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Title:	Jurassic Park: Collector's Edition (1993)
Studio Line:	Universal Studios - An adventure 65 million years in the making. Director Steven Spielberg's Jurassic masterpiece is back in this Collector's Edition containing interviews and special behind-the-scenes footage. One of the most successful films in worldwide box office history, Jurassic Park remains a most compelling and spectacular experience. This thrilling adventure features Sam Neil, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough. Featuring incredible special effects and action-packed drama, Jurassic Park takes you to a remote island where an amazing theme park with living dinosaurs is about to turn deadly, as five people must battle to survive among the prehistoric predators. Rediscover the breathtaking adventure you'll want to experience again and again.
Director:	Steven Spielberg
Cast:	Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, B.D. Wong, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Sameul L. Jackson, Wayne Knight
Academy Awards:	Won for Best Special Effects; Best Sound Effects Editing; Best Sound, 1994.
Box Office:	Budget: $63 million. Gross: $356.784 million.
DVD:	Widescreen 1.85:1/16x9; audio English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Surround; subtitles English, Spanish; closed-captioned; single sided - dual layered; 20 chapters; rated R; 127 min.; $26.98; street date 10/10/00.
Supplements:	Supplements: 50-minute "Making of Jurassic Park Documentary; "Early Pre-Production Meetings" video footage; Storyboards for Five Scenes; "Location Scouting" video footage; "Phil Tippett Animatics"; 70 Production Photos, Concept Paintings and Design Sketches; Three Trailers; Dinosaur Encyclopedia; Production Notes; Cast and Filmmakers Biographies; DVD-ROM Features.
Purchase:	DVD | Boxed Set | Novel - Michael Crichton | Score soundtrack - John Williams

Picture/Sound/Extras: A-/A-/B+ No filmmaker ever experienced a year quite like the one Steven Spielberg had in 1993. Both commercially and critically, his work dominated that term. In many ways, that's not especially exceptional. After all, a few other films that outgrossed their competition also took home many Oscars; the best examples are 1965's The Sound of Music and 1997's Titanic. Although TSOM only ranks 60th on the list of all-time box office, it rises all the way to third if we use adjusted grosses, while Titanic is first on the overall list and makes it to fifth even when we correct the money for inflation. Titanic was such a phenomenon that it not only outgrossed anything Spielberg did in 1993, but it also took home more Oscars than the material Steve released that year. However, I think Spielberg's achievement remains stunning because he did it with two separate films. Obviously what Titanic did was stunning, but to me, it seems even more amazing that one director could make two different movies in the same year that so dominated the world of film. Schindler's List was the big winner for Spielberg at the Oscars with seven, and it actually did surprisingly well at the box office too; although it was a three-hour plus black and white film about the Holocaust - no Leo and Kate romance here! - it still took in nearly $100 million in the US. The other Spielberg movie from 1993 didn't take home as many Oscars - it only grabbed three in technical categories - but it made a mint with a US gross of more than $350 million. Until Titanic, it also was the worldwide box office champ with a take of nearly one billion dollars. That film would be Jurassic Park, a movie that may be regarded as of lesser quality than Schindler's List but one that I find more satisfying, frankly, and that also had a much greater and more lasting impact on the industry. While well-made and effective, SL offered no innovations, whereas JP pioneered the use of computer graphics in film. No, I won't claim that JP was the first to use computer graphics for a movie, as plenty of films had already done so; most notable were James Cameron's pictures The Abyss (from 1989) and Terminator 2 (from 1991). However, JP really took things to a new level as they incorporated computer-made characters who were a) featured for very significant amounts of screentime and b) real, organic creatures, not science-fiction creations like liquid metal men or controlled water tentacles. And JP did so with stunning believability. Sevens years down the road, the computer effects have begun to show their age, particularly during the early daytime shots. However, even though we possess much greater visual sophistication today, the effects still hold up quite nicely; the dinosaurs have stayed quite realistic and remain pretty convincing. Many dismiss JP as being nothing more than an effects movie, but they're off-base with those accusations. No, we don't find any terribly-compelling or well-drawn characters in the film, and the plot is essentially limited to "run from dinosaurs and try to stay alive"; there's little in the way of character development or intrigue beyond the adrenaline-pumping thrills of the action scenes. And you know what? That's perfectly fine