Jurassic Park

release year: 1993
genre: sci-fi/action/drama
viewing setting: most recently, home DVD 7/4/21 then hotel room 6/12/21 then home DVD 10/12/10...and many times before that

synopsis: Jurassic Park, still under construction, will feature real live dinosaurs thanks to the miracles of modern science. However, right now, a handful of people are trapped on the island as the power goes out and the big lizards roam free.

impressions: Dinosaurs. This is THE dinosaur movie, and that will forever be its legacy, and its legend: it was the movie that brought realistic-looking dinosaurs to the big screen. A fairly close adaption of Michael Crichton's novel, it mixes good acting, humor, gore, and genuine wonder and terror to produce a very entertaining two hours.

something this movie has that no other movie has: A guy sitting on a toilet when the entire building has fallen apart around him, then getting eaten by a T-Rex.

acting: Sam Neill is the main scientist who must face live incarnations of the bones he's always studied. Laura Dern is his plucky, quirky assistant. Jeff Goldblum is the skeptical scientist who adds some humor. Richard Attenborough is the money behind the entire theme park, who doesn't realize the dangers of what he's done. Bob Peck is the chief hunter/security guy. Ariana Richards (previously seen as the pogo-stick-bouncing kid in Tremors is the older of the grandkids along for the ride, while Joseph Mazzello is her younger brother; technically both of them qualify as Barrys here.

final word: The first of its kind, like Die Hard, this is a spectacle that should definitely be seen, the bigger and louder, the better.

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