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THE REWATCHABLES · June 14, 2018

Jurassic Park

A 1993 sci-fi / adventure directed by Steven Spielberg, covered in the complete Rewatchables archive.

Sci-fiAdventure1990sDirected by Steven Spielberg
Overall episode#35Source sheet order
Movie year19931990s
Tomatometer91%Critics’ score
Metacritic68View score
Roger Ebert3/4Original star rating
DirectorSteven SpielbergSci-fi / Adventure

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

The episode argues that Jurassic Park remains a near-perfect, highly rewatchable blockbuster because Spielberg balances childlike wonder with adult suspense, using practical effects and early CGI in a way that still feels vivid. The hosts repeatedly praise the T-Rex attack, the raptor kitchen sequence, and the film's tactile craftsmanship, while noting a few dated elements such as goofy character beats and thin science.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

  1. 01The T-Rex attack remains the clearest, most wondrous set piece and a model of suspense built from small beats. Opening minutes
  2. 02The raptor kitchen sequence still plays as Hitchcockian suspense and uses sound design and blocking brilliantly. About 8 min
  3. 03The movie's practical-plus-CGI effects combination still holds up because it feels tactile and specific. About 8 min
  4. 04The Brachiosaurus reveal still produces awe because the scene is constructed to let viewers experience wonder rather than just effects. About 8 min
  5. 05The film's structure keeps cutting between story threads in a way that intensifies suspense and makes the whole movie flow. About 8 min

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

  1. minorDennis Nedry's performance and death scene are a bit goofy and draw the viewer out slightly. About 16 min
  2. minorThe lawyer is a slightly bland, easy punching-bag character. About 16 min
  3. minorSome punchlines are too muffled or underplayed to land cleanly. About 24 min · medium confidence
  4. moderateThe science behind cloning dinosaurs is laughable in retrospect. About 16 min
  5. minorJohn Hammond's final emotional beat feels unnecessary compared with the book's harsher ending. About 16 min

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

T-Rex attack and water glass reveal

The hosts celebrate the rippling water, the car roof angle, and the escalating reveal of the T-Rex as a peak Spielberg scene.

Opening minutes
Favorite

Raptor kitchen attack

A tense, sound-driven chase where the children are stalked through the kitchen, praised as Hitchcockian.

About 8 min
positive

Power outage and electric fence sequence

Cross-cut suspense around restoring power and shocking Tim is praised for clean structure and fear.

About 8 min
Favorite

Brachiosaurus reveal

The first dinosaur reveal is singled out as a scene that still creates awe on repeated viewings.

About 8 min
Favorite

Final T-Rex rescue

The ending is admired because the T-Rex returns as the hero and the raptors are stalked with perfect suspense.

About 40 min

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed Opening minutes

Best rewatchable scene

Sean Fennessey

The T-Rex attack is the best and most iconic scene.

David Shoemaker

The T-Rex attack is the best scene and one of Spielberg's finest moments.

Bryan Curtis

The T-Rex attack is the unanimous choice, though the brachiosaurus reveal also merits mention.

They agreed About 8 min

Who should have played Alan Grant

Sean Fennessey

Harrison Ford and William Hurt were reportedly considered, but Sam Neill fits the movie best.

David Shoemaker

Neill is better because he recedes and does not distract from the dinosaurs.

Bryan Curtis

The film feels like Indiana Jones-style Spielberg, but Neill still works as the right non-star lead.

They partly agreed About 16 min

What aged the worst

Bryan Curtis

The movie's science and cloning premise are the clearest aged-worst element.

Sean Fennessey

Nedry's broadness and some character beats are the most dated parts.

David Shoemaker

The science is laughable in retrospect, though still part of the movie's fun.

They agreed About 40 min

Who won the movie

Sean Fennessey

Jeff Goldblum wins because the role is perfectly suited to him.

David Shoemaker

The T-Rex should win because of the final hero turn and overall impact.

Bryan Curtis

Initially leans Spielberg, then switches to the T-Rex after hearing the argument.

11 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
very favorableSteven SpielbergSean Fennessey: Praised as a kid-like, meticulous director who engineered the movie's biggest thrills and helped define modern blockbuster craft. Opening minutes favorableMichael CrichtonBryan Curtis: Credited with writing the novel from a childlike perspective before revising it into a more detached style; also discussed as a cinematic idea machine. Opening minutes
favorableSam NeillDavid Shoemaker: Seen as a well-cast lead who can evolve from paleontologist to action hero without overpowering the dinosaurs. About 8 min
very favorableJeff GoldblumSean Fennessey: Framed as the movie's cool, witty standout and the strongest 'winner' of the episode. About 40 min favorableRichard AttenboroughDavid Shoemaker: Admired as a charming, fully committed Hammond whose performance has fun, old-school grandeur. About 40 min
favorableLaura DernBryan Curtis: Mentioned as part of the well-chosen supporting cast and as a recognizable but not overfamiliar presence in 1993. About 16 min · medium confidence
favorableSamuel L. JacksonDavid Shoemaker: Used as an example of an early-career performance that helped launch his screen persona. About 16 min
mixedWayne KnightBryan Curtis: His Dennis Nedry is funny but also a little goofy, making him the clearest target for a dated-performance critique. About 16 min
very favorableBob PeckSean Fennessey: Celebrated as a pulp-action perfectionist in the Robert Muldoon role and a strong heat-check performer. About 40 min
neutralJack HornerBryan Curtis: Named as the paleontologist whose work helped inspire Alan Grant's characterization. About 40 min
neutralGeorge LucasSean Fennessey: Referenced in connection with early CGI tests and as someone moved to tears by the effects demonstration. About 16 min
10 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them
Sean FennesseyLoved it

Jurassic Park as a childhood wonder machine

Argues the film felt real, magical, and unlike prior dinosaur movies because it delivered a genuine encounter with dinosaurs.

