- Actors: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Chris Pratt, Laura Dern, Julianne Moore
- Directors: Colin Trevorrow, Joe Johnston, Steven Spielberg
- Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Peter Buchman, Derek Connolly, Alexander Payne
- Producers: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Kathleen Kennedy, Larry Franco
- Disc Format: 4K, Box set, Limited Edition, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: Japanese (DTS 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), Portuguese (DTS 5.1), French (DTS 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
- Subtitles: Portuguese, French, Japanese, Spanish, English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 8
- Rated: PG-13
- Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: May 22, 2018
- Run Time: 474 minutes
In the age of
digital copies and endless streaming options, there always seems to be something
to watch. This leaves only a few reasons remaining for actual physical copies
of films, and the latest release of the Jurassic
Park collection hits them all. The first reason is the anniversary of a movie’s
release, and this latest collection of the Jurassic
Park franchise coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first
groundbreaking film. The second reason for a re-release is to coincide with a
new installment in the franchise. This simultaneously gives fans the
opportunity to refresh their memories before Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is released this summer, while also
serving as retail advertising. Finally, the last reason to choose a physical copy
over streaming is quality, and the 4K Ultra HD release is the best option for
that.
The original Jurassic Park was a trailblazer in visual
and special effects, so it is fitting that the film receive an update in the
latest in home entertainment technology. Although more impressive for the
animatronic effects than the computer generated ones, the sharper image and
dynamic range of colors still enhance the twenty-five-year-old film. And even
without these enhancements, Steven Spielberg’s first dinosaur film is still a
classic worth revisiting.
The first movie introduces
the idea of a theme park featuring cloned dinosaurs, brain child of radical
scientist Hammond (Richard Attenborough). When a group of experts are brought
in for a preview weekend, they are given a far closer look than expected when
the creatures escape from their exhibits and run free in the park. This simple
concept is also what revived the franchise with Jurassic World, although with the inclusion of crowds to complicate
things further.
Steven Spielberg
returned to direct the sequel, The Lost
World: Jurassic Park, which is somewhat mis-titled and not the most
memorable in his filmography. Not only is there no amusement park in this film,
there isn’t really a lost world either. All that the film has is a second island
where the research and development for the amusement park was carried out. The
island isn’t lost and it isn’t an amusement park, but there are still plenty of
attacking dinosaurs, which is always the primary reason for these films. It
turns out that there are several different groups on the island, each with
their own reason for being there, adding more nefarious humans to the list of
monsters in the movie. This one may have a bit too much backstory, taking too
long before the dinosaurs really start to attack.
The Lost World brought back Ian Malcolm
(Jeff Goldblum) from the first film, and Jurassic
World III brought back Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill). Once again, the film
takes place on a separate island from the original Jurassic Park, but Dr. Grant does not return willingly. Grant is kidnapped
because of his experience with the dinosaurs, by two parents (William H. Macy,
Téa Leoni) desperate to find their lost son. This rescue mission results in the
usual terrifying adventure involving velociraptors and other dinosaurs. There
are a few new dinosaurs introduced, but still manages to be the shortest movie
in the franchise. There is less plot, but also a lot less filler to slow things
down.
Jurassic World is less of a sequel and
more of a revival, returning to the original island and concept without any of
the characters from the first three films. The theme park imagined in the first
film is finally up and running, with little concern for the tragedies of the past.
And as if the dangers weren’t enough, the new owners of the theme park decide
to genetically create an all-new dinosaur that is more intelligent and deadly
than all the rest. The screenplay also finds a way to fit children into the
plot, as all of the films previously had. Replacing Goldblum and Neill is Chris
Pratt as a velociraptor trainer and Bryce Dallas Howard as head of the park.
So here we are,
ready for the latest installment of the franchise, which will all but guarantee
another box set release like this in the future. Until then, however, this 25th
Anniversary release is the best option for fans of these films. Although the special
features are all just taken from previous releases, this set puts them all in
one release for the first time. Each of the films comes on a 4K disc, but all
four also have Blu-ray copies. It is on the Blu-ray discs that the special features
are also included. There is a making-of documentary for each of the first three
films, as well as a six-part retrospective documentary, deleted footage, and
numerous other little promotional featurettes for all of the films. There are
also digital copies included for each of the four movies.
Entertainment Value:
9/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7-8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 8.5/10
Special Features: 8/10
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