Time for another one of my never-ending rambles about an old favourite. Though this time it's quite appropriate that it's a
monster review.
Year of release
1993
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Written by
Michael Crichton
David Koepp
Starring
Sam Neill
Laura Dern
Richard Attenborough
Jeff Golblum
Ariana Richards
Joseph Mazzello
Jurassic Park
Plot - Wealthy entrepreneur John Hammond (Attenborough) has taken advantage of huge leaps forward in the world of science and genetics to create the greatest show on earth. On the tropical island of Isla Nubar he has created Jurassic Park, a theme park that he has populated with dinosaurs, brought back to life after 65 million years in extinction. Before the island is open to the public however a worker at the park is killed by a Velociraptor, prompting the park's investors to demand that a group of experts visit the park and sign of on it as being safe before the park can be opened. Joining the investors' lawyer is palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Neill), paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Dern) and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Goldblum), a mathematician who specialises in chaos theory. Joined on tour by Hammond's two grandchildren the group are astonished by some of the sights they find and it seems like the park is going to fulfil its potential as the greatest attraction on the planet. However it isn't long before things turn decidedly dangerous for each one of them. Unbeknownst to Hammond, the park's computer programmer (Knight) has been paid off by a corporate rival to steal steal dinosaur embryos. To do so he has to shut off the park's security systems, allowing the dinosaurs to escape from their enclosures and placing the lives of everyone in great danger.
“You know the first attraction I ever built when I came down south from Scotland? It was a Flea Circus, Petticoat Lane. Really quite wonderful. We had a wee trapeze, and a merry-go... carousel and a seesaw. They all moved, motorized of course, but people would say they could see the fleas. "Oh, I see the fleas, mummy! Can't you see the fleas?" Clown fleas and high wire fleas and fleas on parade...
But with this place, I wanted to show them something that wasn't an illusion. Something that was real, something that they could see and touch. An aim not devoid of merit.”
That's a piece of dialogue spoken by Richard Attenborough's entrepreneur John Hammond. However you imagine that it could very easily be the mission statement that Steven Spielberg set out with when he embarked on the epic undertaking that was
Jurassic Park, particularly that bit I've highlighted in italics. Throughout his career it seems like Spielberg has constantly had the goal of bringing a sense of wonder and of magic to cinema audiences, and of inflaming their imaginations. And he perhaps never scored higher in those regards than he did with this film in which be brings dinosaurs back to life after 65 million years in the wilderness. It really does feel like a classic slice of Spielberg as he attempts to meld ingredients from his most famous works into a single entity; the thrills and terror of
Jaws, the magic and wonder of
E.T., and the excitement and adventure of Indiana Jones. Now somehow this film is now over 20 years old!!!
That just boggles my mind. Despite this I still believe that
Jurassic Park is one of, if not
the ultimate event movie of all time.
When people discuss what represents the 'magic of the movies' they frequently refer to a handful of specific scenes or images which wowed them upon first viewing and subsequently seared themselves into their minds. Moments such as Star Wars' opening image as the Star Destroyer first looms into view, the bicycle flight in
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, King Kong on top of the Empire State Building, the crop duster in
North by Northwest, Gene Kelly splashing through the puddles in
Singin' in the Rain, the spaghetti eating in
Lady and the Tramp, Tom Hanks dancing on the piano in
Big, the Statue of Liberty reveal in
Planet of the Apes, the musical communication in
Close Encounters of the Third Kind etc. Well for me there are two moments which immediately jump to mind. The second moment is from
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, when the immense Argonath statues first loom into view.
