JURASSIC PARK (1993, USA, 127m, PG) ****½
Adventure, Sci-Fi
dist. United International Pictures (UIP); pr co. Universal Pictures / Amblin Entertainment; d. Steven Spielberg; w. Michael Crichton, David Koepp (based on the novel by Michael Crichton); pr. Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen; ph. Dean Cundey (Eastmancolor | 1.85:1); m. John Williams; ed. Michael Kahn; pd. Rick Carter; ad. John Bell, William James Teegarden.
cast: Sam Neill (Grant), Laura Dern (Ellie), Jeff Goldblum (Malcolm), Richard Attenborough (Hammond), Bob Peck (Muldoon), Martin Ferrero (Gennaro), BD Wong (Wu), Joseph Mazzello (Tim), Ariana Richards (Lex), Samuel L. Jackson (Arnold), Wayne Knight (Nedry), Gerald R. Molen (Harding), Miguel Sandoval (Rostagno), Cameron Thor (Dodgson), Christopher John Fields (Volunteer #1), Whit Hertford (Volunteer Boy), Dean Cundey (Mate), Jophery C. Brown (Worker in Raptor Pen), Tom Mishler (Helicopter Pilot), Richard Kiley (Jurassic Park Tour Voice (voice)).
Classic dino thriller from Spielberg, which raised the bar for visual effects and the development of CGI. Paleontologists Alan Grant (Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) are among a select group chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. While the park’s mastermind, billionaire John Hammond (Attenborough), assures everyone that the facility is safe, they find out otherwise when various ferocious predators break free and go on the hunt. The action moves at breakneck speed, helping paper over some of the plot holes, and involves characters we care about. The small cast is excellent, and Williams’ celebratory score is amongst his best. The real stars though are the dinosaurs – superbly realised by the Oscar-winning technical team. Followed by THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK (1997).
AA: Best Sound (Gary Summers, Gary Rydstrom, Shawn Murphy, Ron Judkins); Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing (Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns); Best Effects, Visual Effects (Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Phil Tippett, Michael Lantieri).
