I just got back from seeing Jurassic World and… don’t worry
a review will be coming very shortly, maybe even on the same day as this post.
But for now while I get my thoughts together this offers me the perfect
opportunity for another ‘Franchise so far…’ the series that my one reader
enjoys, maybe (I don’t really know).
What can be said about Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park that
hasn’t been said a million times already? The most iconic dinosaur film of all
time that inspired a generation and spawned a thousand imitators achieves its
immortality through a number of means. There are well developed characters, awe
inspiring music (seriously, that John Williams score is up there as one of the
best in cinema history, along with that other one by John Williams, that other
one by John Williams and the Star Wars score by… I forget). The elephant in the
room, or dinosaur rather, are those stunning CGI effects. Despite the infamous
nature of 1990s CGI these special effects still hold up today, most;y because there
are a number of methods such as animatronics and still models to try and bring
the amazing creatures to life. Famously one stop-motion specialist (whose name
escapes me and I cannot be bothered to research it) was quoted as saying ‘I
think I’m extinct’ when he first saw the Dinosaurs.
But of course the ground-breaking, or ground-shaking,
special effects are only half the story. Less famously Spielberg cut and edited
the entire movie without any CGI at first to ensure that he had made a good
film with or without the effects. When I re-watched it recently I tried to look
at it from that perspective and in all honesty I can say that it does. The
subtle yet chilling ways that Spielberg builds tension and drama puts you in a
heightened sense of anticipation so that the CGI is only needed as a climax,
everything else is brought naturally. The directorial touches and character development
all elevate Jurassic Park above the usual blockbuster.
The huge success of the first film obviously made a sequel a
foregone conclusion, with Spielberg returning to direct it. Criticism of The
Lost World has been more mixed, but personally I think it’s still very
impressive. Not on the same scale as Jurassic Park obviously but on every
standard, whether compared directly to the original or as a standalone film, it
works just fine. Spielberg took a different approach to this one, as he did
with Indiana Jones he took the franchise in a different direction while staying
true to the main themes and philosophies. The structure is changed a bit as we
now know what’s happening, what’s awaiting us on the island. But somehow it
still works mostly with suspense, action and humour throughout. There are
moments of greatness like the raptors in the long grass as they pick off members
of the search party one by one.
Most of the main problems people have with the film are addressed
in some way if you look closely, for example ‘Why didn’t they bring guns?’ because
this time they are there to document, and given that maybe for once people in
movies actually learn something and following the events of the previous film
they may be making more of an effort not to disturb the creatures. However
there are still some flaws, a claustrophobic kitchen scene is replaced by a
chase through a warehouse that lacks the excitement of the tension of the former,
a small girl inexplicably kicking a raptor out of a window, and the sudden
transition to San Diego that though the payoff is pleasing, it’s so abrupt that
it nearly throws you off. While The Lost World can’t match the original
Spielberg uses his directorial talents again to craft a fun and worthy sequel.
Jurassic Park 3, okay. Not directed by Spielberg and many
people see it as a drop for the franchise. I believe that… they are right to
think that. Even watching this as a child I could sense a difference in tone
and development. Opening shots include some terrible green-screen and
throughout the film there’s a painful over reliance on CGI that simply does not
look as good. The first two still hold up, this one doesn’t as a result. Character
changes also alter the lasting effect of the first film’s character
relationship and of course, there’s the raptor dream. Pointless, confusing,
badly dubbed, cringe worthy and horrendously ridiculous, you see the problems
with it. The characters are not as well fleshed out either and when animatronics
are used they are also a let-down, not quite blending seamlessly with the
animation. The run time is also cut and that feels like a TV movie instead, as
well as a heightened death toll that totals to a lesser impact than any one
death of the first. No Spielberg, no Goldblum, no result.
So can Jurassic World rectify this and bring the franchise
back to the glory days of the franchise, find out soon. Also what’s your
favourite Jurassic Park scene from any of the three movies, leave a comment
below and keep reading.
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