Jurassic Park 3D

I have always been of the opinion that 3D movies (and games) are just a cheap gimmick. A fad that will eventually fade away. Hopefully someday soon.

However, I could not pass up the opportunity to see Jurassic Park in a theater again. I first saw it 20 years ago, during its original theatrical release, and I remember being completely in awe of it. Jurassic Park is what made me love dinosaurs and it's something that, to this day, I still hold dear in my heart. Now, seeing it again today in a theater after 20 years, I can say that those feelings haven't changed. I was overwhelmed by every aspect of the movie. The score, the acting, the cinematography, the DINOSAURS. It is all still so breathtaking and amazing to see come to life on a big screen. Steven Spielberg is a genius. No one else could have made this movie what it is. And all of the actors did a remarkable job. When I was younger, I watched every movie Joseph Mazzello ever made because he was such an incredibly talented actor, even at such a young age. And even now, he still is (as you can see in The Pacific). I don't think I need to say how perfect Sam Neill was in his role, I'm sure everyone already knows.

After all this time, Jurassic Park has not lost its magic. It is the type of film that can easily make a dinosaur enthusiast out of anyone, regardless of age. Seeing them come to life on screen is incredible. The raptors have always been my favorite dinosaurs in the movie, but there is no denying how iconic the scene with the T-rex is, as he takes that fence down with his giant claws and walks out onto the road. Also, watching Dr. Grant drape himself over a Triceratops, feeling it inhale and exhale, with a smile on his face, is enough to make me smile, as well. Because I would have the exact same expression if the roles were reversed.

Jurassic Park is one of the few movies that I can still watch over and over and never stop being amazed by it. It will always be one of my favorite films and I am so happy that they decided to give it a rerelease, even if it is in 3D. And to be honest, it was VERY well done. There were not just a few 3D effects scattered throughout the movie, the entire thing was redone. The standout scene, for me, was when Tim is stuck inside the car after it falls into the tree. Each branch extends out from the screen and it looks great.

That being said, I did have a few issues with it. The one Jurassic Park-specific issue I had is that they didn't really utilize 3D in the scenes with the T-rex. When it is chasing the jeep, the would have been the perfect scene to throw some 3D effects in and they really didn't. They did make great use of the raptors later on though.

All my other complaints are about 3D in general. The glasses distributed did not fit well over my own glasses and it was uncomfortable to wear them because of it. Most scenes that included 3D effects seemed very out of focus and I felt as if I had to squint my eyes to see more clearly, but of course, that didn't make the images any sharper. It was very difficult for me to look at because it bothered my eyes so much. All in all though, the movie looked amazing and if you get a chance to see it in 3D, you really should. Even just to see it in a theater setting again.