Jurassic Park

SF elements

1. Jurassic Park (1993)
2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
3. Jurassic Park III (2001)

1993

Jurassic Park

Directed by Spielberg, adapted from a Michael Crichton novel, we have dinosaurs reconstructed from their DNA running wild in their theme park, menacing paleontologists and children alike. Great SFX. Pity about the plot

Rating: 4.5

Cast

1997

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Review

It turns out that the dinosaurs aren't all dead -- in fact they're alive and well with an integrated ecology on the nearby breeding island. But John Hammond [Richard Attenborough] has had control wrested away from him, and wants to sent in an expedition to study them before the new board get control. He contacts Dr Ian Malcolm [Jeff Goldblum], who wants nothing more to do with it, until he discovers his girlfriend Dr Sarah Harding [Julianne Moore] is already on the island. So the expedition arrives, but soon so does a board-led safari, after the dinos for a zoo. Then it all starts to fall apart...

It starts with oohs and ahs, but soon it's screaming and running away.

Speilberg's sequel is marginally better than his original: it doesn't have quite so many plot idiocies. Although the two main villains do get overly-appropriate come-uppances because of their mind-blowing stupidity. Fortunately the obligatory kid is not too cute, and doesn't have too big or implausible a part. There are some good bits -- a few wonderfully acidic one-liners from Goldblum -- the heavy footsteps making ripples in the puddles, harking back to the first film -- the small rat-like dinosaurs -- the Japanese businessmen running from the T.Rex in the city. But mostly it is a straightforward, albeit well-executed, chase plot. So, take your brain out of gear, and enjoy.

Rating: 4