Thirty Years of Dinosaurs: An Ode To Jurassic Park
“Welcome to Jurassic Park.”
The music soars as the camera pans out to reveal a whole herd of dinosaurs walking through the landscape. The characters are immediately in awe and audiences definitely were. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic dinosaur flick became a box office blockbuster, raking in awards and dollars alike. It was even the biggest grossing film of all time for a while.
I openly admit that I am a huge fan of the film. After watching it again for the billionth time, I decided that I had to pen a love letter to the film. Considering it’s thirty years this week since it hit cinemas, I found it quite apt.
A True Sense of Wonder
The pinnacle of the film’s success is that it creates a genuine sense of wonder. We’ve never seen dinosaurs in real life. They’re consigned to history books and fossils. That mystery is what makes them such a popular subject. Jurassic Park finally unlocks that mystery.
It circles back to the moment that the protagonists see the dinosaurs for the first time, just like the audience does. The characters are immediately awed at the presence of the prehistoric creatures right in front of them. We get that sense of wonder. We’re awakened to the marvellous creatures that wandered the earth millions of years ago. To see them on the big screen, or any screen for that matter, is fulfilling emotionally and intellectually.
It’s not just that sense of wonder we see with the gentle herbivores walking the paddock. We have carnivores and hunters in their full natural inclination. These creatures ruled the natural world back then and we get to see them in action now. The famous Tyrannosaurus Rex ‘Rexy’ is a force of nature in her own right. The velociraptors don’t play around. The Dilophosaurus may be small and cute by dinosaur standards, but it’s one deadly beast.
Dinosaurs are cool. I can’t profess to be one of those people who knows lots about them, but they’re pretty cool. Seeing a massive, cool beast on screen is just fun. A sense of wonder is key to a good science fiction film and Jurassic Park plays it perfectly.
The Cast and Characters
The cast of humans is fairly small, which is handy considering dinosaurs are the true stars of the show. That being said, the characters are interesting.
Most people immediately think of Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm. Suave, sarcastic and a bit of a pain, Malcolm initially comes off as a bit of a flirt and is defined by his three failed marriages. We see less of that as the film progresses. Malcolm shows incredible bravery by attempting to get Rexy away from the children, something that could have cost him his life. He’s incredibly intelligent and immediately pokes holes in Hammond’s plan.
Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are also great. Grant is initially (fairly understandably) put off by the excitable children but develops a fondness for them as the film goes on. Sattler is also realistic in that she makes some silly decisions but proves herself one tough cookie.
Richard Hammond (Richard Attenborough) is a multifaceted character. He’s a charming and jolly grandpa figure who is eager to please the protagonists. Hammond is also a naive pennypincher who doesn’t realise what he’s created.
His support team consists of Dennis (Wayne Knight) and Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson). It’s an early major role for Jackson, whose part in Pulp Fiction the following year made him a star. Dennis is a smarmy son of a gun who proves himself a little dangerous.
Hammond’s grandchildren Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello) are the kid representation. Both are fairly annoying quite honestly and are a bit of a load, but we get some good moments out of them. The scene in the kitchen is pretty cool and Lex does use her computer skills to get them out of a pickle.
Rounding off the main characters are stereotypical lawyer Donald (Martin Ferrero) and Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck). Donald is a money grabbing fun killer who earns the ire of his other characters. His brilliant toilet death scene is a fan favourite. Muldoon is another favourite character. He’s smart, cold and realistic. He knows what they’re up against and doesn’t romanticise the dinosaurs. It’s only by misfortune that the warden is killed, but his last words, ‘clever girl,’ acknowledge his rivals’ genius. Some fans pretend that he survived somehow.
It’s Equally Scary
It’s all fun and games until the park starts to malfunction and the dinosaurs escape. When the dinosaurs are free to follow nature it’s not pretty. That’s obvious the moment that the water in the car starts to shake, before Rexy is seen. The reveal of the dinosaurs at the beginning is an exciting moment that draws the characters and the watchers in. Later reveals of the dinosaurs are infinitely slower and more sinister.
