Review: Jurassic Park - An IMAX 3D Experience (1993)

By Doug Heller
April 7, 2013 Approved By NP, Reviews 2 Comments

JC3D

Cast: , ,
Director: Steven Spielberg
Country: USA
Genre: Adventure | Sci-Fi
Official Trailer: Here

Editor’s Notes: For an additional perspective on Jurassic Park 3D, read Julian’s review . If you’ve already seen the film we’d love to hear your thoughts on it, or if you’re looking forward to seeing it this weekend, please tell us in the comments section below or in our new Next Projection Forums.

“Hold on to your butts” Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson)

The above quote should have been the tagline for Jurassic Park (Spielberg, 1993) from the beginning because it is a thrilling ride that you need to hang on for.  The story is about a very rich man, Hammond (Sir Richard Attenborough) who has funded the discovery of genetically engineering dinosaurs for a theme park of his design.  After the death of a worker while putting a raptor into its cage, the investors want experts to sign off on the park because of their safety concerns.  Enter paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil), paleobotonist Dr. Elle Sattler (Laura Dern), mathematician/chaotition Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferraro) along with Hammond’s grandchildren Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards).  Things go wrong when Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) feels slighted by how little he was paid for the job of coding the computer systems for the park (despite being the lowest bidder for the job) and decides to sell embryos of dinosaurs to a competitive genetic firm.  He sets a program to disable the security systems so he can get the embryos and get off the island.  Unfortunately, a tropical storm is moving in at the same time and things don’t go his way.

Another problem is that the electric fences are also off.  As a result, any dinosaur can roam freely between paddocks.  The first major action piece is the T-Rex attack and it’s all ramped up tension from there.

The film is nearly a masterpiece of thrills and spills that closely replicates Jaws (Spielberg, 1975) in many ways. The structure and tone are nearly mirrored and the result is largely the same.

I really don’t feel the need to detail the plot further, because there are likely few people who have not seen the film in the last 20 years (permission to feel old granted).  The film is nearly a masterpiece of thrills and spills that closely replicates Jaws (Spielberg, 1975) in many ways.  The structure and tone are nearly mirrored and the result is largely the same.  I do not think it was an accident that Spielberg transplanted his best thriller onto land and substituted dinosaurs for the shark.  He obviously knew a good thing when he saw it and adapted it to fit his needs for this film.  I realize that both films were based on novels and that both were adapted by their own novelists (with Jurassic Park scribe Michael Crichton aided by David Koepp) but it’s not unreasonable to speculate that Crichton used Jaws as a template for his book and later his screenplay.

Screen Shot 2013-04-07 at 1.14.58 AMAll that aside, Jurassic Park (1993) is a spectacular ride not only during the thrilling action set-pieces but on sheer grandeur.  Sure, the computers shown in the film are ridiculously outdated but the computer generated effects are surprisingly not.  Despite it being twenty years old, the effects remain as amazing now as they were then, which is no small feat considering that some film’s effects only 2-3 years old look painfully outdated and cheap.  Here, the first reveal of the brachiosaur is just as awe-inspiring as it was when I saw it when the film was first released.

Now, on to the 3D conversion.  I agree with what I have read stating that it feels as though Jurassic Park was filmed for 3D without it being so.  It seems tailor-made for the post conversion and it is done remarkably well, especially in comparison to other films that have undergone a similar process.  The depth that has been added is wonderful and well used.  The biggest trouble I had was that it was all so very dim during the dark parts, which is all of the first action sequence.  I found it difficult to see some of my favorite parts.  Now, I did not see the film in IMAX but a RealD theater in a Cinemark so it is possible that the IMAX projection is clearer and brighter.  I refuse to see a film in multiplex IMAX theaters because they are not truly IMAX, just some odd conversion that does not emulate a real IMAX screen or the 70mm film projection to any degree…but I digress as that is a rant for a different venue.

It seems tailor-made for the post conversion and it is done remarkably well, especially in comparison to other films that have undergone a similar process.  The depth that has been added is wonderful and well used.

Ultimately, the 3D is nice and it does not seem out of place.  However, it is unnecessary as all 3D is.  I do not believe 3D is the way of the future of film because of how disposable it is.  Seeing a film in 3D in the theater can be a wondrous event, but watching the film on disk at home in 2D one realizes that the 3D was superfluous if the film is good.  Jurassic Park is no different.  Sure it looks good throughout most of the picture and it was exciting to not only see it in the theater again, but to take my young son with me, as my father did for me.  I would have been just as excited to see it in re-release in 2D as it was originally and it would have still been a remarkable experience.  I recommend seeing the film again because it has become difficult to see previously released films in the theater since the advent of home video in the late 70’s but if you can see it in 2D, do so and recreate the feelings you had for the film in the way it was truly meant to be seen.  Jurassic Park remains a spectacular film that is best appreciated on the big screen and time has had no effect on the film other than make it more impressive.

95/100 ~ AMAZING. Jurassic Park remains a spectacular film that is best appreciated on the big screen and time has had no effect on the film other than make it more impressive.
By Doug Heller
I believe film occupies a rare place as art, entertainment, historical records and pure joy. I love all films, good and bad, from every time period with an affinity to Classical Hollywood in general, but samurai, sci-fi and noir specifically. My BA is in Film Studies from Pitt and my MA is in Education. My goal is to be able to ignite a love of film in others that is similar to my own.
  • http://www.facebook.com/shari.begood Sharon Ballon

    A MUST see movie. Spielberg really knew what he was doing when he originally filmed it. It looks great in 3D.

  • Ben

    Haha…I thought the same thing while watching this last night. “Hold on to your butts” definitely should’ve been on the poster for this re-release.

    I thought the 3D was great at times, and sometimes distracting. It made certain locations, especially inside the visitor’s center, feel small. Like you were watching the action take place inside a diorama. The 3D shot that impressed me the most was the one of Tim looking out the back of the jeep with the night vision goggles as the rain hits the back window.

    That shot of the T-Rex roaring at Grant after he lights the flare is still perfect.