Movie Review - "Jurassic Park: An IMAX 3D Experience" (2013) *****

     For me, 1993 will always be a memorable year in cinematic history. I was in my senior year of high school, when most kids my age are out partying or going to clubs on the weekends. Not me. I spent most of my weekends in the theaters seeing everything that looked even the least bit interesting. The film industry rewarded me by putting out many great films during this year and I have said on more than one occasion that 1993 was the best year for movies, in my humble opinion, although I think last year, 2012, may give it a run for its money. Two years ago, when I put together a list of my 100 favorite films, I was not surprised to find that 1993 was the most represented year on the list with nine films (1996 and 1995 were right behind with eight and seven films respectively). Out of all the great films released that year, one stood out as a little...well, bigger....than the rest. That film was the Steven Spielberg project, Jurassic Park, adapted from a novel by author Michael Crichton. It would go on to dominate the box office that year, raking in $357 million and picking up three Oscars for Sound, Sound Editing and Visual Effects. It re-wrote the book on special effects and was one of the few times when I have been in complete awe with what I was seeing on the big screen. These were not your grandfathers dinosaurs, which often looked cheesy on film, these things looked REAL. It is still to this day one of the major achievements in special effects in the movies, and it has stood the test of time well.

     Flash forward to twenty years later and Jurassic Park has been re-released, complete with an IMAX 3D overhaul. I think by now most people have seen the film at least once, either during its original theatrical release or on video (although I know of at least one friend who just saw it for the first time last week!!). For that reason, a plot summary really doesn't seem necessary, but I'll give you a very brief one. An eccentric millionaire named John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) has created a new theme park on an island off Costa Rica containing real dinosaurs that scientists have engineered through a cloning process from the blood of  insects during that time. Hammond summons two scientists, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Satler (Laura Dern), to the island along with a mathematician, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), a lawyer (Martin Ferrero), and Hammond's grandchildren (Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello). Hammond is wanting everyone's backing so he can open his park on time. The guests are in complete awe when they first witness the extinct creatures, but it isn't long before they start questioning the dangers of mixing these animals with humans. During a tour of the park, a tropical storm moves towards the island, while at the same a disgruntled employee (Wayne Knight) shuts off the parks power, allowing him to escape with stolen dinosaur embryos. These two issues set off a chain reaction of events that throws the island into chaos. When the large Tyrannosaurus Rex escapes it's pen, and the crafty velociraptors are set loose, our human friends find themselves on the run for their lives, to avoid their own extinction.

     So, is this film worth seeing again after 20 years? Absolutely!! I think there are certain films that are just meant to be seen in theaters, and this is definitely one of them. The 3D conversion, while not on the level of  Avatar, is still very well done. One of the best I have seen. I think the biggest compliment I can give it is that after about the halfway point, I had forgotten I was wearing 3D glasses. It was just so natural looking and I had to remind myself a couple of times that I had glasses on. It was that well done. I don't think I have to talk to much about the special effects, we all know that Jurassic Park was a pioneer in the evolution of digital effects and it continues to be just that. I don't think the film gets enough respect though for its story and acting, which are much better than expected. Everyone thinks of the effects first, and rightfully so, but don't overlook the quality performances here. Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough all give solid performances, and Laura Dern has always been so underrated. Even the children, while not great, are much better than what you would normally find for similar roles. I don't think this movie would work as well as it does if we didn't care about the characters, it would be more of a standard horror film. But we do care, and for that kudos must go to Spielberg. He has made better films than this one, but I don't know that he has made one bigger. And while bigger is not always better, in this case, it deserves all the credit it gets. Take the time and see it again. It's not often you get to see a film like this on the big screen. Don't let the opportunity pass.