Opening minutes
David ShoemakerLoved it

The T-Rex attack

Calls the T-Rex sequence one of the most wondrous scenes in recent movies, with all its sounds and reveals working perfectly.

Opening minutes
Bryan CurtisLoved it

Mix of CGI and practical effects

Argues the movie works because practical and digital effects were balanced at just the right historical moment.

About 8 min
Sean FennesseyLoved it

Raptors in the kitchen

Sees the kitchen sequence as pure Hitchcockian suspense and a key example of the film's terror.

About 8 min
David ShoemakerLoved it

Power restoration and electric fence scenes

Praises the movie's cross-cutting and the way suspense escalates through small, clear story beats.

About 8 min
Sean FennesseyLiked it

John Hammond as modern tech mogul

Reads Hammond as a prescient Elon Musk/Mark Zuckerberg type: visionary, rich, and blind to downside.

About 24 min
Bryan CurtisMixed

Michael Crichton's science

Accepts the movie's pseudo-science as a fun fantasy but notes it has not aged as credible science.

About 16 min
David ShoemakerLiked it

Sam Neill in the lead role

Thinks Neill was better than replacing him with Harrison Ford would have been, because he can recede and then grow into action-hero status.

About 16 min
Sean FennesseyLoved it

Jeff Goldblum

Sees Goldblum as the movie's cool, witty counterbalance and the clearest 'winner' of the film.

About 40 min
David ShoemakerDid not like it

The Lost World

Treats the sequel as a major disappointment and one of Spielberg's weaker films.

About 16 min
5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Childlike wonder and adult suspense

The movie is praised for satisfying both kids and adults, making dinosaurs feel miraculous while also playing as a serious thriller.

Opening minutes

Practical effects plus early CGI

The hosts see the film as a peak moment when practical creature work and limited digital effects were perfectly balanced.

Opening minutes

Spielbergian suspense construction

They admire how Spielberg turns sequences into chains of escalating beats rather than single action moments.

About 8 min

Hollywood meta-narrative

The discussion treats the movie as a story about wonder, spectacle, and the power of Hollywood itself.

Opening minutes

Technology as spectacle and limitation

The film's success is tied to seeing effects as something to be shown, not hidden, while still respecting limitations.

Opening minutes
21 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

Only 55 CGI shots were used in Jurassic Park.

About 8 min

Production note

The T-Rex roar was built from dog, penguin, tiger, alligator, and elephant sounds.

About 32 min

Production note

The water glass ripple was created with a guitar string attached under the dashboard.

About 32 min

Production note

Phil Tippett's stop-motion team was retrained as digital animators.

About 24 min

Production note

Spielberg was paid $250 million from the film's gross and profit participations.

About 40 min

Production note

The film's release reportedly helped increase interest in paleontology.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Production note

The dinosaur cover art for the novel was designed by Chip Kidd.

About 40 min

Production note

Spielberg reportedly received the project on the condition that he make Jurassic Park before Schindler's List.

About 40 min

Production note

The story was optioned before many people had read the novel.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Jaws

Used repeatedly as the model for suspense, practical limitations, and Spielberg's creature-feature approach.

Opening minutes

Star Wars

Compared with Jurassic Park as a film whose effects conceal rather than advertise themselves.

Opening minutes

The Shining

Referenced as a possible source for the kitchen suspense staging.

About 8 min

Terminator 2

Cited as another 90s movie whose effects still hold up extremely well.

Opening minutes

Pacific Rim

Used to explain why giant-vs-giant fights lose scale-based fear.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Westworld

Mentioned as a prior film with a theme-park premise similar to Jurassic Park's.

About 48 min

The Lost World

Discussed as a disappointing sequel and a weak Spielberg entry.

About 16 min

Phantom Menace

Referenced as a later blockbuster with far more CGI shots than Jurassic Park.

Opening minutes

Return of the Jedi

Referenced through Phil Tippett's earlier creature-work lineage.

About 16 min

Psycho

Cited in a sound-design anecdote about the shower scene's stabbing noises.

About 32 min · medium confidence

Indiana Jones

Compared to Jurassic Park as another Spielberg adventure archetype and a template for Neill's lead role.

About 8 min

Ready Player One

Mentioned in a later-era Spielberg discussion about how CGI-heavy films changed his specialness.

About 56 min · medium confidence
10 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Dinosaurs-and-men riff

The opening quote and repeated callbacks treat dinosaurs as both spectacle and the thing that has to coexist with humans.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Mr. DNA / Crichton trivia man

One host jokes about becoming the source of Michael Crichton trivia throughout the episode.

Opening minutes

'Hold on to your butts' / Malcolm lines

Jeff Goldblum quotes become a recurring joke and admiration point, with several repeated Malcolm lines.

About 40 min

'Clever girl' / Muldoon admiration

Bob Peck's character gets repeated praise, especially around the iconic raptor line.

About 40 min

Hot internet research corner

They repeatedly drop Wikipedia-style production trivia and behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

About 32 min

Sean Fennessey

“Must go faster.”
Opening minutes

Sean Fennessey

“Welcome to Jurassic Park.”
About 8 min

Sean Fennessey

“Hold on to your butts.”
About 40 min

Sean Fennessey

“That's one big pile of shit”
About 40 min

Sean Fennessey

“Clever girl.”
About 40 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Jurassic Park is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Jurassic Park, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.
Includes a Rewatchables episodePosters from TMDB.

ON THE MIC

3 voices on this episode

Sean Fennessey headshotSean FennesseyThe Rewatchables
David ShoemakerThe Rewatchables
Bryan CurtisThe Rewatchables

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