Movie Review – Jurassic Park (1993)
“An Adventure 65 Millions Years In The Making.”
That’s the tag line for the film that not only revolutionized the way that dinosaur-themed movies were created, but it raised the bar for thrilling and adventure films as well.
Released in June of 1993, Jurassic Park is based on the hit novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. Jurassic Park tells an intriguing tale of genetics and a seemingly good idea gone horribly wrong. Scientists have cracked the genetic code and brought dinosaurs back to life for an exotic theme park on an exclusive island. When a tropical storm hits the island and a greedy worker commits some sabotage to fatten his bank account, the dinosaurs escape from their enclosures. It’s a fight for survival as distinguished guests touring the island have to reach a rescue helicopter while dealing with the elements and hungry dinosaurs.
Jurassic Park was directed by Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, and given a legendary music score by John Williams. The film stars Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, a famous paleontologist invited to the island to hopefully endorse the soon-to-open theme park. Joining him is Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, a paleobotanist and cery close friend to Dr. Grant. Richard Attenborough plays the role of Mr. John Hammond, the eccentric billionaire who dreams of bringing dinosaurs back to life and sharing that experience with the world.
Supporting them are Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Iam Malcom, a mathematician who uses chaos theory to predict the doomed outcome of the theme park. Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello play the roles of Lex and Tim Murphy, Mr. Hammond’s grandchildren. Bob Peck has the role of Robert Muldoon, the park’s game warden. Martin Ferrero is Donald Gennaro, a lawyer investigating if the park is safe for both workers and visitors. Wayne Knight plays the role of Dennis Nedry, a computer engineer who later sabotages the control center. Samuel L. Jackson is Ray Arnold, the park’s chief computer engineer.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Jurassic Park begins late at night on Isla Nublar, a remote island located 120 miles west of Costa Rica. Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) is leading a team of workers transferring a dangerous animal into a secure enclosure. As we can see, the animal handlers are heavily armed with tasers and shotguns. The heavy crate is moved into position, but when the gate is lifted we see a dinosaur ram the enclosure and knock it backwards. Workers scramble to subdue the dinosaur as it grabs the gate keeper. The velociraptor maintains its grip and ultimately kills the gate keeper.
The film then switches to the Mano de Dios amber mine in the Dominican Republic. Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero) is there to meet with Juanito Rostagno (Miguel Sandoval), the proprietor of the amber mine. Junaito explains that Mr. Hammond is unable to be there in person as his daughter is currently going through a divorce. Donald Gennaro is a lawyer sent to investigate the safety of the secret island project where a worker was killed a few days ago. Inside of the amber mine we see that the miners have found what appears to be an ancient mosquito in a fossilized piece of amber. Exactly why this is so important we don’t yet know.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
In the badlands near Snakewater, Montana, we see a team of paleontologists carefully digging around an exposed dinosaur skeleton of a velociraptor. Some of the researchers conduct an experiment by firing a slug into the Earth and then recording the sound waves to detect more dinosaur skeletons in that area. The experiment works and Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) makes some observations comparing the dinosaur to a bird. When a ten-year-old boy makes a funny comment about the velociraptor, Dr. Grant scares him by going into graphic detail about the ways that a raptor could viciously maim and then eat him while he’s still alive.
Suddenly a helicopter lands in the camp, sending dirt and dust everywhere. The helicopter’s passenger is Mr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), the billionaire CEO of InGen, a company that has been funding Dr. Grant’s dig site. Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) joins Dr. Grant as they meet with Mr. Hammond in their trailer. Mr. Hammond convinces both Drs. Grant and Sattler to spend the weekend down at his new island theme park, and, hopefully, give it a solid endorsement. In exchange he’ll continue funding their dig site for an additional three years.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
In San Jose, Costa Rica, Dr. Lewis Dodgson (Cameron Thor) has a secret lunch meeting with Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), a computer engineer for InGen. Dodgson pays Nedry a cash advance for the service of stealing frozen embryos from InGen. They’re to be contained inside a special can of shaving cream. It turns out that Dodgson is the CEO of a rival genetics company, and Nedry’s actions will give them a ten-year jump on research. Nedry agrees to do so and promises to have all the embryos by the following night.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
The next thing we know a helicopter is carrying Mr. Hammond, Drs. Grant and Sadler, and Donald Gennaro. Also in the helicopter is Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), a mathematician who specializes in using chaos theory to predict the outcome of seemingly unpredictable situations. They approach the tropical island and the helicopter makes an approach through lush canyons and past a waterfall. After it lands the passengers are transferred to jeeps which carry them into the secure areas of the island.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Mr. Hammond stops the jeeps in a field and everybody has their first encounter with a living dinosaur. Grant and Sattler climb out of the vehicle to get a closer look at a massive brachiosaurus. The mighty dinosaur is busy feeding from the upper branches in a nearby tree. After Mr. Hammond mentions there also being a Tyrannosaurus rex in the compound, Grant and Sattler sit back and watch more herds of dinosaurs in the distance.