with me. Not every movie has to offer a deep, rich and intellectually-involving experience, and films would actually get fairly dull if they all did. Sometimes you need to watch something moderately brainless and fun and just go with the proverbial flow. JP fits that bill perfectly. By 1993, Spielberg had been in a slump for quite some time. His last solid action movie was 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and before that he hadn't produced anything even generally interesting since 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Actually, that latter film marked the beginning of his decline. Prior to it, Spielberg had made a nearly uninterrupted run of classic films; from Jaws in 1975 through E.T. in 1982, every movie of his was absolutely stunning except for 1979's absymal 1941. Temple was fairly entertaining but it didn't remotely approach the exceedingly-high standards set by its predecessor, 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark. Prior to JP, Spielberg had largely abandoned the action genre on which he made his name in favor of more "serious" dramatic fare like The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun. 1991's Hook marked a lackluster return to the field, but it was nothing more than a minor success at best. As such, even with some flaws, I was delighted to see JP because it meant that the Spielberg of old finally showed some signs of a return to form. No, it doesn't match up with better action films like Jaws or Raiders, but it provides some intense thrills throughout its running time. I can still remember how stunned I was by the knockout action of the first T-rex attack scene; this was masterful filmmaking that delivered everything we might ever want. The rest of the film could drag at times - scenes in which paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill) bonds with youngsters Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazello) are especially sickly-sweet - but they don't harm the story progress terribly and the respites they offer probably make the action segments all the more effective. As with many films of this nature, JP certainly includes its fair share of plot problems and stretches of reality and sensibility. For example, in one scene Grant and the kids need to climb a very tall electric fence. However, as we watch them clamber up it, I found it abundantly clear that the children - especially tiny Tim - could easily slip through the holes in the wire; they had no need to take the risks involved with going all the way to the top. For the most part, I let issues like this slide, and I do so also here, because I know the exact reason why Tim had to climb the entire fence: it made the scene more exciting. And more excitement is a good thing, at least in the case of a killer action flick like Jurassic Park. Not only does it stand as a landmark achievement in special effects technology but it also remains a darned fun little film that has kept me entertained over multiple viewings. Jurassic Park has some flaws but they're largely excusable when the result is this delightful. The DVD: Jurassic Park appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Although not without any concerns, the picture generally appeared terrific and it lives up to the high expectations that will greet this DVD. Although a few random shots looked slightly fuzzy, sharpness almost always appeared crisp and well-defined. The movie seemed clear and distinct during the vast majority of the film was accurate and detailed. Moiré effects and jagged edges presented few concerns, and I detected modest artifacts from the anamorphic downconversion on my 4X3 TV. As far as print flaws go, I saw a couple of bits of black grit and a white speckle or two but that was it; overall the image looked tremendously clean and fresh. Colors were natural and true, with hues that consistently seemed vibrant and lovely. For the most part, JP sticks with natural tones and doesn't provide a very bright palette, and the DVD reproduces this spectrum with warmth and clarity. Black levels were deep and rich, with strong contrast, and shadow detail appeared appropriately opaque but never came across as overly opaque. The movie seemed exceedingly well-lit, as nighttime scenes looked better than any other moments; there's no annoying "day for night" photography here! Ultimately, Jurassic Park provides a very satisfying image. Also very strong is the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack of the film. The soundstage favored the forward channels and used them very engagingly and effectively. Imagery spread cleanly and accurately across the front spectrum and the audio blended together nicely. The surround kick in a substantial amount of information, of course, especially during the larger action sequences. Actually, I thought the track seemed a little too subdued during the quieter segments; these could have benefited from a little extra activity. However, the loud scenes make up for this flaw as they provide very involving audio that adds immensely to the experience. Sound quality seemed very strong as well. Dialogue suffered slightly from the often-dubbed nature