Jurassic Park
Gets Even Better
Libba Smith
I recently had the greatest cinematic experience of my life when I saw “Jurassic Park” in 3D. My friend and I were the only two people in the theater, and we spent the entire time shouting at the screen and giving each other color commentary on the action. I saw “Jurassic Park” for the first time over spring break, and now I have no idea how I didn’t see it at some point in my youth. My mother said that she remembers seeing it in theaters without her children, and while I don’t blame her for wanting some peace without a bunch of screaming minions around her, I am a bit perturbed that she didn’t at least bring me a copy on VHS.
While I loved “Jurassic Park” in its original form, it doesn’t hold a candle to the 3D. We dodged a stampede, narrowly avoided a falling Jeep and hunkered down to avoid velociraptors that were chasing us through an industrial-sized kitchen. Putting “Jurassic Park” into 3D was the greatest movie bolt of inspiration since someone decided to cast Jeff Goldblum in a role that often requires him to be shirtless.
3D has come a long way in a few short years. I saw the guinea pig spy movie, “G-Force” a few years ago in 3D, and I only remember noticing the special effects once. It was flat and lackluster. A movie like “Jurassic Park” is perfectly suited to 3D, with intense action scenes and plenty of opportunities for dinosaurs to jump out at the audience. I used to hate the idea of 3D, believing that it was only another excuse to jack up movie prices, but after “Jurassic Park,” I am a staunch believer in the medium. I’m even excited to see “The Great Gatsby” in 3D. My ticket for “Jurassic Park” wasn’t as high as I had expected, at only $9.50; still steep as movies go, but as 3D improves and more movies are made with it, the price will go down.
One possible deterrent against 3D is the potential for health problems. My family saw “Life of Pi” in 3D with my grandmother, and she spent the entire time with a popcorn bucket between her knees because she was convinced that she was going to throw up. This would have been the second most disgusting thing I had ever seen her do, after eating whole pigs’ feet. But she is 82, and she still claimed to enjoy the movie after it was over.
People go to the movies to be immersed in another world, to lose themselves in others’ lives and forget their own concerns for a few exhilarating hours. Nothing will ever replace the experience of sitting in a darkened theater and waiting with bated breath for the movie to start. Adding 3D to the mix only elevates the experience, helping the viewer to be physically transported to another world, even a world as far-fetched as a distant island crawling with dinosaurs.