The big question is: How did InGen bring dinosaurs back to life?
That question is answered when the visitors are taken to the Discovery Center, a large building serving as the focal point of Jurassic Park. Inside the Discovery Center the guests are seated in a small theater where projected images of Mr. Hammond and Mr. DNA explain how blood and DNA samples were extracted from ancient mosquitoes that were fossilized millions of years ago in amber (tree sap). That DNA was extracted, analyzed by the scientists, and the gaps in the DNA’s code were completed with amphibian DNA.
The small theater transitions into a moving vehicle, and the guests are given a peek into the real laboratories where scientists are breeding new dinosaurs. When Grant and Sattler want to learn more about how the DNA was inserted into ostrich eggs, Dr. Grant forces the ride to stop. Apparently he wasn’t aware that Mr. Hammond could have escorted them into the laboratory after the ride.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Inside the laboratory the gang meets with Dr. Henry Wu (B. D. Wong), the park’s chief geneticist. As they examine a robot taking care of the eggs, Dr. Wu explains that there is no unauthorized breeding in the park as all of the dinosaurs are female. They watch as one of the eggs hatches and a tiny little dinosaur is born. Grant isn’t exactly thrilled when he learns that the baby dinosaur that he’s holding is a velociraptor.
Next the gang heads to the ultra-secure raptor enclosure and meet with Robert Muldoon, the game warden at Jurassic Park. A cow is lowered into the enclosure and they watch in horror as the plants move quickly and the raptors scream and viciously slaughter the cow. When the harness is raised, we see that it’s shredded. The three velociraptors are satisfied for now.
Like Grant, Muldoon is not pleased that Mr. Hammond has velociraptors in the park. He explains that in addition to being incredibly lethal, the dinosaurs are also extremely smart creatures. They never attack the same part of the electric fence twice, and they used to do coordinated attacks against the feeders. Muldoon claims that you can see that the raptors are figuring out stuff in their minds, thinking of all possible ways to attack and eat you.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
After visiting the velociraptors, they head back to the Discovery Center for lunch and another meeting session with Mr. Hammond, though none of them are really hungry after watching the raptors destroy the helpless cow. In the meeting, Mr. Hammond is shocked that the only person actually endorsing Jurassic Park is Gennaro, “. . . the bloodsucking lawyer.” Grant and Sattler are both concerned about the safety of the guests, and Ian Malcom is convinced that the dinosaurs will find a way to escape from their enclosures. He explains that the female-only policy will not work and life will find a way around their system.
Mr. Hammond shrugs them off and focuses on his core audience — children. He’s warmly greeted by Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim Murphy (Joseph Mazzello), his grandchildren. Lex is a lover of computers while Tim is fascinated with dinosaurs. He’s probably the youngest person to have read and understood Dr. Grant’s book.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Up next is Jurassic Park’s main attraction, a guided tour around the island in electric vehicles. The gang boards the two electric jeeps and off they go. Richard Kiley provides narration along the tour as they pass through a giant gate and enter the heart of the island. Mr. Hammond remains behind in the control center with Dennis Nedry, Robert Muldoon and Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson), the park’s chief computer engineer.
Unfortunately, the guided tour doesn’t go as planned. None of the dilophosaurs are visible in their enclosure, and the Tyrannosaurus rex is also a no-show. They even try to bait the T. rex with a goat, but it still doesn’t make an appearance. At one point Ian Malcolm addresses the video camera in the vehicle and sarcastically asks Mr. Hammond if they’re actually going to see any dinosaurs on the dinosaur tour.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
As the electric jeeps are continuing around the island, Dr. Grant spies something unusual off in the distance. He climbs out of the vehicle and everybody else quickly follows. Not too far from the path is Dr. Gerry Harding (Gerald R. Molen) tending to a sick triceratops. Despite the dinosaur’s illness they’re still thrilled to be up close and able to touch such a magnificent creature.