Film Trivia Snippets - Had things worked out differently on the casting front, Jurassic Park could have been a reunion of Spielberg, Harrison Ford and Sean Connery following the trio's work on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade a few years previously. Harrison Ford turned down the role of Dr. Alan Grant, while Connery did likewise with the character of John Hammond. /// William Hurt was also offered the role of Dr. Grant but turned it down without reading the book or the script. In addition, both Dylan McDermott and Tom Sizemore tested for the role. While Spielberg had also considered Richard Dreyfuss for the role following their work together on Close Encounters..., Jaws and Always. /// So a few names in the running for Dr. Grant. That was nothing compared to the search for an actress to portray Dr. Ellie Sattler however. Juliette Binoche was offered the role but turned it down to make Three Colours: Blue, while a whole host of notable names were considered for the role. Amongst them were Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ally Sheedy, Geena Davis, Daryl Hannah, Jennifer Grey, Kelly McGillis, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julia Roberts, Linda Hamilton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bridget Fonda, Joan Cusack and Debra Winger. Additionally Laura Linney, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore, Helen Hunt, Teri Hatcher and Elizabeth Hurley all auditioned for the role. /// And as a little extra Christina Ricci auditioned for the role of the little girl, Lex, while Jim Carrey was considered for the role of Ian Malcolm.
First and foremost however is a moment from
Jurassic Park. It's a moment that actually comes fairly on in proceedings as Attenborough's Hammond gives a tour to his assembled experts who have been gathered together to assess the park. All of a sudden something catches the attention of Sam Neill's Dr. Grant. He stands up in the car, a sense of great wonder in his eyes. Dumbfounded and unable to speak he gets the attention of Laura Dern's Dr. Sattler by grabbing her head and turning it forcibly in the direction he is looking at. Her jaw drops and she sits there with her mouth agape. Spielberg holds the camera on them for a moment before finally allowing us in on the secret, revealing the epic sight of a brachiosaurus towering above them, rising up onto its hind legs so it can eat from the tops of the trees. With John Williams' truly iconic score sweeping up in the background it is a tremendous moment, one that really defines the magic of movies for me. On that initial viewing, as soon as I saw this I was just mesmerised. And even though I've now seen the film on countless occasions since, every single time that scene arrives on screen I still get a great buzz. Welcome to Jurassic Park indeed.
While I think this is a pretty great movie on its own terms, I am very aware that a large degree of the reason why I love it so much is due to the personal relationship I have with the film. While I didn't catch it at the cinema,
Jurassic Park was the first adult film that I ever saw. Wait, let me be more specific. It was the first 'grown-up' film I ever saw. The first 'adult' film I ever saw is a very different story and one for another time.
I can actually still remember very vividly the experience of first seeing this film at 7 years of age. Although it almost didn't happen as my mum had concerns about whether I was old enough and whether I'd find it too scary. Those concerns were probably quite well founded!
I can very clearly remember being a little scared by the opening scene in which one of the park's workers falls prey to a raptor. That aside though, I just loved it. As was the case with just about every young boy I was fascinated by dinosaurs as a kid, so this film really was the realisation of my boyhood dreams. Despite the small issue of them being extinct Steven Spielberg had somehow managed to bring the dinosaurs back to life and captured them on camera. That's the kind of magic you can only get in film.
And when you talk of magic you just have to talk about his prehistoric cast. At the beginning of the review I mentioned how amazed I am that this film is now over 20 years old. A large reason for that are the film's incredible special effects which still to this day have the ability to astonish. While the odd effect here and there may now look a little iffy and dated, the large majority of them still hold up amazingly well. Along with
Terminator 2: Judgment Day this was the film that really set the standard and showed the immense potential of CGI. And it's a testament to the effects of both films how strong they still look even today. The way the CGI is able to bring to life the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptors is particularly stunning. As impressive as the CGI remains today, and as utterly ground-breaking as it was back in 1993, I've always maintained that it's the practical effects of the Stan Winston studio that are truly important to the film as it really helps to hide the seams and convince you that what you're watching is real. Through their breathtaking models and animatronics, Winston and co just came up with a whole host of astounding creations; the absolute star of which is undoubtedly the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The instances where we are allowed to see it up close, even if it's something as simple as its foot pressing down and making an imprint in the mud, are just terrific.