of much of it and some edginess at times, speech usually sounded natural and distinct, with no problems related to intelligibility. John Williams' score came across as bold and bright and displayed positive dynamic range. Effects were the highlight of the show, however, as they dominate the film's prominent audio moments. These parts of the mix sounded clear and crisp and didn't display even the slightest hint of distortion, no matter how high the volume went. When one considers just how loudly that T-rex roar can be, this fact seems fairly remarkable. The track featured some very nice low end as well, especially during those T-rex moments; the bass seemed tight and pretty well-defined, and it provided a powerful impact. The soundtrack to Jurassic Park doesn't match up with the best mixes that have appeared since its release, but it continues to provide very strong audio. Jurassic Park first appeared on video in October 1994, and I'm currently on my fourth disc-based version of the film. I bought the initial CLV laserdisc then got the Dolby Digital LD when I picked up a DD receiver in early 1998. Last year I found a copy of the much-acclaimed DTS laserdisc as well. The DVD makes version number four, and it's the first one that actually bothers to offer supplements; every prior edition presented only the movie. All I can say is this: it's about time! The JP DVD isn't packed with extras, but it provides a nice smattering of information. Actually, the first supplement I'll address did appear on LD, but not combined with the movie itself. "The Making of Jurassic Park" was available as a separate LD but never came out as any sort of special edition of the film, so this is the first time the two have been included together. Hosted by James Earl Jones, this 50-minute and five-second program mainly relates details about the technical aspects of creating JP and it does so in a very compelling and entertaining manner. We find a nice blend of then-contemporary interviews with Spielberg and key effects personnel like Stan Winston, Phil Tippett, Dennis Muren, Gary Rydstrom and others plus lots of great footage from the set and demonstration material. As such, when they discuss the evolution of the computer characters, we see just exactly how this occurred. The program also provides cool shots such as the puppet T-rex with the "shakes" when it got waterlogged, computer animators miming the actions of dinosaurs so they could create more realistic movement, and Spielberg's method to make a velociraptor scene more convincing for his actors. If I had to pick any flaws with this show - other than its too-brief length - it' d be the lack of involvement from non-technical participants; there are a few bits from author Michael Crichton, and we get a nice overview of dinosaurs in the movies, but nothing else from creative personnel. I would have enjoyed hearing some discussion of the process from actors point of view. Despite that omission, "The Making of JP" remains a very fun and intriguing program. (By the way, I have a sneaking suspicion the transfer for "Making of." came straight from that created for the LD. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd simply duplicated the LD itself! The start of the program offers the same FBI warning and Universal introduction found on the LD, two elements that aren't usually (ever?) found on Universal documentaries. The picture quality also seemed a bit weak, though perfectly acceptable for this sort of production.) "Early Pre-production Meetings" presents some technically crude but absolutely fascinating information. Videotaped by a locked-off camera that never pans or moves, the focus is on Spielberg but we also see Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and others as they discuss ideas for the development of the dinosaurs as characters. This piece lasts six minutes and 15 seconds but I would have enjoyed hours more. I absolutely love programs of this sort, as they genuinely let us see how the process works. These snippets are brief but fascinating. Also very interesting is "Location Scouting", in which we see Spielberg as he inspects potential sights for the exterior production. Actually, we barely see Steve, since he's the cameraman for this one minute and 55 second piece; I noted a glimpse of him in a mirror as he videotaped the excursion. Anyway, it's a pretty fun little show that allows us further insight into Spielberg's creative mindset. During "Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors in the Kitchen", we see the "go-motion" rendering of this action scene. The three minute program combines fairly well-rendered velociraptors with crude dolls for the other elements and provides the basis from which the computer animators operated. It's a cool look at this part of the process, especially since it's fun to see how closely the final product emulated this "dry run". "Storyboards" provides blueprints for five different scenes. Three of these made the final cut of the film ("T-rex Attack", "Raptors in the Kitchen", and "Jeep Chase"), but two did not. Although all of the boards are interesting, the two altered/omitted segments ("Baby Trike" and "The