JURASSIC WORLD - Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Retrospective | PART 3

PART 3 - A Whole New World

JURASSIC WORLD

(June 12, 2015)

There was usually a 3-4 year gap between the previous Jurassic Park movies. But when it came to producing a fourth entry in the series, it was quite a wild ride through that development hell. Between 2004-2014, a ton of rumors about Jurassic Park 4 would pop up, such as the possibility of past actors returning, the plot revolving the lost embryos in the can of shaving cream, subplots involving dinosaurs as weapons and even half human/dinosaur hybrids. There was even a writer's strike to add to the many speed bumps.
Along the way, 3 crucial people to the series ended up passing away: Special Effects creator Stan Winston (June 15, 2008), Author Michael Crichton (November 4, 2008) and John Hammond's actor Richard Attenborough (August 24, 2014). For a time, it looked like a fourth film would never happen. But by a series of miracles including a new cast, a new director (Colin Trevorrow), the assistance of Legendary Pictures, life found a way.
22 years after the first movie, a new park is built on the same island, Isla Nublar. The newly christened 'Jurassic World' houses many unique dinosaur species, attractions and even rides.
After 10 years of success, a new attraction is getting ready to be unveiled, the parks first genetically engineered hybrid dinosaur: the Indominus Rex. Everything goes wrong and the Indominus escapes from its habitat and goes on a rampage. 
There is also a side plot involving using dinosaurs as weapons for the US government and it goes about how you'd expect. Even the characters themselves point out how much of a bad idea that is. 

I was one of those people who'd long hoped to see a new Jurassic Park movie. So when I saw the first trailer for Jurassic World, it was a dream come true.
I feel that Jurassic World did what Jurassic Park III didn't: Match the quality and strength of the original film. It has many of the same qualities: great characters, good story, amazing effects and the same amount of awe and wonder.
I had always wondered what a fully functional Jurassic Park would look like. All I had to go on was a park building game on GameBoy Advance and my imagination. But seeing it on film was mind-blowing and just made me want to go there myself. I was basically Ty Simpkins' character Grey, just overly excited about wanting to see everything in Jurassic World. Minus the crying about divorced parents.

However, not everyone loves it as I do. People have come up with some insane criticisms that just turn the movie unbearable to them. And honestly, I find these to be extremely nitpicky. Here are only a few examples:

Everyone gets their panties in a bunch about how Claire is able to run through the jungle while wearing high heels. Well, have you tried doing that? Bryce Dallas Howard sure did, she actually trained herself to do it. Just because something is hard to do doesn't mean it's impossible. Hell, Chris Pratt was able do it!

All I can say about the kids repairing the old Jeep Wrangler from the first film is: Did you really want the film to show the entire step by step process of them doing that? Maybe they did think of that, you're just too caught up in looking for flaws to think that.

But by far the biggest complaint about Jurassic World are the special effects. For the life of me I do not understand the problems people have with the digital effects in this movie. They look great, no different than the effects in the other films. I think it has something to do with the fact that the majority of the dinosaurs in this movie are digital. The only real animatronic used was the Apatasaurus head. My question is: SO WHAT?!?

Look, I love practical effects as much as anyone else, I practically grew up on them. I don't have a complete Ray Harryhausen movie collection for nothing. But I have come to love digital effects too for pushing the boundaries and giving life to things that were thought impossible before. And that's what the film makers wanted to show, and ultimately, that's their decision to make.
Would I loved to have seen more full size animatronics used in the movie? Absolutely! But I'm not gonna throw a fit over not seeing them. For what it's worth, I think the Dinosaurs in this movie look fantastic. Just be glad the CGI in this movie is as top notch as it is. I want you to look up the trailer for a movie from 2001 called "Reptilian", compare Jurassic Worlds CGI with the effects in that movie.
...
Yeah.

During production it was implied that Jurassic World would completely ignore the events of the previous sequels. I found that to be a little bothersome. Aside from that, I really can't think of any major faults I have. As far as story complaints go, most of them are already addressed in the movie itself. 
Alright, enough complaints. I'm not the kind of guy who will just hate a movie for silly little reasons, more praise is necessary.

Chris Pratt as Owen Grady, fantastic! I wanna see a future Jurassic sequel where him and Alan Grant get together and talk about Raptors.

The Indominus Rex is a really cool dinosaur as well as a pretty terrifying one. Pro-tip, when making a new dinosaur, DON'T give it thumbs!

