Jurassic Park is a classic, plain and simple. Jurassic Park is the kind of movie that is enjoyable for children, but meaty enough for adults as well. Simple enough for a child to understand, but complicated enough for grown-ups to walk away feeling satisfied as well. This is the mark of a true masterpiece - a piece of work that translates not only across all ages, but even across time, as Jurassic Park nears the two decade age mark. Jurassic Park was the first PG-13 movie I ever saw. I was 7 years old, and I enjoyed the film for the blood, dinosaurs and big pile of poo. Now, 15 years later, I enjoy the film not only for those reasons, but also for the philosophical, scientific and ethical questions raised by the film's characters.
I won't waste time explaining the plot of the movie, for anyone who follows the film industry at least knows what this landmark film is about. Instead, allow me to take a stab at some of the more complicated issues raised by the movie - issues about science versus ethics, and control versus chaos. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is the primary character who pushes these questions, often to the frustration of John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), founder of the exotic amusement park. Hammond feels the parks' scientists deserve all the credit in the world for their breakthrough discoveries involving genetic research while Malcolm insists that discretion must be practiced before recklessly plunging into something that deserves more thought. Malcolm argues that Nature (or some other higher power) selected dinosaurs to be extinct, and does not intend for them to be brought back. To violate this will, is to violate Nature (or Life, or whatever higher power) herself, and act he describes as "the rape of the natural world." It is interesting to note, that despite Malcolm proposing the notion of a higher power in Nature or Life, or Mother Earth or whatever other power is capable of selecting a species for extinction, he insists on the fact that man has destroyed God. Hammond however, operating solely on a scientific level (that is to say, absent a higher power in the world) feels that when presented with an opportunity to make discoveries never before attempted, how can one not act on that opportunity? These are interesting questions, to be sure, and while not fully explained by the movie's end, the fact that they are presented at all raises the movie to a new standard and allows for a whole different level of entertainment especially among adults.
Of course, the dinosaurs are the main attraction, and fifteen years later are still worth coming back to see. While the film does present the philosophical, ethical, and scientific dilemmas surrounding the genetic re-emergence of a lost species, the film eventually does become what we want to see: dinosaurs chasing people, killing people, killing each other, and finally the escape of our tired but valiant team of heroes. Steven Spielberg and his team of ILM wizards knew the potential of using CGI dinosaurs, but also knew the limits and planned accordingly. The CGI is used to great effect, just often enough to introduce an element of fantasy, but not so often that the realism is lost - a lesson that The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 did not remember, to their detriment. I believe credit must be given to the wonderful cast, as CGI monsters were not especially common before this film and they completely sold us on their fear, awe and respect for the dinosaurs. John Williams' score fits the mood of the film flawlessly, as is common for a Spielberg/Williams film. As I said before, a classic without a doubt, and one of the reasons Spielberg is, in my opinion, the greatest director alive today.
9/10
Jurassic Park
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen
Written by David Koepp, Malia Scotch Marmo
Based on the novel by Michael Chrichton
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Joseph Mazello, Ariana Richards, Martin Ferrero, Bob Peck, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight
Rated PG-13 for intense science fiction terror
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