Jurassic Park
★★★★★
Jurassic Park is the ultimate example of the perfect summer blockbuster. It's thrilling, awe inspiring, funny, thoughtful and above all, entertaining. I can't even begin to think of how many times I have seen this movie when it was released. I was twelve at the time and I couldn't believe what I was seeing on screen. It's amazing to see how well the special effects have held up. I think a big part of that is the brilliant way that Spielberg and his team blended graphic effects with the practicality of animatronics.
Spielberg knows perfectly how to build tension and suspense with his monsters. He understands that often the less you show, the bigger the payoff when we do get to see the dinosaurs in full form. But you can't discount the scenes that don't feature any of the prehistoric creatures. Who knew that flipping an electronic switch could cause so much anxiety?
I thoroughly enjoyed the cast that was pulled together. They all play their roles perfectly, especially the kids who perfectly showcase how someone their age would react in their situations. The scope and scale of Jurassic Park is impressive, but Spielberg knows how to use a small group of characters perfectly. We always understand their personalities and motives. There is a lot of science talk in this movie, and Spielberg uses these various personalities to make the exposition interesting and even at times, humorous.
After thirty years of existence, it's hard to say anything new about the fun and brilliance of this movie. It's a blockbuster that all summer movies thrive to be and I hope that the less effective sequels don't tarnish how wonderful an experience this movie is.
