Jurassic Park 1993

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: Jurassic Park is an astonishing success in one sense and one sense only: It is the monster of all monster movies, guaranteed to challenge weak bladders, flutter heartbeats and win automatic Oscars for the [tech crew]. Read more

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune: The characters aren't much more well-defined than the anonymous victims of a teen horror movie... The dinosaur effects, however, are absolutely stunning, and sometimes so natural that one even forgets to be impressed. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Do the dinosaurs work? Indeed they do. Does anything else? Not really. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: This is as close as any of us is likely to get to witnessing life in prehistoric times. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: The earthshaking footfalls of these lizard-kings are palpable and terrifying. Spielberg's crew of dinosaur-effects artists has conjured up a Mesozoic menagerie whose realism outdoes anything in cinema history. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: The 3-D process adds not just dimension but depth - a technological extension of cinematographer Gregg Toland's deep-focus innovations in The Grapes of Wrath and Citizen Kane. The change in perspective creates greater intensity. Read more

Janet Maslin, New York Times: Mr. Spielberg has great fun with every last growl and rumble signaling the approach of danger... Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: There's more soul to be found in any Kong close-up than in this film's overplayed reactions. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: I'm a fan of this movie. It is thrilling, and the 3-D treatment is a nice enhancement. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Spielberg's peerless twin gift has always been for making the fantastic seem real (Close Encounters, E.T., the Indiana Jones trilogy) and the real fantastic (Jaws). Read more

Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter: The well-selected cast is winningly sympathetic and entertainingly idiosyncratic. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: "Jurassic Park" remains an absolute thrill from a Spielberg in top form: Funny, scary, fast-moving and full of just-right details. Read more

Terrence Rafferty, New Yorker: For all the ingenuity of the movie's engineering, Jurassic Park doesn't have the imagination -- or the courage -- to take us any place we haven't been a thousand times before. It's just a creature feature on amphetamines. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: In the end, Jurassic Park succeeds because it's good entertainment. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: You want great dinosaurs, you got great dinosaurs. Read more

Nell Minow, Chicago Sun-Times: Spielberg has gone on to weightier and more prestigious projects, but this thrill ride is one of his best and a masterpiece of the genre. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: This movie doesn't just stand the test of time, it transcends it. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: Spielberg is still supreme as an action director, and when the T Rex makes beefburger of the jeep, or the vicious 'Raptors stalk their human prey, the film inspires wonder and awe. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: May be one-dimensional and even clunky in story and characterization, but definitely delivers where it counts, in excitement, suspense and the stupendous realization of giant reptiles. Read more

Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice: That T. rex is worth the wait, but the wait itself is even more memorable. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: Jurassic Park shows us a director in transition, and the film captures his transformation in its own kind of cinematic amber. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: The enthralling man-vs.-nature parable based on the late Michael Crichton's best-selling novel hasn't aged one bit. Read more

Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: "Jurassic Park" was impressive in 1993. Twenty years later, it's flawless. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: This is Jaws with huge, scaly ridges. At times, it's more frightening. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: Jurassic Park does for live-action critters what Who Framed Roger Rabbit did for toons. In that sense, it's a cinematic landmark, but in terms of plot and character, it's about as well developed as Godzilla. Read more