A tropical storm is bearing down on the island and it looks like the rest of the tour is going to have to be cancelled. The Jurassic Park workers head to the supply ship to evacuate from the island and the park guests head back to the electric jeeps. Dr. Sattler elects to remain behind with Dr. Harding and continue examining the sick triceratops.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
The wind and rain increase, and it’s a perfect cover for Dennis Nedry to steal the dinosaur embryos and get them to his contact at the supply ship. He activates a computer virus and then steals a jeep to get to the Discovery Center. Just as he arrives his computer virus shuts down key camera and security systems. He easily gains access to the cold storage unit and steals a dinosaur embryo from each species at Jurassic Park, placing them all in the special can of shaving cream provided by Dodgson. Dennis then flees the Discovery Center and drives through the pouring rain to the boat dock, hoping to reach it before the tropical storm forces the ship to depart.
Meanwhile, the electric jeeps are passing by the Tyrannosaur paddock when Dennis’ virus shuts them down along with the perimeter fence. As they’re sitting in the dark and the rain, Tim finds a pair of night vision glasses in the jeep. As he’s looking at the second jeep, Tim feels a strange vibration. The others notice it as well. We can hear a heavy thumping and see it causing ripples in two cups of water sitting on the dashboard. Tim looks at the paddock and notices that the goat is missing.
Suddenly a bloody and severed goat leg lends on top of the lead jeep. Lex, Tim and Gennaro are shocked. They’re even more concerned when they see a Tyrannosaurus rex reach out and touch the electric fence, noticing that it’s no longer electrified. Gennaro knows what’s going to happen next and he’s terrified, so he dashes out of the jeep and hides in a nearby restroom.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Sure enough, the Tyrannosaurs rex pushes against the fence and then snap the cables. The mighty dinosaur then walks out of the paddock and between the two jeeps. At first the T. rex is interested in the second jeep with Grant and Malcolm, so Lex and Tim use a powerful flashlight to get the dinosaur’s attention. This backfires when the T. rex notices the movement and focuses its attention on the first jeep. It sees the children moving around and proceeds to attack the jeep.
The top of the jeep is crushed, but the kids stay low and out of the dinosaur’s reach. The T. rex then flips over the jeep and stands on top of it, crushing the vehicle and causing it to start sinking into the mud. Dr. Grant jumps into action to save the kids. He ignites a flare and gets the T. rex‘s attention. Knowing that the dinosaur’s vision is based on movement, he throws the flare and tricks the T. rex into following it. This works until Malcolm tries to do the same trick, but he fails. The T. rex chases him into the restroom and Malcolm is thrown aside. The impact knocks him out and breaks his leg.
The walls and ceiling for the restroom are now gone and Gennaro is suddenly exposed. He’s sitting there on a toilet as the Tyrannosaurus rex snatches him in its massive mouth. The dinosaur snaps Gennaro’s body like a rag doll, breaking his bones and making him into an easier meal.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Dr. Grant is helping Lex and Tim when the Tyrannosaurus rex returns to the jeep. Lex has been freed but Tim is still stuck inside of the vehicle. The two of them remain perfectly still and hide in plain sight from the massive predator. It works but the T. rex is still hungry. Unable to reach the boy stuck in the jeep, the T. rex pushes the vehicle against the fence enclosure and then knocks it (along with Grant and Lex) into the paddock.
The jeep falls and is caught in the upper branches of a massive tree. Grant climbs up the tree and rescues Tim from the crushed jeep. The two of them quickly climb down the tree as the jeep is also falling, only being slowed by tree branches. They make it to the ground and barely avoid being crushed by the vehicle.
Back at the control center, Mr. Hammond is gravely concerned for his grandchildren. He sends Muldoon and Sattler into the park to retrieve them.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Meanwhile, Dennis is lost and driving fast through the pouring rain. He misses a sign and crashes through a fence. His jeep is stuck on a muddy embankment. Dennis tries to use the jeep’s tow cable to free itself. He climbs down the slippery slope and loses his glasses. He’s able to wrap the cable around a tree, but while doing so he’s greeted by a curious dilophosaurus (a.k.a. Spitter). The dinosaur doesn’t seem so bad and Dennis tries to play with it and distract it. The dinosaur just stands there so Dennis turns and climbs back up the slippery slope.
When he reaches the jeep Dennis is attacked by the dilophosaurus. It spits poisonous venom at the fat man, causing him to fall and lose the container of shaving cream containing the dinosaur embryos. We later see that container fall to the bottom of the hill and become buried in the mud, suggesting that it’ll remain preserved for a later time. Dennis manages to climb into the jeep but the dilophosaurus is there waiting for him. The dinosaur attacks and kills the weakened man, making a meal out of him.
