Plot: What’s it about?
On a lush, tropical island off the beaten ocean path, a massive amusement park & zoo has been constructed. It has been up for a while now and the rides and animals are place for the most part, but few have taken the tour and explored this new compound. The park has the latest in security features, luxuries, and staff and as such, there seems to be no reason it hasn’t been opened to at least a limited audience, right? As the computer folks work on timings and small glitches and the park workers finalize menial tasks in the wild areas, that limited audience is being prepped to visit the park at last. The owner of this park is John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) and he is selecting and transporting the first guests himself, the very best their respective fields have to offer. Along with his own lawyer and a quirky mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Hammond is joined by expert of paleontology and paleobotany, Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). Hammond promises this excursion will be like nothing they’ve ever experienced before, but just what lurks behind that massive entrance gate?
This review covers the DTS version of Jurassic Park, which has some differences from the Dolby Digital counterpart. This one lacks a great deal of supplements such as storyboards, preproduction meetings, design sketches, production photos, and more, but has a slight edge in the audio department. That edge in audio is what will decide which disc you’ll purchase and I have to be honest, I’ll be adding the Dolby Digital version to my collection. The sound is excellent on both versions and though the DTS track is a little better at times, the loss of extras and quality of the Dolby Digital track offer more toward my interests. If you prefer extras and don’t mind a small loss in audio quality (but the DD version flat out rocks also), then pick up the Dolby Digital, but if you’re an audiophile who won’t miss some extras, then this will be the disc for you. As for the film itself, the movie is a fun and fast paced ride and one that is a must have for me and I am sure, many of you also. The film doesn’t offer much in terms of complex storylines or great character development, but it is a lot of fun to watch and that makes it worth a look. Like most Spielberg movies, this is a popcorn flick that doesn’t require much thinking, but will get your blood pumping. I recommend this terrific popcorn movie to fans everywhere, but think it over before you decide which version you’ll be picking up. (Just make sure it’s widescreen!)
This film might boast an impressive cast and director, but the real stars of Jurassic Park are without a doubt the dinosaurs. This film marked a true breakthrough in terms of computer graphics and animatronics, which was built on even more for the sequel, The Lost World. The mixture of the two styles works very well here, which is good since the realistic dinosaurs stand as the main draw for this popcorn epic. The computer images are breathtaking at times and really stunned me back when this ran theatrically, which is really a true compliment. I am not usually that taken in by special effects, but these were some awesome ones, to be sure. Just as impressive are the animatronics, which blend seamlessly with the computer images to create a total, immersive world for these creatures. If you want to learn more about these dinosaurs were created, don’t miss the documentary included on this disc. As far as live actors, this film sports an excellent cast which includes Wayne Knight (Space Jam), Sam Neill (Possession), Laura Dern (Blue Velvet), Richard Attenborough (Elizabeth), Bob Peck (Surviving Picasso), Joseph Mazzello (The Cure), Ariana Richards (Tremors), and the show stealing Jeff Goldblum (Nine Months) as Ian Malcolm.
Video: How does it look?
Jurassic Park is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is as close to perfect as you can get, without actually being so and that’s good enough for me in this case. I am pleased with the sharpness and detail this transfer reflects, but the grain evident in some of the darker scenes has caused me to lower the score just a wink. Aside from that, this is a spectacular transfer that shows few source print flaws and minimal compression troubles. The colors, especially the lush greens and browns look bold and rich, but never smear in the least and flesh tones come across in natural, warm shades. No problems with the black level balance either, though some grain can be seen in the darker sequences and that didn’t sit well with me. But on the whole, this is a superb transfer for one of the highest grossing films of all time, so don’t hesitate to pick this disc up.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is about as good as DTS 5.1 can sound and if you know your audio, that means this track is an active and powerful experience. I think the new reference scene for home theater audio will be the T-Rex chase sequence, as it is dominant and offers an unbelievable sound. Sure, the lobby scene in The Matrix was good, but this blows it away to be sure. The surrounds are used to heavy extents, but never overused and as such, the audio never seems harsh or forced. It’s a natural mix that brings out the elements, but only when they should be and that gives this mix a nice edge. The subwoofer also has a field day with this flick, you’ll be waking the neighbors in no time with this disc. The beautiful musical score is lush and immersive within this, which it very much deserves to be. The dialogue isn’t lost amid all this high profile audio though, the vocals seem crisp & clean and show no signs of distortion. Even if you hate the movie, you’ll want this disc to showcase your home theater, it’s that good. This disc also includes a French 2.0 surround track, English captions, and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc doesn’t have as many bonus features as the Dolby Digital version, but it still has a decent selection of goodies. The main draw of these extras is a fifty minute documentary, The Making Of Jurassic Park. This is no fluff featurette either, standing a full in depth documentary and I was very pleased to find it on this disc. I loved the special effects footage and there is a lot of it, but the cast & crew interviews and production footage was also a pleasure to watch. Heck, it’s even hosted by James Earl Jones, what more could you ask for? The rest of the supplements include extensive production notes, theatrical trailers for all three Jurassic Park movies, in depth talent files, and a very cool dinosaur encyclopedia. It loses a lot of extras to be sure, but it still has the documentary and some smaller items.
