I have loved dinosaurs since...as long as I can remember. I have memories of "working" at my kitchen table, crafting lists organized by where the dinosaur skeletons were found, what archaeologist found them, and the time period they came from. I rolled my eyes when my classmates got into velociraptors after Jurassic Park came out because I was into them for like...uh three years, which was a sizable percentage of my life at that point. I saved my money and bought 3D wood skeleton kits of brachiosauri and raptors and dig kits where you had to chisel through dried clay to uncover fake dinosaur bones embedded in the "rocks".
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| Obsessions are cute when you're a kid. |
Maybe it goes without saying, but my favorite movie -yes, of all time- is Jurassic Park. I've seen it at least 20 times and know it better than I know myself. Unfortunately, I've noticed that in the past few years, it has become played out for me. I still love it, but it just doesn't bring me the same joy that it once did. I'd loved it so hard, it had worn away.
But the re-mastered 3D IMAX release of the film changed all that. It was thrilling - like seeing it again for the first time.
Outside of seeing it at the Music Box, a vintage theater notorious for its jankiness, I've only seen it on a TV. To see it on an IMAX big screen, with Surround Sound, and the image popping out rocked my world. Because the screen is so big, it takes up your entire vision. There's no "frame" and feels immersive; you forget this is a movie altogether. It was reality.
It didn't try to wow you with 3D tricks. Instead, it made the small details shine brightly, enhancing the visual experience in an unobtrusive way. For me, the most vivid moment was when Dr. Grant, Tim, and Lex spend the night in the tree. In the morning, a brachiosaurus comes to feed and sneezes on Lex. In 3D, it was absolutely disgusting. I have always found this scene comical -and it's supposed to be- but I have never been grossed out by it. This time I audibly shuddered, "Ughhh..."
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| "God bless you!" |
The other big change was how textured the dinosaur's looked. When Ellie and Dr. Grant leave the tour to tend to the sick triceratops, the trike (insider's slang!) was striking. For the first time, I saw it how Dr. Grant and Ellie saw it. The 3D made the moments more vibrant by highlighting the world, not drawing attention to the technology. By not stealing the focus, you became enmeshed in the story - which is what you're paying for anyway. 3D is finally living up to all the hype.
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| "Microvesicles. That's interesting. Blech." |
The T-Rex attack on Tim and Lex's car was as epic. And the velociraptors sneaking around the kitchen and hunting Robert Muldoon made me the most nervous I'd been watching that scene. Jeff Goldbloom's heavy chest? Unforgettable.
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| (labored breathing) |
By the end of the movie, I was clapping at all my favorite scenes. Few others shared the same enthusiasm, but I don't envy the people who weren't FIRED UP when the T-Rex saves the day and roars as the banner drops and our heroes scurry out.
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| "I"m hungry for everything!" |
Maybe it was the energy drink that I pounded before the show, but I couldn't sleep afterward. It was a sensational movie-going experience. And like the theme park did for the characters in the movie, it fulfilled this long-held desire to be close to a dinosaur. Bravo, Universal Studios!
Now when are they going to re-release Apollo 13?!?
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