Original Ending") are clearly the most compelling of the bunch just because they didn't appear. "Baby Trike" is a trifle that doesn't offer much, but the "Original Ending" is intriguing; I'm not sure it wouldn't have worked better than the included finale. One point of note: the boards seemed to follow parts of the book more closely than the movie, as we see that Tim was originally planned to be older than Lex, just like in Crichton's novel. "Foley Artists" offers a brief overview of the work these sound effects personnel complete. We watch Dennie Thorpe as she brings audio to the raptor egg hatching scene in this one minute and 20 second piece. Nothing here will be news to anyone who has gone through similar explanations, but it's still a fun look at one of the more interesting and happily low-tech sides of filmmaking. Inside "Production Archives: Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Paintings" we find exactly what the title states. There are about 70 stillframes here that show snapshots from the set plus creature drawings and lush artwork created to influence the production design. The section is a little small - there has to be a lot more material than just 70 shots - but it's worth a look. In the "Trailers" area, we find the theatrical ads for both JP and The Lost World. There's also a promo for next year's JP III, but don't expect much from it; it offers no looks at the new production and is just a fairly generic teaser. The "Dinosaur Encyclopedia" provides a nice general history of a few different breeds. We learn about the dilophosaur, the velociraptor, the triceratops, the gallimimus, the T-rex, and the brachiosaur in entertaining little snippets. Additional text appears in two other sections. The "Production Notes" offer a short but solid history of the making of the film; they pack in a lot of good information. "Cast and Filmmakers" is less extensive. Although these listings cover 11 actors, we only learn about Spielberg and producers Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen on the production side, and the entries lack much detail. Jurassic Park provides a few DVD-ROM features than most discs and it does so with some flair. When you fire up the DVD, you get a screen that shows a vehicle at the gates of the park's entrance, and some beasties lurk in the bushes. The various critters act as links to different aspects of the disc. Click on the raptor and you'll be forwarded to the JP website (if you're online, that is). There you can enter a contest to win a collection of 30 Universal DVDs (the grand prize) or some other smaller items. On the JP site proper, you can send JP-themed postcards or learn more about the JP and Lost World DVDs through plot synopses and the same "Production Notes" and "Cast and Crew Biographies" that appear on the discs themselves. Actually, the biographies are truncated; although we find all 11 cast listings plus one for Spielberg and all of these include the same information found on the DVD, no other "crew" details appear. The JP website offers a "Downloads" section but despite repeated attempts, I couldn't get this to work. It also includes a link to a JP message board. One general note about this site: it moved very slowly for me. Your experience may differ, of course, but it was a plodding Highlight the T-rex to "log on here for an exclusive backstage pass to the set of JP III and more". That must be a future development, because all it does right now is send you to the main JP site. When there, if you activate the JP III, you discover nothing more than a JP III logo and a "coming summer 2001" statement. Clicking the brachiosaur lets you do nothing more than sign up for a Universal newsletter. When you target the jeep in the center of the screen, you're sent to the disc's non-DVD-ROM bonus materials. When you click on the dilophosaur, two options become available. You can install a fairly lame T-rex screensaver in which Rexy chases a Jeep around various parts of your monitor or you can fire up a "JP Custom Web Browser". I tried out the latter and thought it looked kind of cool but it was very busy and it seemed to slow down access, so I ditched it pretty quickly. Finally, the DVD-ROM area provides other weblinks to Universal Studios, Universal Home Video, Universal DVDs, and Universal Pictures. Of course, any of these sites or those for JP itself are available to those without DVD-ROM drives, but the disc collects them nicely. While this DVD of Jurassic Park doesn't quite live up to the supplement-packed special edition I've lusted after for the last seven years, it's still a nice package that provides a lot of quality material. The movie itself remains very exciting and fun; I've watched it multiple times but it continues to entertain and excite me. The DVD provides very strong picture and sound plus a complement of fine extras; we don't get the exhaustive package I'd love, but the materials add a lot to the value of this set nonetheless and they'll definitely receive multiple viewings by me. Put simply, Jurassic Park is a terrific DVD that approaches "must own" status for fans of quality action films. Menu: DVD Movie Guide | Archive | Top