There are certain movies that most DVD collects have on their most wanted
list. These films center around two directors, Steven Spielberg and George
Lucas. Fortunately for us, Spielberg has been releasing his billion-dollar
catalogue of films to enjoy on DVD. The latest is the blockbuster Jurassic Park.
Based on the hit novel by Michael Crichton which uses the recipe for bringing
back dinosaurs by Dr. Charles Pellegrino, the movie follows a group of
scientists and children trapped on a remote island where genetic engineers have
cloned living dinosaurs. There has always been a strong fascination with this
behemoth that ruled the planet for millions of years. This is especially true
with young boys. In the second grade I received an ‘A ‘for my dioramas of the
different epochs of dinosaurs using my personal collection of to scale plastic
models. I wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up. This universal boyhood
infatuation tends to stay with us as we become adults strongest in those of us
that moved on to becoming science fiction enthusiasts. Undoubtedly Mr. Spielberg
shared these feelings imbuing the film with a personal touch that allows the
audience to identify with the story. The motivation of the story is a familiar
one for those of us that grew up loving science fiction; the inherent dangers of
technology advancing beyond the control of those wielding it. The theme focused
on the nuclear dangers in the era of the cold war’s nuclear arms race shifting
to threats from out space as the world’s two super powers turned their effort to
the race to land men on the moon. The natural progression of utilizing the
current technological concern as the underlying antagonist continues with the
deadly monsters a result of genetic manipulation instead of radiation. Whether
it be giant ants formed by the A-Bomb tests in the western desert or dinosaurs
brought back from extinction by the mastery of the literal book of life, DNA.
At its core this is a typically creature feature, a genre that most of us
grew up enjoying. This was a staple of the movies we watched during those weekly
sojourns to the neighborhood movie theater for the Saturday matinee. The
difference is they were fundamentally relatively inexpensive and quickly made
features often with laughable special effects. I remember films that I still
enjoy where you could plainly see the man with a stick pushing the monster or a
zipper down the back or noticeable tear in the costume, we still enjoyed the
movie; they did what we expected, entertain us. Mr. Spielberg, having grown up
in such an environment, was able to return to the imagination the early movies
inspired and make the best use of the incredible advances in practical and
computer generated effects.
With a production company and reputation like Spielberg’s you can expect the
cast will be top notch and it is. Sam Neill is the paleontologist Dr. Alan
Grant. Neil takes this character on a character arc that experiences the most
personal growth of any in the film. Grant is initially shown as a person
distrustful of technology, resourceful and uneasy around children. By the end of
the film he is able to bond with the two children, Lex (Ariana Richards and her
younger brother Tim (Joseph Mazzello) who was unexpectedly left in his care.
Neill is extraordinary in the subtle nuances that make this a great performance.
Jeff Goldblum is wonderful as Dr. Ian Malcolm (based in part of Dr. Pellegrino)
a man endowed with an ‘excess of personality’. Goldblum brings to the
performance part Greek chorus explaining things to the audience and part comic
relief. Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern, girlfriend and research partner to Grant
shares in the delight expressed by Grant in the park, at least initially
The appearances of Sir Richard Attenbourgh, while pivotal to the plot is too
restricted to let this great talent really shine. This billionaire is depicted
as a departure from the stereotypical presentation of an ultra-wealthy
businessman. With the subtly that can only be brought to this level of
emotionalism by an actor of his status, experience and immeasurable talent. His
fiscal power doesn’t control his life; that is done by family; the grandfatherly
love that exudes from him. One of the most memorable scenes for Sir Richard is
when the power is off and he explains to Ellie about his very first attraction,
a flea circus. This was the start of what would grow into a lifelong ambition to
create an attraction that will be the same feeling of wonderment to children.
This was the reason for creating the technology required for the park. This is
sharply contrasted by the sheer greed manifested by the lawyer, Donald Gennaro
(Martin Ferrero). In the course of the story Gennaro and but suffer a loss.
Gennaro is very life and for Hammond the crushing realization that not only lost
but that he placed what he loved most in the world, his grandchildren in mortal
danger. This contributes to an emotional heart that is uncommonly rare in a
science fiction action movie.
Steven Spielberg is perhaps one of the greatest directors that ever lived.
With far more hits than misses and most of those hits in the top ranking movies
of all time Spielberg shows how far true talent can take a man. He is a
perfectionist. Every scene is crafted as if it was an individual masterpiece of
art. The details, no matter how small, are considered and a sense of reality is
achieved. On the DVD you can notice Jurassic Park match books, a small detail
but it is indicative of the care taken to make this film. The action moves at a
well-timed pace. There are scenes used to punctuate the action, to give the
audience some rest but the action moves through the film carrying you along.
It’s like a roller coaster ride, a slow spot just before the track falls out
from beneath you and you accelerate to 4Gs. Mr. Spielberg set out to entertain
and he succeeded.
The original DVD release exhibited a few technical issues that were fairly
common in those early days of the technology. The DTS audio track was
notoriously flat; lacking the full range and richness that made cinephiles
prefer DTS. This was corrected in subsequent Blu-ray. Eventually, the entire
trilogy was re-released in high definition but the technology has continued to
advance and this starting offering has once again been remastered to accommodate
the change. The latest rendition of the film is the inclusion of the illusion of
depth with the latest method to present a movie in 3D. The concept has been in
use for nearly half a century but only recently had computer technology been
available to supply the resolution and control of perspective to offer the
audience the best 3D experience yet. Considering this is an example of
remastering the film to infuse each frame with the extra information to render a
3D image. Many studios are revisiting the most popular movies in their catalogue
but Universal chose a film deserving such treatment. Of course the most obvious
scenes where depth adds to the experience are those depicting the dinosaurs
lunging at the hapless humans otherwise known as dinner. They do assume an
incredible additional impact with the 3D treatment. In conjunction with the
1080p resolution not only are you able to discern the texture provided by the
visualization of thousands of individual scale on their skin or the myriad of
leaves in the lush vegetation of the tropical setting. What is truly impressive
with this 3D release is how it brings Spielberg’s vision to life with a
previously unmatched level. The level of realism is greatly enhanced as the
curvature of the objects and numerous planes of the setting are visible. You can
readily discriminate foreground, middle and background as unique aspects of the
frame. This gives the viewer a great feeling of intimacy to the experience. Even
if you have one or more of the previous releases if you have 3D capability in
your home entertainment system this is an absolute must.
The World Of Jurassic Park 3D
Return To Jurassic Park: Part 1
The Making Of Jurassic Park
Original Featurette On Making The Film
Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
Early Pre-Production Meetings
Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen
Animatics: T-Rex Attack
ILM And Jurassic Park: Before And After The Visual Effects
Foley Artists
Storyboards
Production Archives
Digital Copy Included