Rexy isn’t a silent predator, but she’s a deadly one. She’s the biggest dinosaur in the park and also the one that will most happily dine on you. Whilst Rexy doesn’t hunt for pleasure like the Indominus rex, which hunts for sport, she’s still not too likely to leave you alive if she comes across you.
Whilst the other dinosaurs aren’t quite as deadly as Rexy, they’re more likely to sneak up on you. That in itself is dangerous as you don’t get any warning. It certainly happens to Sattler, Dennis and Muldoon.
Even if you don’t get offed by a dinosaur, chances are you might get killed by something else. In the pitch black, there are chances of falls and other accidents. The cars get pretty bashed up. Stuff falls. You’re in a very unpredictable environment with no way out.
Iconic Scenes
There are several very iconic scenes in Jurassic Park. The deaths of Dennis, Robert and Muldoon are oft-remembered for their humour and savagery. Dennis and Robert deserved it, Muldoon less so.
The first sight of the dinosaurs is a famous one. John Williams’ iconic score fits perfectly as the music swells upon the reveal. I’d probably put it as my favourite movie scene.
Rexy’s entrance deserves a mention. The water starts to dance upwards as loud footsteps are heard. It goes silent for a moment before the severed part of a goat falls onto the windscreen. The scream of Lex shows you that they all know how screwed they are.
The velociraptors in the kitchen is a chilling moment that perfectly portrays fear. Just when you think you’re in the clear, you’re not. You’re a kid who has survived some pretty horrible stuff and is now facing it again with no adults and in an enclosed space.
Rexy’s final scene is also worth a mention. She shows why she’s the Queen of Jurassic Park- the sash falls upon her like she’s a royal.
It Knows Its Limitations
The issue with films these days is that they try to inject too much humour and too many quips. There’s a heavy emphasis on comic relief. Jurassic Park has funny moments but it doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the situation. Malcolm establishes himself as the funny one early on but he’s quick to stop when things get dangerous.
Jurassic Park also knows how to play into the horror genre. We get jump scares but also psychological fear as we wait for the unknown.
The characters aren’t too heroic. They don’t suddenly turn into action heroes. With the exception of Muldoon, none of the characters are particularly able with guns- they don’t even use them. The kids are realistically useless for most of the film. Sattler can be a bit nervous. Grant initially wants nothing to do with the children. Malcolm rubs everyone the wrong way. Hammond skimped on the costs. They all prove themselves one way or the other, but they’re not superheroes.
It’s Just Plain Cool
Whilst the sequels are decent enough in their own right, none will ever touch the brilliance (or box office) of the original Jurassic Park. It has all the qualities one would want in a dinosaur film. Its cultural impact is so great that one can argue that it kickstarted the dinosaur renaissance in the media. From memes to quotes, everybody knows at least a bit of it.
It’s what a film should be. It takes you to a different world and is a form of escapism. There are thrills and laughs. Maybe it’s not completely scientifically accurate, but it’s not too outlandish, as far as dinosaurs can be anyway.
I love Jurassic Park, and you should too.
“It’s a UNIX System! I know this!”
Shortly after I nearly started a riot on an airplane with Linux on a laptop computer. As I recall it, the man returning from the restroom shouted the length of the plane, “Hey! This guy’s got UNIX on a laptop!”Report
Some things I find amusing:
* twice in the movie the six-ton T.Rex manages to sneak up on the cast
* for all that people talk about the innovative use of CGI, the best effects are practical (most of the velociraptors-in-the-kitchen scene is suit actors and sock puppets)
* this movie was a lot of peoples’ first exposure to the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs, and to the modern idea of T.Rex being like a Chompy Ostrich rather than a tail-dragging Godzilla. That probably contributed to the impact of the T.Rex introduction, because not only is it impressively shot but it also completely destroyed the old paradigm of “dinosaur”.Report
I also enjoyed the movie but I must confess I utterly despised the kids. I mean, sure, they’re kids and, sure, it’s a Spielberg movie but waving that flashlight at the T-rex, even if you didn’t know it was drawn by movement, was an absolutely inexplicably idiotic thing to do. I mean, sure, you had to make something happen to put them in peril and get them out of those cars but God(ess?) damn it couldn’t you have picked something plausible?Report
IIRC, Chekhov had already scattered quite a few firearms around this film.Report