Topic: Jurasic Park

[Boid Brain]

My 1st introduction into inexplicable visuals in film was King Kong when I was 7. In the next 40 years I became sort of an expert on stop/go animation, blue screens, mat paintings, puppetry, makeup techniques and just about every other trick used by film artisans.

Then I saw Jurassic Park....at the time I had no PC and was totally ignorant about CGI. Seeing that T Rex mystified me just as much as Willis O'Brian's Kong had. I did not understand it, but it seemed to me an accomplishment right up there with landing on the moon.

For those of you that have not seen this Documentary, enjoy.

[shemps#1]

The problem with Jurassic Park is that the movie was all flash and no substance. The special effects were cutting edge, but the plot was paper thin and the acting was wooden.

[Curly4444]

The problem with Jurassic Park is that the movie was all flash and no substance. The special effects were cutting edge, but the plot was paper thin and the acting was wooden.

Maybe in the 2nd and 3rd movie but not the first. Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, and Laura Dern all did a great performance in the first. As for the plot, it was about wonder. What would it be like if dinosaurs were brought back to life? It wasn't suppose to be a gone with the wind, The Shawshank Redemption, Schindler's List, just a fun movie about discovery. Simple plot movies can still be fun and entertaining.

[shemps#1]

So you're agreeing with me that the plot was thin.

[Boid Brain]

Oh, I completely agree that plotwise the movie suffered. I remember commenting how weak it was compared to Jaws, E.T, Close Encounters and others. Spielberg was so busy with all the technical aspects of the project, and the writing suffered.

It was also a mistake to take the most interesting character out of the movie 1/2 way through, Golblums "Dr. Malcolm".

Sam Neal is a bore in everything I've seen him in, and compared to her performance in "Wild at Heart", Dern was no big addition to an otherwise great cast.

Like King Kong, the true stars of the movie were the technical wizards that created the creatures, set design and musical score.

[Curly4444]

So you're agreeing with me that the plot was thin.

Not thin, just simple. But it wasn't the type of movie that required it.

[Liz]

The problem with Jurassic Park is that the movie was all flash and no substance. The special effects were cutting edge, but the plot was paper thin and the acting was wooden.

I agree.  The movie itself was awesome, but Sam Neal (is that the fat guy?) was just a piece of work and annoying. 

[Dunrobin]

The first movie is entertaining enough (I think I rated it at 7 or 8 stars on IMDB,) and the special effects were awesome.  I liked Sam Neill better than Jim did; I actually found Jeff Goldblum more annoying.  Not one of Spielberg's best films, but I've watched it three or four times.

The other two, however, have extremely weak plots and are relegated to my "If there's nothing else on and I don't feel like picking out a DVD I might leave it on as background noise" category.


@Liz: Sam Neill was Dr. Alan Grant, the lead character.  The fat computer nerd ("Dennis Nedry") was played by Wayne Knight.

[Curly4444]

@Liz: Sam Neill was Dr. Alan Grant, the lead character.  The fat computer nerd ("Dennis Nedry") was played by Wayne Knight.

Don't you mean NEWMAN!!

[Liz]

The first movie is entertaining enough (I think I rated it at 7 or 8 stars on IMDB,) and the special effects were awesome.  I liked Sam Neill better than Jim did; I actually found Jeff Goldblum more annoying.  Not one of Spielberg's best films, but I've watched it three or four times.

The other two, however, have extremely weak plots and are relegated to my "If there's nothing else on and I don't feel like picking out a DVD I might leave it on as background noise" category.


@Liz: Sam Neill was Dr. Alan Grant, the lead character.  The fat computer nerd ("Dennis Nedry") was played by Wayne Knight.

Thanks, Rob.  Bottom line, he's wicked annoying.

[Curly4444]

Thanks, Rob.  Bottom line, he's wicked annoying.

He was an annoying little rodent in Jurassic Park, but he was funny as hell in Seinfeld.

[Boid Brain]

He was an annoying little rodent in Jurassic Park, but he was funny as hell in Seinfeld.

I've looked in his eyes....he is pure evil.