Jurassic Park (3D Blu-ray Review)

24 Apr, 2013 By: John Latchem

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Universal
Sci-Fi
$49.98 3D Blu-ray combo
Rated ‘PG-13’ for intense science-fiction terror.
Stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson.

According to director Steven Spielberg in a new featurette on this Blu-ray, when he was first shooting 1993’s Jurassic Park he thought of it as a 3D movie, even though filming it in 3D at the time wouldn’t have been feasible.

But the well-received 3D conversion of Titanic last year convinced Spielberg to do something similar for the 20th anniversary of his famed dinosaur movie.

It’s hard to know whether Spielberg is simply boasting about his foresight or if the nature of monster movies gives them a quality that translates well to 3D. Either way, the results seem to bear out his claims. While converting many older films to 3D seems like a pointless endeavor, Jurassic Park has proved to be well worth the effort.

That new featurette (the set includes extras from older releases as well) focuses almost entirely on the conversion process, overseen by Spielberg himself and painstakingly designed to give the audience a sense of what it must have been like to run around that island surrounded by dinosaurs.

For example, take a look at the first appearance of the T-Rex, which knocks a car off a cliff and into some trees. Thanks to 3D and Spielberg’s astute direction, the car now seems to fly toward the viewer. Plus, the 7.1 sound mix appropriately amplifies all the dino screams and does justice to John Williams’ unforgettable music.

A primary problem with older 3D movies, an abundance of gain, is not an issue here. The dinosaur effects still look great, and the newfound sense of depth helps the adventure literally pop off the screen.

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