Film Trivia Snippets - Jurassic Park forced some very creative sound design by the film's foley artists. The sounds made by the Brachiosaurus were a combination of whale and donkey sounds. The sounds made by the Dilophosaurus came about through a combination of howler monkeys, hawks, rattlesnakes and swans. The main cry of the Velociraptors was a combination of sounds from elephant seal pups, dolphins and walruses. While the roars of the Tyrannosaurus Rex were a combination of dog, penguin, tiger, alligator and elephant sounds. And for the scene where the T-Rex catches a Galliminus and shakes it in his mouth, the sound was taken from a dog shaking a toy in its mouth. /// Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton's first meeting was actually over two decades previous to Jurassic Park. During the production of The Andromeda Strain (another film based on one of Crichton's books) Crichton was given a tour of Universal Studios. The individual who gave him that tour? A young Steven Spielberg. /// In Dr. Grant's trailer there are a series of newspaper clippings on his fridge. Amongst them are headlines that read "Space Aliens Stole My Face" and "Dinosaurs On Mars!" /// During the T-Rex attack on the car that held the two kids inside, things didn't quite go as planned but perhaps to the benefit of the film. When the T-Rex came through the glass roof, the glass was not actually meant to break. Therefore the screams and terrified looks from the children are very much genuine.
The strength of the T-Rex however should not overshadow the other gold-standard work they were able to create. Their work is almost entirely responsible for one of my absolute favourite scenes, that of the sick Triceratops. What they were able to create is so amazing and realistic that it enables the camera to get right up close and even allows the actors to interact with it without shattering the illusion. The moment where Sam Neill is able to rest himself upon the creature's stomach, moving up and down as it breathes is another wonderful moment. The scene also allows Laura Dern's character to show she's someone who's willing to get her hands dirty...literally! And then of course there are the Velociraptors which they are somehow able to make even scarier than the T-Rex. And while it may not be as showy or sexy as the work that went into creating the dinosaurs themselves, there is also some highly impressive craft in evidence when it comes to the production design with a series of grand sets that excite in their scale and detail (the huge entrance gates, the visitor centre and labs, the large electronic fence system etc). There are also some lovely smaller details in the set design such as the pillars in the centre's restaurant which have fossils carved into them.
While the dinosaurs are, and always were going to be the stars of the show, the puny little humans that take part are just about able to hold their own thanks to a series of engaging performances. What really stand out when it comes to the cast is how unusual it is by blockbuster standards. There are no big stars, hot young sex symbols or individuals who are obvious kick-ass heroes. If a film like this were made today you'd be forgiven for expecting the likes of Tom Cruise, Channing Tatum, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone and Megan Fox to be amongst the actors lining up to become dinosaur food. Instead Spielberg concentrated on populating his film with a series of solid actors who actually felt right in their respective roles. In the role of Dr. Alan Grant is the always reliable Sam Neill, playing a character who is only a step or two removed from one of Spielberg's most iconic characters, Indiana Jones. Like Jones he is a man in a profession that most would typically describe as 'dull', but he somehow finds himself at its very extremes . Like Jones he is not exactly the most care-free or cheery of fellows; I love the scene where he puts the fear of god into a young kid who dares to say of a Velociraptor that is “doesn't look very scary”, with Grant traumatising him with talk of spilling his intestines. And like Jones you can see the great passion he has for his work. Grumpy he may be, but Neill brings a bit of heart to proceedings, particularly in his interaction with Hammond's two young grandchildren. As his partner Dr Ellie Sattler, Laura Dern isn't given a great deal to do but does it in an feisty and engaging manner. She also happens to have a great set of legs on her.
Now while I understand the character breaks somewhat from his depiction in the book I really like Richard Attenborough's portrayal of John Hammond. I find him very endearing as the kindly-seeming grandfather type with a sparkle in his eye, who nevertheless also has a little hint of a dark streak in him. The stand-out of the cast however would probably have to be Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm, with Goldblum utilising his unique style to make Malcolm into a charismatic, snarky, somewhat cocky individual who's always prepared with a sarcastic and humorous quip.
