What Makes "Jurassic Park" Great?

Since its debut 30 years ago, Jurassic Park has stood the test of time and then some. This is thanks to the groundbreaking special effects, memorable characters, and distinct Speilberg touch.

Industrialist John Hammond and his company have found a way to bring dinosaurs back from extinction. Hoping to show them to the world in the form of a theme park, Hammond invites a group of scientists for a preview of the park. However, industrial sabotage causes power to shut down at the park causing the animals to escape their confinements. The film then becomes a race for survival as the group of visitors try to find a way to escape the island.

This film led to a rapid increase in dinosaur interest and it's easy to see why. The effects used to bring the dinosaurs are astonishing even today. Never is there a shot in this film where I felt that the dinosaurs were not really there, the effects are better than some modern films today. The creature's movements and mannerisms are full of detail, and we can't help but associate them with the actual extinct creatures, even if they aren't entirely accurate, specifically the Velioraptors.

Much like Jaws, Jurassic Park is aided by some memorable characters that work with each other very well. Sam Neil as Dr. Grant feels like a man who seems to be going extinct himself. He is an old-fashioned sort of guy who feels the future is leaving him behind. In the opening of the film, he despises the idea of using computers to look for dinosaur bones and is dismissed by his fellow scientists for his belief that birds and dinosaurs are closely linked. During the tour of the park, he is overwhelmed by the idea of dinosaurs and humans co-existing. When asked about what Hammond and his scientists are doing he has a line that perfectly sums up his stance on everything, " The world has just changed so radically, we're all just running to catch up". The scene steeler though is Jeff Goldblum as Chaotician Ian Malcolm. Goldblum's unique mannerisms and quirks make Malcolm stand out among the cast as a great source of comedy and thought-provoking ideas. During the tour, Malcolm is the first to question the ethics of bringing dinosaurs back from extinction, calling it "Rape of the natural world". When the group learns that the dinosaurs are genetically engineered to all be female to prevent breading, Malcolm expresses doubt this will stop the dinosaurs from doing so saying "Life finds a way", a theory that turns out later to be true.

Steven Speilberg brings all his major strengths to this film. Micheal Creighton wrote the original novel, as well as co-wrote the screenplay with David Koepp and Spielberg presents it to the screen beautifully. The film incorporates various elements from Speilberg's previous films, like Indiana Jones, Jaws, ET, and Close Encounters. This makes the film succeed as both a thriller and an adventure film, and a fantastic score from John Williams also helps. The film contains quite a few of Speilberg's most memorable set pieces. from the first encounter with the Brachiosaurus, the T-Rex sequence in the rain, and the Velociraptors chasing the kids in the kitchen. The sequels have all tried to re-capture the magic of this film, but they just lack that magical touch that Speilberg displays here.

Jurassic Park is a film that just works in so many ways. With the game-changing special effects and great characters, Jurassic Park is a thrilling adventure from start to finish.