Jurassic Park
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough, Jeff Goldblum
When billionaire John Hammond invites scientists Alan Grant, Ellie Satler and Ian Malcolm to his remote Costa Rican island for a weekend, what begins as a fantastical adventure with dinosaurs is quickly transformed into a struggle of survival when a power failure allows the dinosaurs to run wild on the island.
One of the most significant, yet ironic themes of “Jurassic World” is power and it is conveyed in two very distinct ways. To quote Ian Malcolm, “I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here; it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could…but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should”.
At first, the power illustrated in this film seems to be wielded exclusively by man; particularly by John Hammond, the owner of Jurassic Park, whose vision to dazzle the world with his dinosaurs comes with the ultimate price. To put it quite simply, he recreated the most powerful entities on Earth – the dinosaurs - and then his arrogance and pride compelled him to play God by giving himself dominion over them; to manipulate their genetic code and rob them of their ability to create life. His illusion of the power he wields over the dinosaurs is quickly thrown asunder when – in an ironic twist of fate – life does indeed find a way.
As the story unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that Hammond’s power over Jurassic Park is purely an illusion. While Alan and Ellie are awestruck by the sheer, majesty of the Brachiosaurus and the miraculous wonder of a dinosaur’s birth, none of them can truly appreciate the absolute power that the dinosaurs wield until they are ironically rendered powerless after the Tyrannosaurus Rex attacks Grant, Malcolm and the children during the tour of the park. From the moment she emerges from the stormy darkness, the T-Rex makes it absolutely clear who is truly in control of the island and it is definitely NOT the humans. While there are many moments during the film when her power is brought to bear on the humans, her final moment comes during the film’s climax when she returns to prove once and for all that she is the true queen of Jurassic Park. Although the Raptors are equally as deadly as the T-Rex, they possess a different kind of power. The T-Rex exudes a more physical power, while the Raptor's power is illustrated in their ability to coordinate their attacks and use their superior intelligence to overcome problems.
I first saw “Jurassic Park” when I was 9 years old. I remember feeling awestruck as I witnessed these magnificent creatures brought to life before my eyes. Now, 23 years later, that feeling is still very much present as I watch this film through the eyes of an adult. This movie is still epic. The casting is flawless, the musical score is stunning and the animation of the dinosaurs is absolutely spectacular. This is one film that I would highly recommend.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough, Jeff Goldblum
When billionaire John Hammond invites scientists Alan Grant, Ellie Satler and Ian Malcolm to his remote Costa Rican island for a weekend, what begins as a fantastical adventure with dinosaurs is quickly transformed into a struggle of survival when a power failure allows the dinosaurs to run wild on the island.
One of the most significant, yet ironic themes of “Jurassic World” is power and it is conveyed in two very distinct ways. To quote Ian Malcolm, “I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here; it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could…but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should”.
At first, the power illustrated in this film seems to be wielded exclusively by man; particularly by John Hammond, the owner of Jurassic Park, whose vision to dazzle the world with his dinosaurs comes with the ultimate price. To put it quite simply, he recreated the most powerful entities on Earth – the dinosaurs - and then his arrogance and pride compelled him to play God by giving himself dominion over them; to manipulate their genetic code and rob them of their ability to create life. His illusion of the power he wields over the dinosaurs is quickly thrown asunder when – in an ironic twist of fate – life does indeed find a way.
As the story unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that Hammond’s power over Jurassic Park is purely an illusion. While Alan and Ellie are awestruck by the sheer, majesty of the Brachiosaurus and the miraculous wonder of a dinosaur’s birth, none of them can truly appreciate the absolute power that the dinosaurs wield until they are ironically rendered powerless after the Tyrannosaurus Rex attacks Grant, Malcolm and the children during the tour of the park. From the moment she emerges from the stormy darkness, the T-Rex makes it absolutely clear who is truly in control of the island and it is definitely NOT the humans. While there are many moments during the film when her power is brought to bear on the humans, her final moment comes during the film’s climax when she returns to prove once and for all that she is the true queen of Jurassic Park. Although the Raptors are equally as deadly as the T-Rex, they possess a different kind of power. The T-Rex exudes a more physical power, while the Raptor's power is illustrated in their ability to coordinate their attacks and use their superior intelligence to overcome problems.
I first saw “Jurassic Park” when I was 9 years old. I remember feeling awestruck as I witnessed these magnificent creatures brought to life before my eyes. Now, 23 years later, that feeling is still very much present as I watch this film through the eyes of an adult. This movie is still epic. The casting is flawless, the musical score is stunning and the animation of the dinosaurs is absolutely spectacular. This is one film that I would highly recommend.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.