Review:Jurassic Park

JURASSIC PARK

reviewer Goncalo Sousa
Rated: 12a (UK)
Release Date: September 23rd, 2011(UK cinema)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast:  Sam Neill, Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

I must it, I was a bit too excited when I found out that they were re-releasing Jurassic Park in cinemas, albeit for a limited time, to mark the release of the dinosaur-themed trilogy on Blu-Ray. It has been my favourite film since I watched it back when i was 8. That was in 1993, and the realisation that it has been 18 years since it came out hasn’t fully sunk in yet. There are adults out there who weren’t even born when Jurassic Park first came out, and that makes me feel very old indeed. However, as I found out at the screening of the film, it wasn’t just me that felt that way, there were many people there who shared my excitement, some which had brought along their children in order to share with them something which had been a part of their own childhoods.

Of course, kids nowadays are used to CGI creations permeating pretty much every blockbuster out there, so Steven Spielberg’s jaw-dropping revelation of realistic dinosaurs on screen, which marked a generation’s movie going experience back in the early 90s, is near-impossible to recreate. Despite this, Jurassic Park’s digital effects still hold up to scrutiny surprisingly well, an achievement which sures even more recent CGI creations. There are also very few kids films out there today which dare to bring in more demanding elements, such as, in Jurassic Park’s case, themes relating to cloning and chaos theory, and although some people might find that these elements detract from a pure action adventure experience, I believe it gives Jurassic Park a point and purpose which pushes it beyond a simple monster movie.

The new digital re-mastered image and audio brings out all the detail in the picture, and makes the incredible sound effects, as well as John Williams’ legendary score, even more immersing. This re-release is a unique opportunity to experience this true classic in theatres, for the first time in almost two decades, and to introduce it to a whole new generation. And it will probably whet your appetite for the Blu-Ray being released at the end of October.

MOVIE RATING: 5/5