Review by C.J. Bunce
It’s difficult to ascertain what Steve Spielberg could have done differently had he actually planned a Jurassic Park 3D
Unlike the few months technicians had to create the transfer used for a movie like the admittedly superb Predator 3D release, reviewed earlier at borg.com here, Jurassic Park 3D underwent a full year of a painstaking, detailed transfer process, thanks to the post-production conversion studio Stereo D. It’s also a testament to having those creators who made the original production oversee the conversion from original 2D film to 3D. In this case, the oversight was by director Steven Spielberg himself.
When considering what makes good or bad 3D movie subjects, we learned from Predator 3D, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Friday the 13th III in 3D that nothing beats Mother Nature when you’re watching 3D. The context of setting a film in the natural world, highlighting the detail of trees and grass and, in the case of Jurassic Park a forest nestled among waterfalls in real-life Hawaii, is the best environment to judge 3D on your home 3D system.
The next best context for 3D to appear is probably the genre of horror. Monsters, like Jurassic Park’s T-Rex and raptors, and “jumps” and startling sequences are the stuff of classic 3D movies. There must be a reason why so many of the best 3D films are horror films. We forget about Jurassic Park when we think of films to insert into the Blu-ray player during Halloween season. Yet, Jurassic Park is perfect for those wary of slasher flicks and excessive gore, and those that want something with real suspense and amusement park style fun.
Key scenes in Jurassic Park 3D that appear created for 3D include the helicopter ride and descent in front of the waterfall at the beginning of the film, the first appearance of the T-Rex including the Rex pressing its nose down on the window as its busts into the SUV, the falling of the SUV with the boy in the tree, Ian Malcolm and Ellie’s escape from the T-Rex with the game warden (objects in mirror are closer than they appear, indeed), and, as you’d expect, the famous raptor kitchen attack.
But even the little things make you feel part of the amusement park itself. The wrinkled tablecloths in the restaurant lounge, the interiors of the operation command room, the skyline behind the giant electric fence that holds the T-Rex, the depth of field inside the amber stone that houses the mosquito that sits atop John Hammond’s cane (Hammond played by the late Richard Attenborough)–all these details are pretty incredible.
Even if you’ve seen Jurassic Park dozens of times, you will experience it differently and in a fresh way with this new 3D Blu-ray release. The characters, Michael Crichton’s innovative story, and the technology are hardly dated. The film quality has lost nothing to time. And Spielberg’s artistry as a visionary painter on film shines through like never before.
The disc includes 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, digital copy and Ultraviolet code for cloud storage. The 3D Blu-ray includes a 3D feature on the making of the 3D version, including an interview with Steven Spielberg. It’s a great look at the work required behind the scenes of the post-conversion 3D process.
Jurassic Park 3D sets the bar a little higher for films being converted from 2D to 3D. The best is still those films shot originally in 3D, but it’s a pleasure to come across another film that dazzles despite the less than perfect process required to get there. Get your copy at Amazon.com here.
#filmrev
