Jurassic Park still has the ability to fascinate, however
despite its fame it isn't one of Steven Spielberg's strongest films. That being
said, we are dealing with one of the most accomplished film directors in
history and a man who has an unrivalled skill when it comes to spectacle. The
brief CGI shots of the dinosaurs, groundbreaking in their day, still hold up
even if the movements are a little jarring to modern eyes and the animatronics
are still breath-taking as is the stunning sound design. The film mostly falls
down with the writing.
Michael Crichton
wrote the story and its premise closely mirrors that of a previous story of
his, Westworld (a film from 1973, which Crichton also directed) and the
dialogue at time falls a little flat. Meanwhile, the acting's of good stature,
even if Richard Attenborough (who, as a director, had beaten Spielberg to the
Best Film Oscar in 1982, when Gandhi (1981) beat E.T (1982) comes and goes with
his fake Scottish accent. But the film mostly lives and works in its
technological feats, which are extremely
impressive. The IMAX gives the dinosaurs the scale they deserve, even if the 3D
is superfluous. There's simply no better way to hear that infamous T. Rex roar.
Next time, Liam James plays Duncan, an introverted
teenager on a vacation at the beach with his mother (Toni Collette) and
step-father (Steve Carrell) where he learns how to fit in and pursues a
relationship with Anna-Sophia Robb in The Way, Way Back.
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