I approached the re-re-release of Jurassic Park (the 2011 re-release coincided with the Blu-ray release, while this is the 20th anniversary release) with no little trepidation. Post-rendered 3D has never been worth the hassle; aesthetically-wise, that is. Financially speaking, I'm sure the sweat of those studio techs proved fruitful. Unfortunately though, through some digital hiccup, I wasn't privy to Jurassic Park 3D but Jurassic Park IMAX gets the thumbs up.
What is surprising is how well JP looks when placed next to this summer's other giant monster movie, Pacific Rim. Despite being twenty years its junior, Guillermo Del Toro's monster movie doesn't hold a candle to Spielberg's. JP has heart (kids are put in danger and pedophobic scientist Grant (Neill) saves them), it's got humour (quirky chaotician Malcolm (Goldblum) is a blast) and it's got terrifying action scenes that you can actually see. Okay, so the first T-Rex attack happens at night in the rain, a clever ploy to mask any possible dodgy CGI, but the action is visible compared to Pacific Rim's blurry night/rain/underwater action sequences where it's hard to distinguish one hulky mass from the next. There's a physicality to JP's monsters, they're distinct, their threat is always more immediate, and, in IMAX, a chance to experience their power all over again.
What struck me this time around is the absolute genius of the marketing. What we usually get is a movie and then toys based on the movie, but Spielberg was selling a brand and so, instructed I'm sure by the shrewd marketing department at Universal, included the park/movie logo as many times as he could. It's on the jeeps, the gate, the doors, the hats, coats and uniforms. I'm sure it's on Nedry's (Wayne Knight) underwear. Spielberg even managed to slip in a shot of the merchandise that park owner Hammond (Attenborough) hoped to flog to the visitors, merchandise that was actually for sale in toy shops. And, to make sure we all laugh at the self-referential gag, Spielberg has Malcolm point all this out: "You patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox and now you're selling it, you're selling it." What all this insured was that the JP logo, with its skeleton T-Rex set against a black and yellow background, is now an instantly recognisable and iconic one. Genius. Totally evil and cynical, sure, but genius.
If you missed JP in 1993 and didn't make it to the 2011 re-release, then go see it in IMAX. It's not going to make the movie any better and it won't fill out the story but the big screen is a visual treat.