While Dennis is being eaten by the dilophosaurus, Muldoon and Sattler arrive at the section of the Tyrannosaur paddock where the jeeps stop. They find the wreckage and discover the badly injured Ian Malcolm. They help him into their jeep and then discover the wrecked jeep inside of the paddock.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
As Muldoon and Sattler are search for Grant and the kids, Malcolm hears the familiar heavy thumping sound. He grows more and more concerned as Muldoon and Sattler finally return to their jeep. Just as they start the engine the Tyrannosaurus rex crashes out of the trees and tries to attack them. The T. rex tries to stop them but the jeep is able to speed away and clear the area.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
It’s late at night and Grant and the kids need to find a safe place to sleep. They decide to climb a very large tree and sleep in the upper branches, well out of reach of the predator dinosaurs. Up in the tree they observe a peaceful herd of brachiosaurs eating from nearby trees.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
The next morning Grant, Lex and Tim are making their way through the jungle when they discover a small dinosaur nest. Sure enough, just as Malcolm predicted, the dinosaurs found a way to reproduce in Jurassic Park. Grant explains to Tim that the scientists used amphibian DNA to complete the holes in the dinosaurs’ DNA. He remarks that one species of amphibians, West African bullfrogs, are known for actually changing their gender in a single-sex environment. That trait was unknowingly passed along to the dinosaurs, and in the all-female environment, the dinosaur species are still able to mate and create new offspring.
Back in the control center, Mr. Arnold is still locked out of the computer system. Dennis Nedry’s virus has crippled their system, and it would take too much time to go through the millions of lines of code to figure out how he attacked the system. The fastest way to get around it is by rebooting the entire power system, a risky move that might put the rest of the park out of their control. They do so and the computer system is restarted to its original condition. The power is still out, but Mr. Arnold heads to the maintenance shed to reset the power breaks to finish bringing Jurassic Park back under their control.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
While Mr. Arnold is trying to reset the power system, Grant, Lex and Tim are crossing an open field. The three of them encounter a herd of gallimimus dinosaurs. The gallimimus suddenly change their direction like a flock of birds and run straight towards the three people. They run and hide beside a fallen tree as the gallimimus continue with their stampede. Suddenly a Tyrannosaurus pops out of the trees and attacks the running dinosaurs, killing and eating one of them in the process.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
When Mr. Arnold fails to return, Mr. Hammond sends Muldoon out to investigate. Sattler goes with him, and the two of them quickly discover that the three velociraptors have escaped from their enclosure. Muldoon transitions into hunter mode as he leads Dr. Sattler to the maintenance shed. They make it to the shed but Muldoon knows that they’re not alone. They’re also being hunted. He has Ellie run to the shed while he stays behind and keeps his shotgun trained on the raptor that he spotted.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Inside the maintenance shed there’s no sign of Mr. Arnold. Ellie uses her radio and follows the instructions as Mr. Hammond reads the blueprints and tries to guide her to the electrical control panel. She makes it there just as Grant, Lex and Tim reach an electric fence. There’s no way around it, so the three of them are forced to climb up and over the perimeter fence. While they’re doing that Ellie is powering up the electrical system. She activates each individual breaker, restoring power to those sections. When the hits the breaker for the perimeter fence it zaps Tim, knocking him down to the ground. Dr. Grant is able to resuscitate him and bring him back to life.
Just as Ellie is happy that the power is restored, one of the velociraptors tries to attack her. It chases her through the maintenance shed. She’s able to escape from the shed and leave the raptor locked inside the building. While she was dealing with that raptor, Muldoon closed the distance to the raptor he was stalking in the jungle. Just as he’s about to fire his shotgun, a second raptor pops up from the side. The one that he was tracking was merely a decoy. The second raptor ambushes and viciously kills Robert Muldoon.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
Grant, Lex and Tim finally make their way back to the Discovery Center. Grant leaves the two of them in the dining room while he heads back out to find Ellie and everybody else. As Lex and Tim are enjoying a meal, Lex spies two raptors entering the dining room. She and Tim quickly go and hide in the kitchen. They think that they’re safe until one of the raptors learns how to open the door. The velociraptors enter the kitchen and begin searching for the two children. The kids are able to outsmart the raptors, and they ultimately flee the kitchen and leave the dinosaurs.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
In the dining room they’re reunited with Grant (now armed with a shotgun) and Sattler, but the raptors are still a threat. Unfortunately, the systems on the island are still down, so they head to the control center. The two raptors also arrive there and try to open the door. Grand and Sattler hold back the door as Lex uses a computer to reactivate the island’s security systems. She does so and the door is locked, keeping the raptors out of the room. Grant uses a phone to call Mr. Hammond in the bunker and tells him to send for the helicopter. Mr. Hammond listens over the phone to the sounds of a raptor breaking through glass and Grant using a shotgun to fire at it.
