10 Best Moments from the Jurassic Park Franchise
2. “Welcome to Jurassic Park”
(Jurassic Park)
Although there were many iconic scenes in the twenty minutes leading up to this moment (the famous “shoot her!” scene as well as the wonderful unveiling of the Barbasol device), “welcome to Jurassic Park” is undeniably the moment that started it all…
Whilst the very opening scene teases what would come here – a sighting of a dinosaur – this was the very first moment in which dinosaurs were shown on screen in all of their glory; a moment that would change cinema forever by showing exactly what could be done with CGI.
The scene itself is an introduction as to what should be expected from Jurassic Park. It is played out perfectly. Situated not too early nor too late into the film, and with enough tension eased out of it to keep the viewer guessing until the Brachiosaurus is shown, Spielberg zooms on character reaction after character reaction before finally unveiling the ginormous dinosaur to the glorious “Jurassic Park Theme” by composer John Williams. Just as we’ve seen the characters do before us, we drop our jaws to the floor. This moment is simultaneously the past and the future, in front of us all at once and in glorious imagination come to life; a massive feat in filmmaking that remains just as impressive today as it was all the way back in 1993.
1. Earth, Wind and Fire
(Jurassic Park)
The best moment of the entire Jurassic Park franchise and one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history is the T-Rex attack.
The entire sequence is excellent, but perhaps most noteworthy is the shot of the vibrating cup of water (a feat that was made successful by playing “Earth, Wind & Fire” through a loud speaker). This one shot alone is immensely powerful, adding tension to the scene and portraying just how magnificent the T-Rex is without ever showing it.
But, even outside of this famous and almost incomparable shot, the rest of the sequence has so much to offer; comedy, horror, action and tension that could cut a knife. This isn’t even considering the wonderful achievements in CGI, production design, practical effects and direction. From the cup of water right up until Tim and Dr. Grant make it out of the tree, this one of the most thrilling moments ever put to film; exactly the reason why we all came to love Jurassic Park.
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With so many hours of cinema under its belt, there’s no doubt that there are dozens of noteworthy Jurassic franchise moments that we could have chosen. Think we missed one out? Let us know which one in the comments below, and while you’re here make sure to follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.
