Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, B. D. Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards.  Based on the 1990 novel of the same name written by Michael Crichton, the plot is set on the fictional island of Isla Nublar, where billionaire philanthropist John Hammond and a small team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of cloned dinosaurs. When industrial sabotage leads to a catastrophic shutdown of the park’s power facilities and security precautions, a small group of visitors, along with Hammond’s grandchildren, struggle to survive and escape the perilous island.

Positives:

• Great characters
• Great music
• Highly suspenseful
• Great performances
• Interesting story
• Great themes
• Great direction
• Great action

Negatives:

• Writing is choppy

Plot: The plot is pretty simple.  A group of people who go to a themed park with cloned dinosaurs.  Soon they find themselves fighting for survival when the power goes down and the dinosaurs escape.  It is a really interesting and exciting story that does a great job of revealing the beauty of the dinosaurs as well as the extreme threat.  It does have a slow build but the second and third acts just come at a good pace.  The climax is truly epic with Grant and the crew struggling to survive a group of Velociraptors.  It’s pretty awesome but it does leave off on a satisfactory ending.

There isn’t much in terms of actual character development but there is definitely a strong emphasis on the relationships between the characters. There are some moments where the story slows down but it is used to flesh out the characters.  There is the subplot with Nedry sabotaging the power to escape with the dinosaur DNA and honestly it isn’t handled very well.  Yeah, we get a moment where there is a third party involved but it is never really explored nor does it actually seem to affect the story.  Is it relevant? Not really.  The power could’ve been knocked out by lightning and still been just as good.

The story is split into two segments.  The first is Alan, Tim, and Lex trying to survive in the wilderness.  The second follows Ellie and the others trying to restore power to the park.  Ultimately the story is good. It’s deep with themes, it’s original and it’s freaking entertaining.  (5 out of 5)

Characters: Thumbs up to the characters who are actually pretty good.  The characters consist of paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, mathematician Ian Malcolm, billionaire entrepreneur John Hammond and his grandkids Tim and Lex, and game warden Robert Muldoon.  Grant is just an awesome character.  He’s likable, he’s brave, and he’s really knowledgeable.  He’s probably the best of the cast.  Really liked Ellie and her relationship with Grant.  Tim and Lex weren’t that annoying.  In fact, they were pretty likable.  I would’ve liked to have seen Muldoon do more in the film.  Maybe have more of a face off with the Raptors but he’s chow now.  Malcolm was a little too preachy the entire time.  Sure, he had his beliefs but at the same time his thought process wasn’t exactly changed.  The supporting characters are pretty good too and do manage to help make the film more well rounded.  Nedry had almost no chance to be of any relevance except be the idiot that turned the power off, then got himself killed. (4 out of 5)

Cast: Great performances all around.  The main and supporting cast consist of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, B. D. Wong, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Jerry Molen, and Miguel Sandoval. (4 out of 5)

Visuals: Jurassic Park is one of those rare gems that withstands the test of time.  The wide shots of the scenery is stunning, the effects of the dinosaurs both practical and CGI are great, and the camera work is done exceptionally well.  Very good at maintaining its tone whether its horror, suspense or adventure. (4 out of 5)

Score/Music: I have got to admit that John Williams is superb.  The music is powerful, and the film’s theme is one of the most memorable in film history.  (5 out of 5)

Writing: Steven Spielberg has clearly outdone with this movie that has withstood the test of time.  Not only does he show his brilliance but as a visionary gives the movie a certain level of spectacle that has been hard pressed to surpass.  He manages to make the movie an intense ride but also adventurous.  That the dinosaurs aren’t just to be feared but at the same time admired.  Despite how serious the film is there is some humor to it.  There are some strong themes that the film focuses on, the main one being the consequences of genetic manipulation and cloning and how it affects the natural order of the world.  Great things to consider with a movie like this. There are some highly memorable moments in the movie and a lot of it has to do with its presentation.  When the camera finally shows us the island, the very first image of the dinosaurs is as breathtaking to us as to the characters.  The ending with the T-Rex was completely epic.

But for as good as the viewing experience is, there is a ton of problems with the script which is filled with nonsense and convenience.  Dennis Nedry steals the dinosaur DNA and sabotages the park security systems in an attempt to escape.  Why? He could’ve just took the DNA and waited til his shift was over, then left.  Or if he did do it, why in the hell was he speeding through the rain? That’s why he crashed which led to his death.  Then there is the security system itself.  Why did all of the security systems fail?  Shouldn’t the animal cages have stayed active on independent systems or a separate systems?  There are characters who aren’t given the screen time that they should have including Dennis Nedry.  Most are killed off without the slightest impact to the story.  All-in-all, the script isn’t the best but it’s decent.  But with Spielberg’s direction the film is good. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Jurassic Park is one of those films that is still entertaining twenty years later.  Yes, the writing does have its share of problems and if you know where to look they are noticeable.  However, the film is great, excelling with its characters, performances, original story, great visuals, great score, touches on important themes, and great direction.  Jurassic Park gets 4 out of 5.