Jurassic Park 3D (2013)

 

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Written By: Michael Crichton (screenplay and novel), David Koepp

Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 4 / 5

 

First of all, let me just say that what exactly I'm going to review here is NOT the film itself. It's a classic, no doubt, and ended up being just as enjoyable and thrilling this time around as it did 20 years ago when I saw it on the big screen. But what I'm actually reviewing here is the 3D aspect and how it meshes (or not) with the film.

 

In this case, I have to say I was disappointed with the 3D. Coming into it, I had all these expectations and ideas about where in the original they could insert some awesome three dimensional action shots. Maybe I'm a bit naive, but isn;t that the purpose of 3D? To make us feel as if we are there? That the dinos on the screen are trying to rip us limb from limb? Not only didn't I get that sensation from Jurassic Park 3D, the extra dimension didn't even do anything to add quality to the original picture. The dinos looked exactly as I remembered, just rounder I guess.

 

Another issue I had with this version was that the pace seemed much, much quicker than I remembered. Back in 1993, I vividly recall the film's 127 minute running time not necessarily dragging, but going steady. Here, I felt that some scenes were tightened up, and yet to my knowledge there wasn't anything cut from the original. At any rate, these 127 minutes flew right on by.

 

These drawbacks are the only reason I didn't go ahead and give the film it's deserved 5 / 5. I'm happy I saw the story one more time on the big screen. I'm upset that I had to pay extra for an effect which ended up doing nothing special for Speilberg's masterpiece. Bummer.