Jurassic Park Appreciation

[Westies14]

I was just reading the 1993 Cinefex cover story on the first movie. This is a flick that I just keep coming back to; I'll never get sick of watching the behind-the-scenes disc from the boxed set, and I still think of the movie on hot summer days when I see a mountain or a bit of foliage that could be harboring a dinosaur. Summer thunderstorms make me want to break out the DVD immediately!

It's amazing what both Stan Winston's group and ILM were able to do under Phil Tippet's direction. It's probably not got the same impact for those who come to the film for the first time now, but in 1993 we could never have guessed that we would ever see such realistic dinosaurs on screen. Pure childhood fantasy come to life. I'd happily argue that despite the more basic geometry and textures, despite the slower CPUs, despite being the foundation that every film since has had the benefit of learning from, Jurassic Park has never been surpassed for putting something that was not there up on screen and making their audience believe it was there.

A lot of you would call someone with my tastes a film snob. I detest the SW prequels and find Transformers movies unwatchable. I believe "fun, popcorn flicks" should be held to the standard of Star Wars and Indiana Jones rather than G.I. Joe. Well, I recognize that JP has some of the weak dialogue, some of the convenient or contradictory plot elements, and some of the thin performances that plague other popcorn movies - but they're not hugely glaring and they're certainly compensated for by the fun and sheer spectacle/escapism that JP delivers! Throw in Williams' score, some very nice cinematography, some great props... It's such a great movie.

Thanks Amblin/Spielberg/Universal/Winston/ILM! I'm gonna go watch this now.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Totally agree. Jurassic Park hasn't been topped often. There's just something about the way the creatures move, react, act - not just mindless monsters or über-cleverized for kicks... but more like real animals.

 

[OldKen]

Totally agree. Jurassic Park hasn't been topped often. There's just something about the way the creatures move, react, act - not just mindless monsters or über-cleverized for kicks... but more like real animals.

Totally!

And add the fact that TOOLs guitarist/songwriter/art/and vid director Adam Jones worked on the dino models...

That movie is still amazing. The graphics look less dated than Ep1! IMHO.

 

[exoray]

It never ceases to amaze me how well that CGI has held up, here we are closing in on 20 years later and honestly I don't see much improvement in most production CGI... Yes there are some exceptions that have taken CGI to a new level but it seems the everyday run of the mill CGI effects in current movies has hardly progressed past or even to that level...

 

[Too Much Garlic]

I think most of that is due to bad acting as well. The worse acting, the more you notice the CGI.

 

[CaptainEO]

I love me some Jurassic Park. Definitely one of my favorite movies ever. I recently re-watched it with a big group of people for my birthday, and we had such a great time. We tore it apart, but in a loving way since we are such big fans. Like how the whole T-Rex paddock scene is impossible... where he walked through the fence suddenly becomes a cliff?? haha.

Even to this day, the blend of puppets and CGI is unmatched. They knew the strengths and limitations of both, and were able to use each in the best way.

Great great movie :thumbsup

 

[tictoc]

Not only are the dinosaurs great, but its also the children in the film, from the "what's so scary about a big turkey kid" to the friendship the grandchildren develop with Dr. Grant. It's those elements plus the dinosaurs that draws me and my family back to the movie again and again.

What do you call a blind dinosaur?

 

[AT-AT Luvah]

The one shot of the Rex clomping down on the fence wiring and walking out of his paddock is still a marvel of movie magic.

That six-second shot is among the best CGI ever done, even by today's standards.

 

[allosaur176]

greatest movie ever

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

The one shot of the Rex clomping down on the fence wiring and walking out of his paddock is still a marvel of movie magic.

That six-second shot is among the best CGI ever done, even by today's standards.

That shot beats hands down all CGI I've witnessed over the last ten years at least. And when I saw it back in 1993 I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I don't think I ever had such a miraculous moment in the cinema, probably not even in Star Wars. The scene got under my skin to the point that I can't hear rain and thunder without getting an itch to watch JP...Only 2 films qualify as true Event films in my experience as a cinema-goer, Star Wars and Jurassic Park.

The CGI in JP is actually flawless. I think Lucas was the first to start peppering films with CGI flaws (jawa falling off creature in the SE, podracer motion in PM), and since then it's become endemic. We were spoiled in JP!

 

[Westies14]

Totally spoiled! The premise of the movie made the animals so easy to accept, too. They gave us that kernel of plausible science which allowed our brains to believe that they must have brought the creatures back just to make the film!

 

[Westies14]

One of the biggest problems with CG now is over-the-top animations and camera moves/positioning. There's a bit in this article about the end t-rex/raptor battle and how they shot it like they'd shoot nature footage of animals. They got in there with a wide angle lens to shoot the plates, and even though they could animate the action to be framed perfectly, they made sure the camera was always a beat behind the action. The t Rex would move to the left, then the camera would pan over... it really is the little things that sell it!

 

[Kylash]

im still amazed that the cg in Jurassic Park still looks better than post of what comes out now, and it came out so long ago!

 

[Westies14]

Yeah, it's incredible that some of those shots were generated 18 years ago! That blows my mind. haha I have so much love for this film right now.

 

[Boba Flint]

JP was the first movie I got advanced screening tickets to. I still get goosebumps when the Bracio is introduced.

On a side note... A week later I adopted a kitten. I enjoyed the theme music to JP and I would wistle it around the house. I don't know why but my kitten would always come to me when I wistled that tune and only that tune. And he would do that his entire life.

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

On a side note... A week later I adopted a kitten. I enjoyed the theme music to JP and I would wistle it around the house. I don't know why but my kitten would always come to me when I wistled that tune and only that tune. And he would do that his entire life.

Sounds like a great cat.

 

[Jodo]

Like how the whole T-Rex paddock scene is impossible... where he walked through the fence suddenly becomes a cliff??

I've watched JP on Scifi twice this week....And I was going to post about this. :lol Was there ever a clear "idea" how that even possible? :confused

JP holds a special place in my heart, because it was the first movie I ever enjoyed as a child, I was a wee lad, and I loved dinosaurs. I wasn't very old, but it just captured me. I love the movies. :thumbsup

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

One of the biggest problems with CG now is over-the-top animations and camera moves/positioning. There's a bit in this article about the end t-rex/raptor battle and how they shot it like they'd shoot nature footage of animals. They got in there with a wide angle lens to shoot the plates, and even though they could animate the action to be framed perfectly, they made sure the camera was always a beat behind the action. The t Rex would move to the left, then the camera would pan over... it really is the little things that sell it!

Exactly. Impossibly perfect camera accompaniment looks crap. It's present in Avatar, and that SW SE shot of 4 X-wings diving on the DS. I used to like that shot, then it started bugging me, then I finally worked out why.

 

[howlingwind13]

JP is one of my favorites...Spielberg knows how to take an adult book/script and turn it into something that kids and adults AND most importantly the kid inside of all adults can fall in love with.
I remember seeing it opening night in the theater, and immediatly just wanting to go back in and see it again.
Kinda funny this thread was started, I'm going out of the country for a few months, and just bought the Jp soundtrack and the JP audiobook for my trip. Having read the book twice, years ago...thought it would be cool to hear it.

 

[Jeyl]

First Jurassic Park was amazing. Second one was %$@#. Third one I liked.