‘Jurassic Park in 3D’ well worth the expense

A group of my family members recently headed to the movie theater to catch Jurassic Park in 3D on an IMAX screen. It cost us nearly $100 for a handful of tickets, so I was already doubting my decision to revisit these dinosaurs. Didn’t I have this DVD at home somewhere? Don’t they replay this Steven Spielberg adventure classic on a continual basis on TV?

Although my expectations were low, I walked away from Jurassic Park’s 2013 repolishing a convinced man. There are few movies worth the added expense (and 3D-induced headache), but this flick is definitely one of the exceptions. Spielberg’s movie bounces off the screen, and it has lost very little enthusiasm in the couple of decades since its original release.

Sam Neill and Laura Dern play paleontologists (he’s into velociraptors; she’s into plant life), and the two are commissioned to spend a weekend at a secluded island in Central America. They are special guests of Jurassic Park, the brainchild of John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). Using DNA extracted from perfectly preserved mosquitoes, Hammond and his team are able to breed dinosaurs, letting them loose on the island with the hopes that the faraway locale will become a first-of-its-kind amusement park.

The supporting cast, which includes Jeff Goldblum in a career-defining role, is well-matched for the action and adventure. Everyone shines, enjoying the chance to play carved-out characters amid all the carnage. From Wayne Knight’s scheming Dennis Nedry to Samuel L. Jackson’s Ray “hold-on-to-your butts” Arnold, the cast is quite the draw. But let’s not fool ourselves, the main attraction is the blending of CGI and animatronics to bring a host of dinosaurs to powerful life. The velociraptors are terrifying killers, while the T-Rex screams her way into our shivering bodies.

Jurassic Park is deserving of the classification as a “classic” movie. Its simplistic plot is brought to fruition by a skilled director and talented cast. Movies nowadays (including many from Spielberg himself) have substituted the whimsy of old-time adventure movies for complicated plots. Jurassic Park teaches us that action can work with subtlety and simplicity. We don’t need an entire backstory on Dr. Alan Grant (Neill) and how he refuses to have children. We learn of his inherent fatherly instincts by watching how he responds to a T-Rex in the company of Hammond’s grandchildren. We don’t need to weigh the ethical predicaments of bringing back extinct creatures. We’re able to see that debate on the face of the park’s founder as he slowly comes to realize he’s created an army of monsters (or at least an army of dinosaurs willing to do monstrous deeds).

Jurassic Park is back on the big screen, and it’s obvious that this movie’s re-release is largely based on financial factors. IMAX movies that require 3D glasses can cost a lot of money, but this one may be worth the price of admission. Sometimes entertainment is too good to pass up. Watching Jurassic Park in 2013 is akin to traveling to the real dinosaur amusement park … it probably costs about the same.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Jurassic Park

• 1993

• Directed by Steven Spielberg

• Written by David Koepp and Michael Chrichton, based on Chrichton’s book

• Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum

• Running time: 127 minutes

• Rated PG-13

• Rating: