In terms of captivating children, few things work as well as dinosaurs. These 65-million-year-old movie stars were cemented in the minds of countless children with the 1993 film Jurassic Park. I was one of many whose dinosaur craze began here, when new-age special effects collided with the brilliant mind of director Steven Spielberg in what would become the most successful film of its time. Despite being known as a landmark achievement in CGI integration, the film also contains numerous rhetorical devices and motifs that are quite relevant today.

The special effects are what really garnered my attention back then, and I thought little of acting or plot.  All I recall are certain dinosaur scenes, usually the “first reveal” of a new dinosaur, such as the awe-inspiring Brachiosaur (shown below), and John Hammonds iconic line, “Welcome to Jurassic Park.”

The film is based on the novel by the same name from the legendary science fiction author Michael Crichton. At the helm of the project was renowned director Steven Spielberg, who worked to finish the film while simultaneously shooting for the critically acclaimed Schindler’s List. The rag-tag scientist cast was led by Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. Additionally, the soundtrack for the film was composed by John Williams, who is considered by many to be the greatest film composer of all time.

Looking back on these details of the film, it certainly possesses all the right ingredients for critical and box office success. Today, the film is regarded by many as a science fiction classic and, as evidenced by the five sequel movies, a fan favorite. One fan even went as far as to call it, “one of the greatest films of all time.” Upon initial release, however, the film was met with mixed reviews from critics. In fact, some would describe the plot and characters development using Dr. Ian Malcom’s words: “That is one big pile of sh*t.”

Robert Ebert, one of the most respected cinema critics in history, said Jurassic Park, “could have been so much more,” and lacked a, “sense of awe and wonderment” throughout the movie.  Ebert’s comments are referring to the lack of character development throughout the film, an issue pointed out by several critics soon after the 1993 release. However, after watching the film today with character growth in mind, I can confidently disagree with this argument.

The most apparent example is Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil), who’s arc clearly takes him from not wanting anything to do with children to learning to love and protect them. Throughout the film, several moments are dedicated to show his progression, culminating with him risking his life to save John Hammonds (Richard Attenborough) grandkids (shown below). However, the most interesting character discovery, not so much growth, is that from the parks creator.

John Hammond, dressed from head-to-toe in white, is the God-like billionaire who lords over his designer-dinosaur theme park, while workers and employees are regularly shown doing the heavy lifting to keep the park going. An interesting dichotomy quickly emerges between Hammond and his busy worker bee Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), whose betrayal ultimately leads to the parks system failing. As pointed out by Dr. Ian Malcom early in the film, Hammond had, “read what others had done and…took the next step”, and he, “didn’t earn the knowledge.” Hammond had not contributed to the technological developments, the research, or the physical construction of the park. Hammond sought to make this park more tangible than his first outing, a flea circus, which relied on creating an illusion (fleas were not actually bouncing up and down on a see-saw). By the films end, it is Hammond who was blinded by an illusion of his own creation, not his customers, believing he could contain the awesome power of genetic engineering and manipulate nature.

Watching the film today, the special effects are still fantastic, but unfortunately not as great as I remembered them. However, for what the film may have lost to me in visual appeal, it has easily made up for in relevant rhetoric. Since the genetic engineering tool CRISPR hit mainstream science in the mid-2000’s, scientists and governments have struggled to consider its true power, that is, the ability to precisely edit genetic code. We are on the cusp of a time when a Jurassic Park-type project is possible, as the engineering hurdles of DNA reconstruction are now much lower. Having this knowledge and understanding of the science, as well as the ability to identify symbolism and motifs, has drastically increased my appreciation of this film and its underlying themes.

-Jason Talbott