Jurassic Park (1993) – (c) Universal Pictures
The gang climbs into the ceiling and uses the air ducts to make their way around the raptors. They reach the main part of the Discovery Center and climb down the scaffolding and the fossils. The raptors also arrive in the room and set up a final attack against the people. Just as a raptor is about to jump it’s ambushed by a Tyrannosaurus rex. The other velociraptor turns its attention to the T. rex, and the people escape while the dinosaurs fight each other. The Tyrannosaurus rex kills the raptors and wins the battle.
Mr. Hammond drives a jeep and carries everybody to the heliport and waiting helicopter. Jurassic Park ends as Mr. Hammond, Grant, Sattler, Malcolm, Lex and Tim climb into a helicopter and flee the island.
So is Jurassic Park a good movie?
Jurassic Park simply isn’t a good movie. It’s a freakin’ awesome movie! This is a film that will not only fascinate and astonish but also blow away fans of theme parks, dinosaurs, and science-fiction.
The way that the material is presented on screen, you want to believe that scientists can bring back the dinosaurs. When looking at the dinosaurs on screen, especially the sequence where the T. rex attacks the tour jeeps, it’s easy to believe that we’re looking at real life dinosaurs. Is it possible that in a remote laboratory somewhere in the world, somebody is making a scientific breakthrough that could make this into reality?
It’s interesting how the dinosaurs here are not presented as monsters, but rather like real life animals. The predator dinosaurs are hunting both people and fellow dinosaurs for food, not for spite or revenge. It’s similar to crocodiles attacking from a river or cheetah running down a zebra.
My only problem with Jurassic Park is that I want to see more of it. I want to see more of what guests would experience at Mr. Hammond’s theme park. I want to see more of the dinosaurs and other elements that were left out of Michael Crichton’s book. This film could have easily been three hours long and still held the audience at the edge of their seats.
My friends and I saw this film on its opening weekend back in June of 1993, and I’ve loved the film since then. This is just an awesome movie from the concept of bringing dinosaurs back to life to an advanced theme park where the dinosaurs break loose and cause chaos.
Jurassic Park (1993) – teaser trailer
Jurassic Park‘s legacy has continued to two sequels and a few computer and video games. A third sequel is currently in development and set for release in the summer of 2014.
Fans of the Universal Studios theme parks are already aware of the awesomeness of the Jurassic Park rides. In Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, the world of Jurassic Park has been given its own section in the theme park. There you’ll find not only the “Jurassic Park River Adventure,” but also the Discovery Center full of interactive exhibits, a heavily themed playground that includes an amber mine, but also the “Pteranodon Flyers,” a kiddie coaster themed to riding on a flying dinosaur.
Jurassic Park (1993) – movie trailer
As far as Jurassic Park, the movie is a blast! If you love dinosaurs you cannot go wrong with this film. The same is true if you love adventure, science-fiction, and theme parks.
Dr. Ellie Sattler – “So, what are you thinking?”
Dr. Alan Grant – “We’re out of a job.””
Dr. Ian Malcolm – “Don’t you mean extinct?”
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Henry Wu – “You’re implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will… breed?”
Dr. Ian Malcolm – “No, I’m, I’m simply saying that life, uh… finds a way.”
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[while visiting the velociraptor enclosure]
Dr. Alan Grant – “Do they show intelligence? With their brain cavity…”
Muldoon – “They show extreme intelligence, even problem-solving intelligence. Especially the big one. We bred eight originally, but when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others. That one… when she looks at you, you can see she’s working things out. That’s why we have to feed them like this. She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came.”
Dr. Ellie Sattler – “But the fences are electrified though, right?”
Muldoon – “That’s right, but they never attack the same place twice. They were testing the fences for weaknesses, systematically. They remember.”
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Dr. Ian Malcolm – “God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.”
Dr. Ellie Sattler – “Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth.”
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Dr. Ian Malcolm – [looking at a huge mound of dinosaur feces] “That is one big pile of shit.”
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Dr. Ian Malcolm – [as they escape the T-Rex chasing after them in the Jeep] “You think they’ll have that on the tour?”
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John Hammond – “All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked!”
Dr. Ian Malcolm – “Yeah, but, John, if The Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists.”
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Dr. Alan Grant – [as he, Lex, Tim, and Ellie are escaping from the island and the rampaging dinosaurs] “Mr. Hammond, after careful consideration, I’ve decided – not to endorse your park.”
John Hammond – “So have I.”