Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Jurassic Park Comes Roaring Back

When I think about dinosaurs running rampant on the silver screen, only one thing comes to mind:Jurassic Park. This association runs deep in the veins of Western film viewers, and any other attempts to reuse dinosaurs would suffer in comparison. Therefore, to satisfy the moviegoers’ craving for paleontological terror, Hollywood has resurrected some old villains and made them three-dimensional.Jurassic Park 3-D, scheduled for release April 5, is a digitally remastered version of the original and commemorates the film’s 20th anniversary, and it’s highly enjoyable

The franchise began in 1993 and is based on the successful series of books by Michael Crichton. Steven Spielberg’s adaptation to the silver screen captivated audiences with the most advanced visual effects available at the time. Fellow movie genius George Lucas headed the sound effects crew, and together, they created an unforgettable audiovisual experience that set the stage for a decade of films.

The second and third installments fell short of the original’s box office success, and as a result, the franchise has been on hiatus since 2001. Nonetheless, speculation about a fourth movie began around 2002. The success of any sequel is partially due to high demand, so the minds behind the franchise needed to create demand for the fourth installment to be a success. Jurassic Park IV would be of much less interest to audiences if they were not first reminded why they should care.

Most people are familiar with the plot of the original movie, so the remastered film has been marketed to appeal to our nostalgic sides. Many films have been revamped and in theaters and proved to be successful with audience members of all ages. There is undoubtedly a market for old films touched up with current film technology.

This refurbished classic reminds older audiences of the audiovisual innovation that stamped the franchise into film history while also filling the void of prehistoric suspense for younger viewers. I imagine most of the crowd during the opening weekend for Jurassic Park 3-D will be fathers and their ten-year-old sons and daughters, all of whom will be falling in love again or for the very first time.

Some of the most cherished scenes thus far in Spielberg’s career can finally be presented as he intended them. From the first tyrannosaurus rex attack to the suspenseful scene with theVelociraptors in the kitchen, this version of the movie is simply breathtaking. For those who already love Jurassic Park, you won’t be disappointed. For those who did not know they loved Jurassic Park, you also won’t be disappointed.

The film was not originally shot for 3-D presentation, so Universal Studios took a chance with thisrerelease. If converting the film to 3-D had made the dinosaurs look anything less than authentic,Jurassic Park would have had to settle with being a thing of the past. But the new film is visually on par with other recent IMAX and 3-D releases, securing the franchise a place as a serious competitor in the market of 3-D films. While the film is showing its cultural age after 20 years – 90’s fashion was  the dinosaurs can never really go out of style.

Revamping the original film may just be enough to bring the franchise back to life and stir excitement for the fourth installment, which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2014. Spielberg seems to have given his full blessing to the continuation of the franchise. After pitching the idea for the 3-D version of the original in late 2011, some critics are calling this project, and I am one to agree, a masterpiece of a masterpiece. Anticipating the success of Jurassic Park 3-D, Spielberg recently agreed to be the fourth film’s executive producer.

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