Hi, my name is Annice and until recently I had never seen Jurassic Park.
Last year I watched Die Hard for the first time and it immediately became my favourite Christmas movie. That encouraged me to tackle another long-standing cinematic blind spot: Steven Spielberg’s 1993 dinosaur epic, Jurassic Park.
For the first time in this little series, my expectations were high—and the opening delivered.
Could Jurassic Park have one of the most intense opening sequences in any blockbuster? I thought it was a nice movie with some dinosaurs, but then a man is eaten in the very first scene. This definitely doesn’t feel like a film made for small children.
After the shocking prologue, we meet the core group of characters.
First is John Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough. Hammond is a wealthy entrepreneur who has somehow cloned dinosaurs and wants to create a theme park so people can share in the wonder. He assembles a group of experts to inspect the science and give the park their approval.
The team includes: the pragmatic lawyer Gennaro; chaos theorist and charismatic Ian Malcolm; palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant; and palaeobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler. Samuel L. Jackson appears later in a memorable, constantly smoking role. It’s an incredible ensemble cast.
Jurassic Park hooks you from the opening titles, but the first full reveal of the dinosaurs is truly something else. It’s a masterclass in cinematic staging and pacing.
Spielberg makes us experience the reveal through the characters’ reactions. He tightens the shot on each face—one after another—so that the anticipation builds like dominos. That sequence magnifies the film’s sense of childlike wonder while cleverly managing audience expectation.
Each character reacts in a way that suits them: Dr. Sattler marvels at the plant life and almost misses the dinosaurs beside her; Dr. Grant collapses to the ground in stunned amazement; Ian Malcolm blurts out, “You did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you did it”; and the lawyer, true to form, immediately thinks about profit: “We’re going to make a fortune with this place.”
When Hammond says, “Welcome to Jurassic Park,” the line carries weight—what could possibly go wrong?
The John Williams score swells and amplifies the emotional impact. Williams’ music is so evocative that I immediately wished I had seen the film in a theater with the full surround sound treatment. This soundtrack is bound to stay with me for a very long time.
About 25 minutes in I began to suspect Hammond had a dangerous ego. Not outright malevolent, but the kind of person who gets a God complex—someone who thinks they’re above the consequences. The movie softens that edge compared to the novel, where his character is portrayed more harshly, but Attenborough’s warmth makes Hammond feel less sinister on screen.
Spielberg’s storytelling choices are precise. He places the audience on the same tour as the characters: we learn about DNA with them, we witness the attractions, and we share their growing unease. The pacing is brilliant—he teases smaller dinosaur encounters and uses the lack of payoff to build suspense before the first major T. rex appearance. When the T. rex finally arrives, it’s still as impressive and terrifying as audiences remember—even decades later.
The film then pivots sharply into chaos: a man is eaten while on a toilet, cars end up in trees, and children face mortal danger. What makes Jurassic Park so effective is how it mixes the fantastical threat of dinosaurs with everyday hazards—heights, broken fences, electrified systems—turning ordinary fears into life-or-death stakes. This blend makes the danger feel immediate and plausible.
Young Tim, in particular, seems to have several lives. He survives a car collapse, a severe electric shock, and even an encounter with the Velociraptors. Watching him repeatedly dodge disaster is both tense and oddly heroic—he certainly earns a nickname like “Big Tim—Human Piece of Toast.”
Recommended for you: Jurassic Park / World Movies Ranked
One of the film’s most refreshing elements is its portrayal of strong female agency. For a 1993 blockbuster, it feels progressive: the pack dynamics of the dinosaurs are explained in a way that flips expectations, and Laura Dern’s Dr. Ellie Sattler emerges as a decisive, competent hero who drives key action sequences. While some male characters are sidelined—injured or occupied with protecting the children—the female lead takes charge and saves the day more than once. That representation still feels satisfying today.
Overall, I absolutely loved Jurassic Park. I don’t know why it took me so long to see it. The film has everything you want from a family-friendly adventure: thrilling set pieces, memorable characters, outstanding visual effects for its time, and a stirring score. It’s smart, suspenseful, and often surprisingly tender, all at once.
This unexpectedly feminist and endlessly entertaining tale would have been a film that younger me appreciated. It’s now a new favorite for lazy Sunday mornings and repeated viewings alike.