Jurassic Park 3D Movie Review
Hold on to your butts.
What is there to say about Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park? Well, on the 20th anniversary of the film, they gave us the chance by re-releasing one of the 1990s great films, this time in 3D on the big screen.
Jurassic Park is a genuinely great movie! The film still works as a great piece of popcorn cinema that doesn’t have to sacrifice its brain for thrilling chase and action sequences. In 2013, there was a new digital restoration and 3D up-conversion worth talking about, which didn’t hurt the overall film and experience, but did very little to enhance it either.
Steven Spielberg changed the way movies were made and marketed with the release of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark in the 1970s and ’80s.
In recent years, Spielberg’s films had taken a slight dip in quality, but with the release of Jurassic Park, Spielberg re-invented himself as a smarter and more technically savvy director than his contemporaries.
The movie landscape has changed a lot since Jurassic Park‘s release in 1993, with the advent of more powerful computer technology and the general lowering of audience expectations. But Jurassic Park is as timeless as ever.
Watching Jurassic Park again on the big screen brought back so many memories that had to be reconciled with an adult’s point of view of movies. Spielberg creates a world of mystery and intrigue that doesn’t boil down to cheap tricks. He uses the camera as an unseen character to develop the story and build character moments without losing vital information about what went into the making of the Jurassic Park theme park.
Viewers will feel like a tour group themselves as they examine the nooks and crannies of Jurassic Park, while engaged with the multiple storylines that come to a rip-roaring crescendo in the film’s third act. Jurassic Park is not cynical about its worldview, which is surprisingly refreshing, despite the arguably cynical 3D up-conversion and re-release.
Jurassic Park was 20 years old, but it looked just as good as it did back in 1993. The film still stands as a great example of blending practical special effects with computer-generated ones.
The dinosaurs are extremely believable because the characters (and therefore the audience) believe in their existence, and the actors really sell the sense of wonder and terror. Compare that to Michael Bay’s Transformers movies, which leaned heavily on CGI but lack the heart or acting talents to support the visuals.
The best way to experience a film like Jurassic Park is on the big screen, surrounded by people, chowing down on popcorn and drinking sugary soda. There is no way you can replicate that experience at home, no matter how big your home entertainment system might be.
So, is Jurassic Park worth watching on the big screen (again), even if it is in 3D? Absolutely yes! Unfortunately, Jurassic Park 3D had a limited one-week IMAX release engagement, so the window here was a small one. But it was more than worth the time and effort.
