Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Michael Crichton in 1993, remains an indelible warning about humanity’s interference with nature. Additionally, Jurassic…
Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Michael Crichton in 1993, remains an indelible warning about humanity’s interference with nature. Additionally, Jurassic Park was one of the first films to rely heavily on special effects, using groundbreaking computer-generated imagery which helped usher in a wave of blockbuster digital effects films; winning three Academy Awards including Best Visual Effects.
John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), a millionaire who creates an amusement park on an island in Central America featuring genetically-recreated dinosaurs, invites paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler of Paleontologists Australia as well as mathematician Ian Malcolm to tour his site. Unfortunately their tour is interrupted when an unscrupulous employee steals embryos for himself while shutting off power at the park, prompting loosed raptors that must be corralled back inside with Grant leading them all safely back. When they get loose Grant must lead all his guests back in order to avoid danger along with visitors such as Hammond’s grandchildren Lex and Tim (Ariana Richards and Joe Mazzello).
As visitors arrive at Isla Nublar Park, they are initially amazed by all of its living, breathing creatures. But after touring Isla Nublar jungles by jeep, visitors become aware that something is amiss: animals held within steel enclosures labeled “10,000 volts,” but these containments prove inadequate; within moments a raptor swoops down and devours one of them!
After this point, things quickly go from bad to worse. Thanks to Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), an ambitious park employee who shuts off electrical fencing so he can transport dinosaur embryos illegally, power is lost within the park and its dinosaurs break free of their high voltage confines and escape into freedom.
Spielberg and ILM succeeded admirably in creating realistic dinosaurs, and it is evident they did not struggle to attain a high degree of photorealism for them to appear lifelike. What’s missing though is a sense of wonder or character development necessary to convey the gravity of the situation – human characters appear mostly as flat sketches with only vague warnings spoken out at crucial points in the film.
No one can blame the actors, but Spielberg and his team for failing to dedicate enough time and energy into creating more believable characters that could have mitigated many of the story’s problems had they focused more on character development than special effects.
Jurassic Park may contain some shortcomings, but it remains an enjoyable journey that makes use of cutting-edge technology to thrill and scare us with stunning dinosaur effects. While its script may not be ideal, it does hold up far better than any of its successors and boasts some memorable scenes and memorable characters that define any Jurassic movie franchise.
Jurassic Park stands as a milestone achievement of visual effects, and watching it is certainly worth your while if only to witness how ILM and Stan Winston’s company, Industrial Light & Magic, has advanced since it first premiered. Unfortunately, however, its iconic dinosaurs may have overshadowed more essential qualities of its film: character development, plot development and emotional appeal.