While he is arguably the most popular director of all time, Steven Spielberg is also not without his naysayers. The most frequent complaint that is levelled against his work is that he has a tendency to wallow in sentimentality to the degree where it becomes mawkish. The one area where he receives almost universal praise however is in his handling of set-pieces, with it being very possible that he has no superior in that regard throughout the entire history of cinema. And this film really acts as a showcase of sorts where he can just let his talents and imagination run wild. This is especially true of the film's second half where the film does pretty much just toss aside any attempts at a story or characterisation and morphs into a full-on theme park ride. And on this evidence Spielberg is a pretty sadistic fellow. He seems to derive great pleasure from taking his characters and subjecting them to one nightmare after another, taking them out of the fire just to throw them right back into the frying pan. It really is just one thrilling set-piece after another, several of which are amongst the most classic ever committed to celluloid. The one such sequence that everyone remembers is the first appearance of the T-Rex. Foreshadowed by the masterful and iconic touch of the water ripples in the glass, it is the T-Rex's introduction that really kicks the film into another gear of both thrills and wonder. Its subsequent attack on the car holding Hammond's grandchildren is a thrilling and terrifying sequence. While some would no doubt argue that the film's set-pieces hit their peak with that scene, Spielberg was far from done. Following on from that are a series of equally exhilarating sequences with the T-Rex chase and the Raptor attack in the kitchen proving particularly memorable. There's another expert touch from Spielberg during the latter; the moment where one of the Raptors appears to have little Lex in its sights, charges and hits its intended target. Except for the fact that it was a reflection on a shiny surface.
Film Trivia Snippets - Michael Crichton's novel was published in 1990. However it was the subject of a bidding war before it was even published and went into pre-production in 1989 based only on his manuscript because it was just assumed the book would be a huge hit and make for a great movie. Warner Bros. wanted the rights with plans for Tim Burton to direct. Columbia was planning it for Richard Donnier. Fox were also interested with the intention of it being a project for Joe Dante. While Universal wanted it for Steven Spielberg. Crichton however was reluctant to submit to a bidding war. Instead he instructed his agents to put a set price on the film rights and he could then decide who was more likely to actually get the film made. After interviewing all the prospective directors, he agreed to sell the rights to Universal and Steven Spielberg, who was already his first choice. In the end Universal paid Crichton $2 million for those rights. Spielberg had actually been in the early stages of pre-production for the film “ER”, based on another Crichton novel. When he heard about the Jurassic Park however he dumped it so he could make that film instead. Afterwards he returned to “ER” and helped develop it into a TV series.
Throughout his career there have been a host of individuals with which Steven Spielberg has had several collaborations with. There's his partnership with George Lucas on the Indiana Jones films, his frequent casting of Tom Hanks and Richard Dreyfuss, his almost exclusive use of Janusz Kaminski as his cinematographer and Michael Khan as his editor, and his role as a producer and mentor to the likes of Joe Dante and Robert Zemeckis. Perhaps his most successful and renowned collaboration however would be with the legendary composer John Williams; in fact Williams has scored every single one of Spielberg's theatrically released films except for
The Color Purple. And once you've seen the likes of
Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark or
Close Encounters of the Third Kind it becomes impossible to imagine them without the incredible contribution that Williams made. Try to picture a scene from one of those movies and you will inevitably have his score running through your head right alongside it. And
Jurassic Park is certainly another you can add to the list. I don't think there's another composer in the history of cinema who can do awe and wonder quite like Williams, and this film provides one of the prime examples. For a film of this nature, with such a grand and immense concept, it is absolutely vital to get a score that will do it justice. And so much of the film wouldn't have anywhere close to the impact it does where it not backed by his compositions that beautifully complement what is happening on screen. The scene where the characters are in the helicopters and we get our first glimpse of the island for example; his epic, awestruck score lets us know that we are about to witness something truly monumental. It's not just the sense of wonder when the score plays its part however, it is also very effective at backing the more thrilling and sinister moments. There's a really small touch of his score that I love. It occurs during the first visit to the park's visitor centre. In conveying the sense of awe that the visitors have it is initially another slice of wonder as the camera pans across the room. As the camera falls upon the skeleton of a T-Rex however a dark, ominous tone breaks in to the score, foreshadowing the terror that is to come. It's just a small example of what Spielberg and Williams have done so well across their 26 films together, the collaborating of image and sound to tell a story.