Michael Giacchino's score is incredible. His music echo's the same awe, wonder, suspense and terror that John Williams gave us in the previous films.

The Pterosaur attack was pretty cool. Also, keep your eye's open for a cameo by singer Jimmy Buffet.

And then there's the final battle, probably the coolest freakin' thing in the entire film and maybe the series in general so far. I had a feeling that there was going to be a big dinosaur fight at the end, but I was not prepared for the epicness that would occur. It took a lot from me to not scream like a little kid in the theater.
If you meet anyone who say's the final fight isn't awesome, assume they are lying.

Overall, I think that Jurassic World is the best of the sequels, as well as a fantastic movie on it's own that honors and builds on the legacy of the franchise and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the series will evolve in future installments.

Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon

and I hope you've enjoyed your time here in my lair.

So long...

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THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK & JURASSIC PARK III - Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Retrospective | PART 2

Part 2 - Life finds a Way

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK

(May 23, 1997)

Because of the success of Jurassic Park, Speilberg immediately wanted to do a sequel. Michael Crichton was also asked by fans to write another book. Although he was initially hesitant to produce a continuation to his first novel, he eventually managed to work out an idea.
In 1995, the novel titled "The Lost World" was published. The film adaptation began production a year later. This time, Crichton had no involvement in the film whatsoever, preferring to let Spielberg do his own sequel to the film version of Jurassic Park.
Like before, the film deviates a bit from the book's plot and dark tone. 

It's revealed that a second island was used to manufacture and raise dinosaurs before they were moved to the original park. John Hammond sends a team of people to the island in order to document and observe the dinosaurs in their natural habitat so he can convince the world that the island needs to be left alone.
However, this is complicated by the fact that a team of hunters has also been sent to the island to capture dinosaurs and bring them back to a different theme park in San Francisco.
Eventually, both teams (referred to as Hunters and Gatherers by Spielberg) end up colliding with each other and have to survive the island together.

Aside from Richard Attenborough returning as Hammond, the only main character to return from the last movie is Ian Malcolm, played again by Jeff Goldblum. Goldblum is once again great in the role. He's no longer the wise cracker from the previous film, his experiences on the island have clearly affected him. The other characters are a bit of a mixed bag. The Gatherers are all pretty good, Vince Vaughn is especially entertaining to watch. The Hunters however are pretty much there to be eaten and not that interesting, with the exception of the character of Roland (Pete Postlethwaite), a Captain Ahab type determined to hunt a Tyrannosaur.
Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello have brief cameos in the film as Lex and Tim. One character in particular has drawn up some criticism, Kelly (Vanessa Lee Chester), Malcolm's daughter. Many folks wonder how she can be Malcolm's daughter, being that she's African-American. It's not that hard to figure out, remember this exchange from the last movie:
Grant: You got any kids?
Malcolm: Me? Oh, hell yeah, three. I love kids. Anything at all can and does happen. Same with wives, for that matter.
Grant: You're married?
Malcolm: Occasionally. Yeah, I'm always on the lookout for a future ex-Mrs. Malcolm.

And then there's this line from The Lost World:

Malcom: I'm not the one who dumped you here and split for Paris so don't take it out on me. 

How can people not connect the dots or draw their own conclusions? And as for that gymnastics scene? At least she did something that contributed to the action and saved her father!

Of course the dinosaurs in the first movie were amazing, but for The Lost World, it was clear that the production team had to up the ante. A few new species were introduced such as the Stegosaurus, Pachyephalosaurus, Parasaurolophus and the Compsagnathus. And even some returning creatures, including a pack of Velociraptors, 2 Adult Tyrannosaurs as well as an infant one.
The animatronics, puppets and CGI are once again top notch, giving us some of the most tense, scary and downright thrilling sequences. The Lost World even manages to include scenes from Michael Crichton's first novel, including the scene on the beach where the little girl is attacked by the Compy's as well as using one characters death for another character in the film involving the little green critters.

While The Lost World serves as a sequel to the first film, it's also a semi-remake of the 1925 silent film 'The Lost World', which was based on a novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. And nowhere is that more evident than in the climax. The 1925 film ends with explorers to an island of Dinosaurs bringing back a Brontosaurus back to London, only for it to escape and go on a rampage.
But this film ends with a Tyrannosaur being brought back to San Diego, only for it to escape and go on a rampage. This is the highlight of the film for me. We even get to see the it eat David Keopp, the man who wrote the screenplay and is listed in the cast as "Unlucky Bastard".
(I can't make that up!)

