“Jurassic Park” is one of Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievements and most popular films. It’s also one of the highest-grossing movies of all-time, making a whopping $915 million worldwide back in 1993. Well, (as Samuel L. Jackson’s character says in the film) “hold onto your butts” because the Oscar-winning thriller is back on the big screen in 3D for its 20th anniversary.
I hadn’t seen “Jurassic Park” before screening this new version. The closest I’d come was going on Jurassic Park: The Ride at Universal Studios. So experiencing this classic for the first time from the third row of an IMAX 3D theater was quite thrilling.
Spielberg touches are everywhere: suspense, kids in danger, humor, loads of close-ups of the human characters – paleontologists Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Sam Neill and Laura Dern), billionaire theme park creator John Hammond (played by the great Richard Attenborough), and the skeptical and sarcastic Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). Plus the cast includes a pre-Seinfeld Wayne Knight, a pre-“Pulp Fiction” Jackson, and more than a shock or two from the in-your-face screaming dinosaurs! Even if you’ve already watched it a half-dozen times you need to see “Jurassic Park” in 3D, as the enhancements to the landscapes and action scenes are impressive and practically flawless.
The “Titanic 3D” post-conversion version was Spielberg’s inspiration for updating “Jurassic Park”. The fact that “Jurassic Park 4” will be hitting theaters next summer also had to help. Spielberg had a remarkable 1993. Not only did “Schindler’s List” win the Best Picture Oscar (and six other Academy Awards), but “Jurassic Park” also captured three statues (two for sound, the other for the groundbreaking visual effects).
While it’s pretty easy now to spot the CGI and animatronics, the dinosaurs still look very realistic. It’s surprising that composer John Williams’ score wasn’t even nominated, but he did win the Oscar that year for “Schindler”. From the story structure and character development to his legendary shot selection,Spielberg proved here (as he did again last year with “Lincoln”) that he is the reigning T-Rex of American movie-making.
However, parents – DO NOT take little children to this film. You may have forgotten just how scary and intense it is – and it’s even more so in 3D and IMAX 3D.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Jurassic Park 3D” gets an A-. This is a 20th Anniversary re-release that’s truly worth celebrating.