Like the majority of major blockbusters, the most common complaint that is thrown the way of
Jurassic Park is generally about its story, or lack thereof. For a film that details the rebirth of dinosaurs and is always going to be about the adventure of that I think there is just enough story to enlighten proceedings without bogging them down. The film really is a classic example of a film of two halves. In the first hour of the film it's all about the set-up; it's all about the magic and wonder of this venture that John Hammond has managed to create, and of explaining the science behind it. I just love the information film that is played at the visitor centre featuring the cartoon helix, Mr DNA. I think it's probably got to be the greatest example of an exposition dump ever. It's so fun and entertaining that you don't even notice you've just been subjected to such exposition. There's also an extra level of intrigue added by the corporate espionage thread featuring Wayne Knight's Dennis Nedry. The film even takes the opportunity, albeit briefly, to sneak in some serious points about the ethicality of what they are doing. As is summed up by Dr. Malcolm's criticism, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should”, the film questions our right to play God. Just because we now understand and can manipulate genetics doesn't necessarily mean that we should. It's a notion that is still very prevalent and controversial today in the field of stem cell research and its capabilities in terms of cloning, designer babies, the eradication of disease etc.
Following that, the second half really does become all about thrilling the audience and leaving them as breathless as possible. Spielberg took his dinosaurs and mined them for two emotions. The film's first half is all about the wonder; the second half all about the terror. And Spielberg announces the switch in tone in a very deliberate manner. As the film enters its second half night falls, the rain begins to lash down and lightning begins to strike, letting us know we are firmly in classic creature feature territory. While Spielberg was happy to show us the 'nice' dinosaurs early (the Braciosaurus and Triceratops), just as he did with
Jaws he made sure to hold back the dangerous specimens for a considerable amount of time. However right from the start he had been building the tension and conveying their threat. The film's very first scene details the delivery to the park of a Velociraptor. With Williams' edgy score and dozens of workers standing around wearing stern looks it builds a sense of trepidation, a sense that is quickly realised when one of the men falls victim to a vicious attack. Despite this Spielberg keeps the perpetrator completely hidden but for a glimpse into its eyes. There are then a series of other little touches to build the sense of dread such as the scene where a harness that one held a cow is lifted out of the Velociraptor pen in complete tatters. The sound design for the dinosaurs throughout is also fantastic, creating a series of ancient, guttural and bone-chilling growls and roars. It then falls on exactly the one hour mark before we first see the T-Rex and it's astonishing. As is pretty much the entire film.
Conclusion - Other than the first Lord of the Rings film I don't think I've ever felt such wonder at a film as I did with
Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg really did deliver one of the definitive blockbusters of all time. Thanks to some truly exceptional effects, both digital and practical, the film really was able to bring dinosaurs back to life; fulfilling the dreams of the young and the young at heart the world over. And if Alfred Hitchcock is the Master of Suspense then Steven Spielberg is surely in with a shot of the accolade, Master of Set-pieces. His work, along with some likeable performances, another terrific score from John Williams and those effects make for one of the great popcorn films of all time; something that may still hold true even after
another 65 million years.
Bonus Film Trivia - In the original script, the T-Rex skeleton in the lobby was hooked up to pulleys like a giant marionette. In the original ending, Dr. Grant was going to man the controls and act as puppeteer, using the skeleton's head and feet to crush the Velociraptors. Spielberg changed the ending however to have the T-Rex save the day when he decided it was the hero of the film. /// After making the movie, Ariana Richards (Lex Murphy) developed a great interest in dinosaurs. So much so that she actually assisted Jack Horner (palaeontologist advisor for the film and the inspiration for the Dr. Grant character) on an actual dinosaur dig in Montana the following summer. /// A baby triceratops was built for a scene where one of the kids rides it. Special effects technicians worked on this effect for a whole year but the scene was cut at the last minute as Spielberg thought it would ruin the pacing of the film. /// With every new draft of the script, there would be a different set of survivors and a different set of characters dying. At various points during pre-production, Hammond, Malcolm, and Dr. Wu were all going to die and Gennaro and Muldoon were going to live. /// Ariana Richards' audition consisted of standing in front of a camera and screaming wildly. Steven Spielberg "wanted to see how she could show fear." Richards remembers, "I heard later on that Steven had watched a few girls on tape that day, and I was the only one who ended up waking his sleeping wife off the couch, and she came running through the hallway to see if the kids were all right."
At that length I thought there was no chance of anyone doing it. As a rewatch for my long-gestating favourite films list it's not so much a review as another of my personal love letters to a particular film
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