Spared No Expense

Jurassic Park is a timeless film. It transcends all movie genres by seamlessly placing dinosaur and man in the same time era, "two species separated by 65 million years of evolution...how could we possibly know what to expect". I'm not sure when I saw this movie for the first time but I've probably watched it over 300 times or more since then. Jurassic Park intertwines a variety of intellectual and controversial subjects such as gene splicing, theory of evolution and unpredictability. If "smart movies" was a genre, this film holds a spot, alongside The Social Network and Cloud Atlas.

Many of the people who worked on this film admitted they didn't expect the phenomenal success of the movie. Spielberg's dedication to the realness of the film spilled onto the screen. I used to try and look for the smallest thing that made these creatures look like they were digitally placed or auto-erotica; the vision is clear, the design is inexplicably flawless and aesthetically arousing.

The purpose of a movie is to transport our imaginations and minds so the audience is able to connect with what we're viewing. It is also to intrigue. No one in the twentieth century had ever seen a dinosaur, but the creators somehow went back into time, put them in a bag and put them on our televisions. How can you tell a person: react as if you're seeing a dinosaur for the first time. What animal comes to mind to evoke a reaction like that? But you felt from the characters reactions (Dr. Sattler's jaw drop, Dr. Grant's fainting, Lexi's head bending scream) the creatures were alive and real, right in front of their eyes.

A good movie is believable. The audience almost has to forget they are watching a movie. From the setting to the characters to the dialogue to the acting-every scene provides emotion and progressively adds to the rise and suspense. Dinosaurs ate people, children were endangered, all the ice cream melted!-this movie kinda tugged on ya a bit as far as shock factor.

The characters embraced their roles. Even as they are faced with life-changing decisions, the change of consciousnesses unravels the character revealing another side, adding dynamics to the cast. Dr. Grant and his dislike for kids is tested throughout the movie as he is handed the responsibility of guiding Dr. Hammond's grandchildren through the park after they're tossed over the edge. Hammond eventually has to relinquish his illusion of opening this one-of-a-kind theme park to save his grandchildren and the lives of others.

god creates dinosaurs

god destroys dinosaurs

god creates man

man destroys god

man creates dinosaurs...

dinosaur eat man...woman inherits the earth

Aside from her younger cast mate Lexi, Dr. Sattler is the only other main female character in Jurassic Park. So how do you highlight her on a set full of men? Give her the shining moment in the movie: restoring the power. The power turning back on is a significant turning point in the film and handing that to a woman was very chivalrous. Gender roles are mentioned briefly, but it goes without saying Dr. Sattler proved to be one tough cookie, going up against a raptor and facing the big guy.

Jeff Goldblum holds steadfast to his theories of man interfering with nature, which is a big no-no. As a rock star mathematician, he also adds comedic relief to the film and proves to be the one to listen to when the dinos get loose.

The T-Rex's intro was fierce and although he did some damage, it was the most anticipated part of the movie. He established his position as alpha male over both species.

As expensive as Jurassic Park was to make, it is the inexpensive methods that pulled everything together. For example, in the scene where the jeeps are stuck outside of the T-Rex paddock, the ripples Tim notices in the water cup were created by connecting a strumming guitar to the vehicle. We then get into the subject of music and vibrations. Every part, small to large, was equally significant in bringing this story to life. The depth everyone had to exceed to achieve this masterpiece truly excites me.The workers on this project were well rounded and open minded people.

The score is a piece I wouldn't mind hearing coming down from the heavens on judgement day.

I almost didn't do it, simply for the classical sentiment, but I did see it in 3D, which wasn't actually 3D, but more like HD on the big screen. I enjoyed the clarity and the surround sound. I can honestly say I feel like I'm watching it for the first time, every time. Speilberg spared no expense in conjuring one of the greatest movies of all time.