In summary: Very few films were taking dinosaurs seriously. Until 1993.
The After
The late novelist Michael Crichton had wanted to capture the public’s fascination with dinosaurs for some time, but his Jurassic Park did what previous portrayals had failed to do: ground the story in believable science, and give audiences thoughtful questions to ponder. Can we play God with nature? Is science immune to the corruption of corporate greed?
It was the perfect source material for Spielberg, master of blending spectacle and pathos. Despite a decade of success already with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and the Indiana Jones trilogy, Hook, in 1991, left him wanting more. Jurassic Park offered a new technological challenge: Dazzle viewers with the most terrifying, photorealistic dinosaurs we’d ever seen, then force us to reckon with it. As Reece summarizes, the film ended up working on both levels: “Tired: This movie is about the destructive nature of man, the dangers of unchecked power, and the innate will of the perseverance of life in all forms. Wired: Dinos rock.”
Though bigger than anything that came before, Edwards suggests Jurassic Park is most remarkable for its restraint. “It’s that great line in the movie, ‘Just because you could doesn’t mean you should,’” the director says. “Because you can do anything now with visual effects and technology, doesn’t mean it’s the best thing to do.” While shooting Rebirth, Edwards focused on harnessing our imagination with a less-is-more approach, remembering that, astoundingly, Jurassic Park had just over 60 computer graphic shots. “The average movie now has 1500,” says Edwards, “and [Jurassic Park] is a masterpiece.”
