Jurassic Park1993

99/100 Jurassic Park has been one of my favourite films of all time since I first saw it many years ago. It wasn't my introduction to the franchise, but it's my favourite by far. It's incredible how well the movie holds up even today. Everything about it just works. Spielberg's direction is at its height here, you can really see the work that goes into all the whimsical scenes while still working for more horrifying moments. Just like Jaws, the decision to hold off on the dinosaurs adds atmosphere, building it until they finally arrive, and when they do, it's brilliant. This movie defined the names T-Rex and Velociraptor for many households, and is the main reason I love these animals even today. One thing I like about this movie is how each dinosaur has something different about it in its design which makes it recognizable, especially with the body language. The huge, blocky T-Rex and the slender, more stylized Velociraptor are personal favourites of mine which haven't been surpassed by future entries. The sound design also works great to emphasize this, with the T-Rex having a larger roar, the Velociraptor's evil hiss and even stuff like the Brachiosaurus' gentle lowing and the Dilophosaurus transitioning from an almost cute chirping to hissing viciously at the drop of a hat. The filmmakers took great care to make sure each dinosaur had its own unique vibe. The characters here are also great, which is something the sequels lack. I really got attached to Alan Grant's arc, the way he's stuck in the past just as much as the creatures he studies, from his hatred of technology to him not working well with kids. Him "evolving" over the course of the movie was a nice touch which gives it a much-needed emotional core (though I could do with less of Tim). John Williams once again swoops in to make even ordinary scenes magical with his score. I believe it's one of his best, if not his best, and I'll never forget that main theme. His music is a consistent high point of Spielberg's movies. The effects are also great here, better than perhaps any other movie I've seen. The blend of CGI and animatronics works to make sure that the elements support each other, resulting in one of the most realistic-feeling films ever. The dialogue is also very good, it works very well for the characters. There are some attempts at comedy I didn't like, but they're few and far between, and weren't even that bad. It's telling that even when the movie falls below the mark, it still isn't bad. This is one of those rare movies which are truely near-perfect. Every character works, every scene works, every dinosaur works and it's all just a joy to watch. John Hammond may have failed to wow audiences as he wished, but Steven Spielberg sure didn't, instead delivering one of the best movies ever made.