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Jurassic Park (1993)
Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough. Cinematography by Dean Cundey. Edited by Michael Kahn. Produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen. Written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Funded by billionaire John Hammond (played by Richard Attenborough), scientists have discovered a way to patch a million year old DNA sample found in a fossilized mosquito with that of a frog to genetically engineer real, live dinosaurs. Hammond has opened a theme park on a small tropical island to feature his creatures and invites a team of scientists, lawyers, and children to take the first tour of the site.
Dr. Allen Grant (played by Sam Neill) and his fiancé Dr. Ellie Sattler (played by Laura Dern) are accompanied by rouge theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum) and Hammond’s grandchildren, Tim and Lex Murphy (played by Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards), on the initial expedition. Things go well at first, but when a storm and foul-play by the staff compromises the security of the island, all hell breaks loose. Hammond and his crew quickly learn a harsh lesson in tampering with nature.
There are certain films that serve as landmarks in the history of visual effects. Metropolis in 1927 demonstrated a huge advance in the use of miniatures and forced perspective. In 1933 King Kong displayed an incredible evolution in the use of matte painting and stop motion animation. 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968 offered us a trip through a stargate via a newly pioneered technique called slit-scan photography.
In 1977 a revolutionary motion controlled camera system created intergalactic dog fights for Star Wars. In 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit blended live action actors and animated characters seamlessly. And in 1993 Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park brought dinosaurs back to life with a combination of animatronics and computer generated imagery.
George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic had already produced incredible computer generated effects shots in films like The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but in Jurassic Park they trumped themselves by creating living creatures that were nearly impossible to distinguish from models. With it’s breakthrough in CGI technology, Jurassic Park has earned itself a chapter in the cinematic history books.
Jurassic Park came along at a time when Spielberg was in a bit of a critical and financial slump. With the poor performance of Always and Hook he needed a big winner to stay on top of the Hollywood food chain, and a big winner he found in his adaptation of Michael Crichton’s best selling novel. Spielberg actually read a proof copy of the manuscript before the novel was even published and was impressed with its on-screen potential. He started pre-production on the film began before the book even hit the shelves.
Through the success of the novel, and the hype over its unbelievable CGI effects, Jurassic Park had no problem finding a home in the box office. It absolutely blew up at the box office and until Cameron’s Titanic knocked it down a notch in 1997, it reigned as the highest grossing film of all time. Jurassic Park is a perfect example of Spielberg’s popcorn flicks at their best; interesting story, colorful characters, and great special effects.
Budget: $63,000,000
Total US Gross: $357,067,947
Genre: Science Fiction
Runtime: 127 Minutes
US Release Date: 6/11/93
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Won for best sound effects, best visual effects, and best sound. American Film Institute’s Top 100 Lists: 100 Years… 100 Thrills (#35).
Tagline: An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making.
Quote: “Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.”
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