Everyone knew that Jurassic Park was going to be a tough act to follow, given how insanely popular it ended up being. As of now, there are 2 groups of people: Those that despise this movie for having bland characters, dumb plot elements and not living up to the original at all, and those that genuinely love the movie who are able to overlook, admittedly minor nitpicks and enjoy an adventure just as exciting as the last film.
Me? I'm in the latter category. Every time I watch this movie I find new things to like about it, I just recently got a Max Steiner vibe when listening to John William's score while watching the movie for this retrospective. As a reminder, Steiner scored the original King Kong. Even small things like the way the T-Rex scratches its neck while it walks through a neighborhood are character details that I appreciate.
I'll always like 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' as the kid who was obsessed with Dinosaurs and had a lot of the toys from the movie (and sadly lost/broke all of them), and as the adult I am now who still appreciates it.  

JURASSIC PARK III 

(July 18, 2001)

'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' was a huge success and a sequel was all but guaranteed. But the process of trying to get a script and plot outline was a bit of a mess and there wouldn't actually be a finished script during the filming.
As fate would have it, Steven Spielberg was busy with other projects and was unable to direct the film. Although he was able to serve as executive producer, Joe Johnston was chosen to be the director.
There would be no third Jurassic Park novel by Michael Crichton. Like the last movie though, JP3 would incorporate scenes found from the last 2 books into the film.
But did it all work out in the end? Well...Kinda.

Alan Grant (Sam Neill)returns to the series, coerced into joining a couple (William H. Macy & Tea Leoni) who want to fly to Isla Sorna, the island from the previous film, to serve as their guide. Unbeknownst to him, the couple are secretly looking for their son who got stranded on the island after a parasailing incident. From there, they end up on the island where they are pursued by the inhabitants and typical Jurassic Park shenanigans ensue.

Reactions to Jurassic Park III range from mixed to negative. And it's not hard to see why.

The talking Raptor in the plane is dumb. Most of the characters are boring and Amanda Kirby is probably the worst character in the whole series. You thought Lex's screaming was bad? Fay Wray would probably kick Amanda's ass while telling her to shut up. The fact that Grant and Ellie didn't end up together is a major disappointment. 
And now, we need to talk about the Spinosaurus. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Spinosaurus and I think it's a pretty cool dinosaur. It's just the way they used it to kill a T-Rex. It feels a tad disrespectful to kill off a beloved icon of the series, just to introduce a new bigger, badder predator. And the worst part is that it was done partially out of spite, the Paleontologist who helped with the production of the last Jurassic Park's is not a big T-Rex fan and wants you to think that the animal was primarily a scavenger instead of a hunter, even though there is plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise.

The first 2 movies ran just over 2 hours, but the third one only runs about an hour and a half. I feel like this ties into the fact that the script wasn't even done during filming. It feels more like I'm watching a Sci-Fi original movie. (Well, one that actually put in a BIT of effort).

Now that's what I don't like about the movie.
Truth be told, there's a lot to like about this movie. The special effects are still on point, I like the redesign of the Raptors, there are some really good action pieces and Sam Neill is easily the best actor in the movie.
I also like the look of Isla Sorna in this movie, instead of a lush jungle we're in a more misty dark area this time. The setting adds to the tension.
And then there's the birdcage scene. The movies have been teasing the presence of Pteranodon's for a while and now we finally get to see them in action. The whole scene is great.

While Jurassic Park III is objectively the worst movie of the series, I don't feel comfortable calling it that because I don't hate this movie. I will say that it is my least favorite of the series. Whenever I have myself a Jurassic marathon, I don't feel disappointed or hesitant to watch it. It's nowhere near as bad as sequels like Speed 2, Batman and Robin or Son of the Mask. It's just an OK movie and OK is better than awful.

Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon

and I hope you've enjoyed your time here in my lair.

So long...

If you would like to see more from The Gryphon's Lair, Be sure to give my Facebook page a 'LIKE' to see updates and other related stuff. Thanks for reading!

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JURASSIC PARK - Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Retrospective | PART 1

In coming up for idea's for new types of posts to do for this blog, I have a considerable list of retrospectives I wish to do. One of them was for the Jurassic Park series and with this year being the 25th Anniversary of the original film and 'Fallen Kingdom' coming out soon, I figure now is the perfect time to do so.
So ladies and gentlemen, without any further ado...

