Why the original Jurassic Park's dinosaurs still look better than the ones in the sequels

By Alani Vargas  |  August 21, 2019 | 6:10pm
Aux Features Jurassic Park
Why the original Jurassic Park's dinosaurs still look better than the ones in the sequels
Screenshot: Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park is one of the most important movies in modern history, which is why it’s been a bummer to see how its sequels have paled in comparison. The original’s power is explored in a new video essay from Films&Stuff, which chronicles the way director Steven Spielberg used scale and framing to make his prehistoric monsters so magnificent, and how the modern Jurassic World films just haven’t been able to do the same.

As the above video points out, the original is “a master class in blocking and cinematography,” with each frame asking “what does the shot say and how does it make you feel?” Spielberg’s unique sense of scale extends beyond the dinosaurs, too—from the helicopter rides to the “Jurassic Park” sign to the waterfall, this land is just bigger than the one in the sequels. The humans are in the dinosaurs’ territory, not the other way around.

 
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