Why the hell is it so damn difficult to make dinosaur movies? Since 1993, as Steven Spielberg Jurassic Park As the movie burst onto the screen, we witnessed a multitude of dino adventures, but few really hit the mark. From Disney’s animated Dinosaurs, which received mixed reviews and tepid audience reactions, to unforgettable budget B-movies like Carnosaur, there’s no shortage of poorly made dinosaur adventures for audiences to enjoy.
Why the hell is it so damn difficult to make dinosaur movies? Since 1993, as Steven Spielberg Jurassic Park As the movie burst onto the screen, we witnessed a multitude of dino adventures, but few really hit the mark. From Disney’s animated Dinosaurs, which received mixed reviews and tepid audience reactions, to unforgettable budget B-movies like Carnosaur, there’s no shortage of poorly made dinosaur adventures for audiences to enjoy.
Even the great Spielberg failed in his attempts to regain Jurassic Park’s impressive grandeur. The sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, left a lot to be desired, and the subsequent trilogy, Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World, didn’t quite have the same staying power.
But what exactly made Jurassic Park such a resounding success? Even after all these years, he remains the frontrunner among dinosaur films – a true giant of the genre. It’s packed with suspense, stunning effects and breathtaking action. But if we’re being honest, the story itself, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, is pretty simple. It spends just a few minutes discussing the ethical issues of cloning, throws in a cast of standard characters, and then unleashes them into the wild to do battle with dinosaurs.
Simply.
The characters are uncomplicated but memorable. We have the mild-mannered paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil), who hates children. Then there is passionate paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), who has a flair for the dramatic, eccentric mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) who is about as quirky as it gets. And of course we have two big-eyed kids who tend to scream, Lex and Tim (played by Arian Richards and Joseph Mazzello, respectively) who just go on the dino ride. Sure, it’s a simple bunch, but hey, it works!
And it works folks! Jurassic Park is a colossal triumph that eclipses most summer releases. It’s not just nostalgia clouding our judgment; Jurassic Park rocks. Sure, there are a few dated bits here and there (remember those clunky computers and old CD-ROMs?), but overall the film has an undeniably modern appeal, even if Spielberg follows an old-school mantra that keeps us on keeping up suspense waiting for the thrills to unfold rather than bombarding us with non-stop CGI mayhem.
In this dinosaur park, less is definitely more.
The first hour lures us with glimpses of the park’s razor-sharp residents carefully building anticipation. As all hell breaks loose, Spielberg unleashes the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex on our hapless heroes, creating this awesome sequence:
Similarly, Spielberg lays the groundwork for the villainous Velociraptors, but waits until Act 3 to deliver the goods:
In addition, Spielberg shies away from Gore. When a dinosaur swoops out of the woods to feast on an unsuspecting visitor, the beard cleverly shields us from the carnage with some well-placed branches. And when a T-Rex hooks up with an unlucky lawyer who thought hiding in a toilet would be a good plan, we only get a partial glimpse of the horror. Instead, we laugh too hard to care about the gruesome details. Nedry’s death is the perfect example of restraint – shocking enough to scare us silly, but harmless enough to keep the little ones from fleeing the theater in terror:
It’s this delicate balance that makes Jurassic Park such an exciting adventure for adults and youngsters alike. The perfect family epic, it represents the culmination of the Spielberg mania, a time when every summer seemed to offer a PG-13 thrill that had everyone grinning from ear to ear.
Where other dinosaur epics try too hard and end up in a tangled mess (if you look at them, Jurassic World), others rely heavily on the gore factor for fun, or just fall into the pit of deranged stupidity. Jurassic World: Dominion feels hollow and artificial with all its flashy stunts and innovative effects. The joy, wonder and excitement that once reigned in the Jurassic franchise are long gone, leaving us longing for the magic of the original film.
If we were to pick Jurassic Park’s closest relative, it would probably be Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla. Why? Well, mostly because it unashamedly follows Spielberg’s script. One could also argue that Super 8 and Stranger Things belong to the Jurassic genre – slow-paced thrillers designed to captivate the masses. But seriously, folks, it’s been years since Jurassic Park invaded our lives in June 1993. You’d think someone else would have cracked the code by now!
Unfortunately, each new attempt to capture Spielberg’s magic only serves to add to the maestro’s legacy. Jurassic Park may have a simple design, but boy is that really hard to follow? Let’s acknowledge the honor – Spielberg is a cinematic force like no other with enough Hollywood clout to make movies without pesky studio interference. This is no small thing, my friends.
Ultimately, Jurassic Park teaches us an important lesson: when you come across something truly extraordinary, appreciate it. Embrace the magic. Jurassic Park isn’t just a movie; It’s a testament to Spielberg’s genius and the timeless fascination we have for dinosaurs brought vividly to life on the big screen.
In the world of dinosaurs, Jurassic Park reigns supreme, and no other dinosaur has come close to capturing its amazing size.