Part 1 - Welcome to Jurassic Park

JURASSIC PARK
(June 11, 1993) - June 11

Some people may not be aware of the fact that Jurassic Park began it's life as a novel. It all started with an idea by Michael Crichton, he conceived an idea of Dinosaurs being brought back to life through genetic engineering and put into a theme park for everyone to see. It may sound ludicrous, but hey, the MIT guys Crichton spoke to seemed to support it.
This rousing adventure and cautionary tale would end up becoming a best seller, but before it ended up being published, Crichton told one of his friends about it and he become adamant about wanting to make a movie based on Crichton's story. That friends name was Steven Spielberg.

Crichton himself would help to write the initial screenplay, which would then be revised by David Koepp. It ended up being very different from the novel. Some might say it's bad to deviate from the novel, because most movies based on books that change a ton of stuff NEVER go on to be classics, am I right? The novel was very dark, detailing a ton of violent and disturbing sequences. It's hard to say weather or not it would have become the major success it ended up being if it had kept to it's source material.
The basic story outline remains the same: Scientists are able to bring dinosaurs back to life and placed in a theme park/zoo on a remote island. The man behind the whole project, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) is pressured by his lawyer to bring in experts to verify the safety of the park after a previous incident. He invites 2 paleontologist, Alan Grant (Sam Neil) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Chaotician, Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) as well as his grandchildren (Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello) to go on a sneak peek tour. But the park security systems shut down, the dinosaurs become loose on the island and they must try to survive.

Before 1993, if you were to ask someone what the greatest Dinosaur movie was, you'd probably get the answer of 1925's The Lost World, One Million Years BC or even the immortal 1977 classic: The Last Dinosaur with Richard Boone.
Needless to say, Jurassic Park knocks them all at least 3 miles out of the ballpark. And it's not hard to see why.

Jurassic Park has an all around great cast, every single performance in the movie feels natural. I believe Sam Neil is a credible Paleontologist, I buy Jeff Goldblum as a quirky, mathematician obsessed with Chaos Theory and I get a lot of joy out of seeing Richard Attenborough excited at the prospect of the park he's created and I also feel bad when I see him realizing it's all falling apart.
Even the kids are great. They can be annoying at parts, between Tim's fanboying over Grant and Lex's screaming (Even Fay Wray would tell her to calm down). But it doesn't last for very long.

We've come a long way from seeing Dinosaurs portrayed as stop-motion puppets or super imposed lizards with fins spirit glued to their backs.The Academy Award winning visual effects of Jurassic Park are the stuff of legends, flawlessly combining practical animatronics and new computer generated imagery. You've probably heard the names Stan Winston (Animatronics), Dennis Muren (CGI), Phil Tippett (Dinosaur Supervisor) and Michael Lantieri (On Set Effects) before.
The main idea was not to see Dinosaurs portrayed as typical movie monsters but more as actual animals and the production team spared no expense (lol) in getting the best of the best in the business to work on the project. 
Even Paleontologist, Jack Horner was brought on to make sure that the Dinosaurs were brought to life on screen as accurately as possible.
It really is amazing to see the results of their labor. When Alan Grant says "It's...it's a Dinosaur!", that reaction pretty much mirrored everyone's reaction to seeing that Brachiosaurus for the first time. If you get a chance, I highly recommend picking this movie up on Blu-ray just to watch the bonus material. I mean, I can't be the one to give away all this movies secrets.

And do I even need to mention the iconic score? John Williams created a score that really emphasizes the awe, wonder and terror of what you see. It's just incredible.

I watched this movie all the time as a kid. Being a big Dinosaur lover already, I fell in love with this movie. I've probably watched it so many times, I'm sure I could recite certain whole scenes on command when asked to. I, like many others was amazed by it and scared by it. 
Spawning sequels, a ton of merchandise, theme park attractions and even a "Weird Al" Yankovic parody song, Jurassic Park continues to be a cinematic marvel, revered by critics and audiences alike. It's appeal doesn't appear to be going extinct anytime soon.

Till next time, I have been your host Gryphon

and I hope you've enjoyed your time here in my lair.

So long...

If you would like to see more from The Gryphon's Lair, Be sure to give my Facebook page a 'LIKE' to see updates and other related stuff. Thanks for reading!

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