I was born just a little too late to buy into the whole Jurassic Park thing. But I can totally see how those of the right age or mindset could come to view it as something of a classic... hell, I might've very well been one of them myself! It also doesn't help that the essence of what makes dinosaurs fascinating was captured more whole-heartedly in The Land Before Time and that segment of Fantasia. This is my roundabout way of saying nostalgia may or may not be a factor in its continuing survival in the popular culture landscape. To say that I was sort of half-expecting Jurassic world to be a cynical nostalgia cash-grab wouldn't be much of an exaggeration. Heck, I wouldn't have even given it the time of day had my hand not been forced due to babysitter duties.
I was pleasantly surprised to find I was genuinely entertained by this. Not only that, but it kind of got pretty close to that uniquely Spielbergian sense of timeless wonder that the man himself has struggled to recapture for near on two decades now. Sure, it's a bit dumb and hyper-kinetic to a fault—not to mention it's got plotholes out the wazoo—but the characters are likeable, and stuff like the dinosaurs being "tamed" is justified with the level of respect and understanding they deserve. The whole romance thing feels a bit tacked on and underdeveloped, but... it's a summer blockbuster. It's one of those things you just have to go with.
The dinosaur scenes are tense and action-packed, just like they're supposed to be in a film like this. It even takes the time to stop and let the characters receive some minimal depth every now and again. Most of all, it's got an infectious sense of belief in its own strengths as a film, that feels lacking in oh so many of its blockbuster buddies. Connections to previous films are downplayed, and merely enhance certain scenes rather than devolving into nostalgic pandering.
Having already broken box office records and liable to break a few more after time of writing, does it live up to the hype? To a point, I'd say yes. while its artistic merits are cut short due to its status as a dumb, action-y romp, it revels in this. You get exactly what you pay for. And hey, that's not always a given these days!
Top of the food chain?
I was born just a little too late to buy into the whole Jurassic Park thing. But I can totally see how those of the right age or mindset could come to view it as something of a classic... hell, I might've very well been one of them myself! It also doesn't help that the essence of what makes dinosaurs fascinating was captured more whole-heartedly in The Land Before Time and that segment of Fantasia. This is my roundabout way of saying nostalgia may or may not be a factor in its continuing survival in the popular culture landscape. To say that I was sort of half-expecting Jurassic world to be a cynical nostalgia cash-grab wouldn't be much of an exaggeration. Heck, I wouldn't have even given it the time of day had my hand not been forced due to babysitter duties.
I was pleasantly surprised to find I was genuinely entertained by this. Not only that, but it kind of got pretty close to that uniquely Spielbergian sense of timeless wonder that the man himself has struggled to recapture for near on two decades now. Sure, it's a bit dumb and hyper-kinetic to a fault—not to mention it's got plotholes out the wazoo—but the characters are likeable, and stuff like the dinosaurs being "tamed" is justified with the level of respect and understanding they deserve. The whole romance thing feels a bit tacked on and underdeveloped, but... it's a summer blockbuster. It's one of those things you just have to go with.
The dinosaur scenes are tense and action-packed, just like they're supposed to be in a film like this. It even takes the time to stop and let the characters receive some minimal depth every now and again. Most of all, it's got an infectious sense of belief in its own strengths as a film, that feels lacking in oh so many of its blockbuster buddies. Connections to previous films are downplayed, and merely enhance certain scenes rather than devolving into nostalgic pandering.
Having already broken box office records and liable to break a few more after time of writing, does it live up to the hype? To a point, I'd say yes. while its artistic merits are cut short due to its status as a dumb, action-y romp, it revels in this. You get exactly what you pay for. And hey, that's not always a given these days!