Jurassic Park (1993)
★★★★ — Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg adapted Michael Crichton's 1990 novel at a point when his career was already operating at a level most directors never reach, though the timing is striking given that he was simultaneously producing Schindler's List (released the same year). The $63 million budget was substantial for 1993, but the real gamble was technological: Spielberg and his team at Industrial Light and Magic pioneered the use of computer-generated imagery for large-scale creature work, replacing what had been planned as predominantly go-motion puppetry after early CGI tests proved startling in their realism. The film went on to gross over $900 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film in history at that point, and its influence on the use of digital effects in mainstream Hollywood cinema was immediate and far-reaching.
"I hope these dangerous killing machines don't escape" They escaped. An absolute classic that still holds up brilliantly even today. The CGI and practical effects are still impressive decades later, and the premise (bringing dinosaurs back to life through genetic science) is as clever and thrilling as ever. It’s the iconic progeny of a franchise that, let’s be honest, went a bit downhill after this… but this first outing is near-perfect family suspense. The cast does a great job grounding the spectacle, the pacing is tight, and John Williams' score is unforgettable. Spielberg in the 90s was on another level and Jurassic Park is proof. A blockbuster with brains, wonder, and just the right amount of terror.
Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 1993 | Watched: 2025-04-14
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Steven Spielberg: Duel (1971) · Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) · E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) · The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
More with Sam Neill: Jurassic Park III (2001)
More from the 1990s: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Shinjuku Boys (1995) · Blue (1993) · Cemetery Man (1994)
More adventure: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · The Eagle (1925) · Louisiana Story (1948) · The General (1926)
More science fiction: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Fantastic Planet (1973) · Nightmare City (1980) · The Long Walk (2025)
