Retro Review- Jurassic Park
August 13th 2007 01:42
Directed by Steven Spielberg and based upon the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton, this 1993 film caught the attention of dinosaur-besotted children across the entire globe (including my young self), becoming a major pop cultural phenomenon and a childhood rite of passage. It proved once and for all that dinosaur pictures need not be mere monster movies ala 'King Kong' or 'Godzilla'. Although they were portrayed with CG images and Stan Winston Studios animatronics, these were real animals. Granted, one cannot possibly imagine what an extinct reptile from the Cretaceous period would sound or behave like (yes, the film is titled after the Jurassic period, although many of the creatures in it actually date from the later Cretaceous era), but the desgin team on this blockbuster did a remarkable job. In a unique move, Spielberg hired a team of collaborators, ranging from Industrial Light And Magic; the above-discussed Stan Winston Studios; and palaeontologist Jack Horner, to create authentic beasts that look like they stepped right out of history. Animals both majestic (the towering, docile Brachiosaurus and the enormous rhino-like Triceratops) are juxtaposed nicely with the savage yet intelligent predators Dilophosaurus (who sports nasty looking retractable head frills, and spits paralysing venom at its prey, in a spot of artistic license, as the real Dilophosaurus did not possess these natural defence mechanisms), the cunning and agile Velociraptors (my personal favorite), and the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The plot covers very similar ground to Crichton's own 'Westworld' (which he wrote and directed 20 years earlier), starring Yul Brynner as the menacing Gunslinger, a terrifying precursor to the Terminator if ever there was one). A group of unsuspecting tourists are invited to the ultimate theme park. What could possibly go wrong? Well, due to a number of unforeseen factors including tropical storms, and the treacherous nature of computer geek Dennis Nedry (played by Wayne Knight, who will be familiar to regular Seinfeld viewers as Kramer's nemesis Newman!), the power is turned off, and the resurrected behemoths runk amok. Oblivious to what century they're in, the beasts are soon feasting on the hapless park visitors (notably an unfortunate lawyer, whose death sequence elicited surprisingly not gasps, but cheers from the audience at the time)
Although there are a few memorable human characters, it is clear that the real stars are the feature are the special effects. Notwithstanding, characters worthy of mention are: the late Bob Peck as park ranger Robert Muldoon, who has a score to settle with the raptors; the eccentric John Hammond, the park's founder, played to a tee by Sir Richard Attenborough; the chaos mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) whose smart-aleck comments add much-needed comic relief to the movie; and of course, Sam Neill's intrepid Dr Alan Grant. Neill brings a similar quality to his part in this film to what Rod Taylor infused his character with in Hitchcock's 'The Birds' (1963). A smart, yet physical action hero.
They say never work with children or animals, but the animals are spectacular in this picture, and the two child actors are acceptable. They do not really grate on one's nerves in the same way that,say, Edward Furlong in 'Terminator 2' (James Cameron, 1991) or Jake Lloyd in 'Star Wars: Episode One-The Phantom Menace' (George Lucas, 1999) did. At times, they're even, dare I say it, likeable. The famous kitchen sequence, in which our two pint-sized homo sapien heroes are pitted against the wits of their Velociraptor foes, perhaps constitutes their finest hour.
The film holds up remarkably well today, 15 years after its initial release. The effects still have the power to enthrall and impress. The sound design (post-production services supplied by George Lucas' Skywalker Sound facilities) is superb, and the action is still fast-paced enough to win over this jaded generation of kids. I haven't a clue how they managed it, but the dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park' look more animated, more convincing, more real, than the ones seen in 'King Kong' (Peter Jackson , 2005). I attribute that to superior skin textures, and greater attention to detail.
Apparently, there's a fourth film in the works, according to Spielberg. But I doubt that any successors to the throne will be able to capture quite the same magic as the illustrious original. Jurassic Park's two offspring, 1997's 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (also directed by Steven Spielberg) and 2001's 'Jurassic Park III' (directed by Honey, I Shrunk The Kids supremo Joe Johnston) tried hard, but they ultimately weren't quite in the same league as as their older brother. Check out the original epic before the next wave of dino fever hits us in 2008.
The plot covers very similar ground to Crichton's own 'Westworld' (which he wrote and directed 20 years earlier), starring Yul Brynner as the menacing Gunslinger, a terrifying precursor to the Terminator if ever there was one). A group of unsuspecting tourists are invited to the ultimate theme park. What could possibly go wrong? Well, due to a number of unforeseen factors including tropical storms, and the treacherous nature of computer geek Dennis Nedry (played by Wayne Knight, who will be familiar to regular Seinfeld viewers as Kramer's nemesis Newman!), the power is turned off, and the resurrected behemoths runk amok. Oblivious to what century they're in, the beasts are soon feasting on the hapless park visitors (notably an unfortunate lawyer, whose death sequence elicited surprisingly not gasps, but cheers from the audience at the time)
Although there are a few memorable human characters, it is clear that the real stars are the feature are the special effects. Notwithstanding, characters worthy of mention are: the late Bob Peck as park ranger Robert Muldoon, who has a score to settle with the raptors; the eccentric John Hammond, the park's founder, played to a tee by Sir Richard Attenborough; the chaos mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) whose smart-aleck comments add much-needed comic relief to the movie; and of course, Sam Neill's intrepid Dr Alan Grant. Neill brings a similar quality to his part in this film to what Rod Taylor infused his character with in Hitchcock's 'The Birds' (1963). A smart, yet physical action hero.
They say never work with children or animals, but the animals are spectacular in this picture, and the two child actors are acceptable. They do not really grate on one's nerves in the same way that,say, Edward Furlong in 'Terminator 2' (James Cameron, 1991) or Jake Lloyd in 'Star Wars: Episode One-The Phantom Menace' (George Lucas, 1999) did. At times, they're even, dare I say it, likeable. The famous kitchen sequence, in which our two pint-sized homo sapien heroes are pitted against the wits of their Velociraptor foes, perhaps constitutes their finest hour.
The film holds up remarkably well today, 15 years after its initial release. The effects still have the power to enthrall and impress. The sound design (post-production services supplied by George Lucas' Skywalker Sound facilities) is superb, and the action is still fast-paced enough to win over this jaded generation of kids. I haven't a clue how they managed it, but the dinosaurs in 'Jurassic Park' look more animated, more convincing, more real, than the ones seen in 'King Kong' (Peter Jackson , 2005). I attribute that to superior skin textures, and greater attention to detail.
Apparently, there's a fourth film in the works, according to Spielberg. But I doubt that any successors to the throne will be able to capture quite the same magic as the illustrious original. Jurassic Park's two offspring, 1997's 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (also directed by Steven Spielberg) and 2001's 'Jurassic Park III' (directed by Honey, I Shrunk The Kids supremo Joe Johnston) tried hard, but they ultimately weren't quite in the same league as as their older brother. Check out the original epic before the next wave of dino fever hits us in 2008.
| 55 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog