In spirit of all the Summer Blockbuster I decided to have a little fun and do a top ten list strictly on the best moments from the original Jurassic Park. I didn’t include the sequels because lets be honest, not one moment in any of the sequels is better than any of the moments I have carefully chosen from this original film, which easily holds a solid spot in my TOP TEN favorite films of all time. So here are the top ten moments from one of the greatest films of all time.
“Oh my God. Do you know what this is? This is a dinosaur egg. The dinosaurs are breeding. “ -Dr. Alan Grant
What makes this part so relevant is it’s basic reflection of the stories theme. Part of the reason Jurassic Park is such a prevalent movie goes past it’s monstrous special effects and revels in the depths and accusations against man vs. science vs mother nature.
Even though Hammond has gone wrong and offended nature, creating something he didn’t understand, Nedry is clearly the bad guy in Jurassic Park. The dinosaurs might be terrifying but Nedry’s greedy nature was the ultimate in villainous behavior. When the bad energy he put into the universe finally caught up with him in the form of a baby sized Dilophosaurus that he dismissed because of it’s small size he meets his doom. It’s violent, horrific, and brilliant.
“Clever Girl”
In one of the first scenes Muldoon explains exactly how much a threat these smaller, faster dinosaurs pose:
“They show extraordinary intelligence, even problem-solving. Especially the big one. We bred eight originally, but when she came in she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others. That one… when she looks at you, you can tell she’s working things out.”
Their elusive nature finally comes to a point when their gamekeeper Muldoon, who understands them best meets his end, with the big smart one that set the tone for them from the beginning until the very final scene. If only Muldoon had been around for Grants speech at the beginning of the movie.
“Uh… it’s… it’s a dinosaur!” -Dr. Alan Grant
“They’re moving in herds. They do move in herds.” -Dr. Alan Grant
“I’ll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you’re using here: it didn’t require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn’t earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don’t take any responsibility… for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you patented it and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you’re selling it!”
Always the voice of reason, sanity, or insanity, Malcolm was always used as the character to reflect and analyze and finally understand the situations, and world before him. In a cynical mad scientist kind of way, and Jeff Goldblum fully captured that part of Malcolm, while also placating to his over enthusiastic sarcasm in an almost charming way. This scene with the slide show during an awful dinner, the calm before the storm came, with Malcolm’s rational, a prelude to imminent terror.
“Try to imagine yourself in the Cretaceous Period. You get your first look at this “six foot turkey” as you enter a clearing. He moves like a bird, lightly, bobbing his head. And you keep still because you think that maybe his visual acuity is based on movement like T-Rex – he’ll lose you if you don’t move. But no, not Velociraptor. You stare at him, and he just stares right back. And that’s when the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the side, from the other two ‘raptors you didn’t even know were there. Because Velociraptor’s a pack hunter, you see, he uses coordinated attack patterns and he is out in force today. And he slashes at you with this… a six-inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the the middle toe. He doesn’t bother to bite your jugular like a lion, say… no no. He slashes at you here… or here… or maybe across the belly, spilling your intestines. The point is… you are alive when they start to eat you. So you know… try to show a little respect.”
Worst part of JP: the stoopid kid that criticizes the lack of scariness of the raptor skeleton at the beginning. I wish that kid would’ve gotten eaten.
FRC Ruben recently posted..Avatar (or a non-sequitor rant)
yeah, but Grant almost makes him pee himself. That was cool.
Heather recently posted..The A-Team Belated 2010
yes, that’s right. The talon freeks him out. 6 foot turkey my butt!
FRC Ruben recently posted..A Scanner Darkly
Good list – would add for honorable mention the ‘Flea Circus’ speech over the melting ice cream. just about the only point in the film where the humans seemed more real to me than the dino’s…….
Very good point Marc. It is one of the few moments of quiet throughout the flick as well.
Heather recently posted..The A-Team Belated 2010
Wow great post! I was thinking about this movie the other day. This movie scared the hell out of me when I first saw it (probably too young, and no one had ever seen effects so real) so I wouldn’t watch it for years. When I eventually came back to it I realised what a masterpiece it really is. Easily a favourite film.
I still can’t watch that number one scene thought. Scary stuff.
Katie recently posted..Breaking News: The Hobbit!
It is surprising how well it’s held up over the years even with special effects of course.
Heather recently posted..The A-Team Belated 2010
Wonderful post with a plethora of great scenes and memories!! I love every single one of them
Jurassic Park was one of my very best movie theater experience and I have been desperately looking to watch this movie again on TV but it never shows up!! I guess I will get it on Netflix…
Castor recently posted..
Just go buy it. Turn out the lights and put on your surround sound.
Heather recently posted..The A-Team Belated 2010
Wow, how did I forget about Toilet Meat? Amazing.
Scott recently posted..Frankly, My Dear Podcast
it’s the blood sucking lawyer! ha!
Heather recently posted..The A-Team Belated 2010
All memorable scenes there. Jurassic Park certainly ranks as one of the most engaging films ever made. It was one hell of a thrill-a-minute ride, with some humour thrown in.
Shubhajit Lahiri recently posted..Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn [1987]
It is a hard movie not to love, and I think that says a lot. It is so repetitively enjoyable, and moreso the special effects still hold up even though they’ve grown massively in capabilities since. That says a lot.
Realism over CGI folks.
Thanks for coming back Shubhajit.
I have never seen this. NEVER. I feel like a leper.
Encore Entertainment recently posted..TV Meme, Day 23: Most Annoying Character
That is really surprising, Andrew. This has to be the next flick that you watch.
FRC Ruben recently posted..Avatar (or a non-sequitor rant)
In honor of me thinking you are wondrous and loving Buffy as much as I, you MUST see it with your surround sound. No distractions and just ENJOY. It’s a special film. Truly.
Okay, by the end of June I WILL watch it, or one of them.
uuhh, yeeah?
FRC Ruben recently posted..Recasting My Best Friends Wedding or clearing out the honkeys
Call me crazy, but I actually like The Lost World more than the original.
But there are a lot of great and memorable scenes in Jurassic Park and it doesn’t have Vince Vaughn…I might have to rethink this.
James Ewing recently posted..Thunderball (1965)
You’re CRAZY!
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Hey. I dig the Lost World and it doesn’t deserve it’s horrid reputation but better? That is bonkers in your belly sir. At least from where I stand.
Crazy! But more of Jeff Goldblum is never a bad thing.
Dan recently posted..Top 50 Films of the 2000s
I do remember seeing this in the cinema with my Mum – I would have been ten years old. It’s was one of the greatest cinema experiences of my short life. The film’s special effects still hold up surprisingly well today given that it is now nearly 20 years old!
You’ve picked some great moments here Heather – I think my favourite moment is your number 4 – the revelation. It wasn’t just a revelation for the characters but for the audience as well. Fantastic!
Dan recently posted..Top 10 Films of 2000
That part I think we all felt the same thing as them all. The awe and appreciation and mysticism.
Heather recently posted..The A-Team Belated 2010
Sweet idea for a post Heather! I know what I’m watching this weekend:P
I’ve always been fond of that scene where Grant can’t comprehend it all (your #4) then this exchange between Hammond and Grant “And we have a T-Rex”…(grabs shoulder) “Say again!”…”We have a T-Rex”
But my favorite line is when Malcolm says “But when Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the Pirates don’t eat the tourists” Classic!
or when he is all appalled…………..”you bred RAPTORS?”
Did you ever see that t-shirt that has a Raptor with a Rubix Cube in it’s claw. The caption says (wait for it) “Clever Girl”. That made me laugh:)
This is a sweet ass post. I just recently watched all three of these on a long day of work with nothing to do. I found pleasing moments in all of them, but you’re right. There’s nothing to match the magic of the first installment.
blake recently posted..Trailers are the shit
Still fits into my top ten flicks of all time.
I haven’t seen Jurassic Park in a few years, but I still remember Jeff Goldblum being my favorite part of the film.
Fitz recently posted..
Dr. ian Malcolm is one of the greatest characters of all time.
This list is FANTASTIC! I was so not ready for one of my favorite parts to be on here but it was… “Clever girl!” One of the most used quotes in my house!
Kai B. Parker recently posted..FILMS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED TO SEE 4
My mom always said that when i was a kid.
Great list, number three is my fav. But you left out the bit in the car when Malcolm says: “God created Dinosaurs, God desytroyed Dinosaurs, God created Man, Man destroyed God, Man created Dinosaurs”. And Elly says: “Dinosaurs eat man, Woman inherits the earth!”
Class
It is ridiculous how many great moments are from this flick. We should just all sit down and watch it at the same time together via Skype and enjoy it.
Great idea, lets do it! Seriously. Who’s up for a ‘Jurassic Party’?
I have another moment:
“Anybody hear that? It’s an… It’s an impact tremor, that’s what it is… I’m fairly alarmed here.”
FRC Ruben recently posted..Local Locales- Vertigo
Oooh, and, “After careful consideration, I’ve decided not to endorse your park.”
FRC Ruben recently posted..Quote of the Day Romantic Redneck Edition
Haha, love that bit. Malcolm is by far and away my favourite character from that film, deplorable excessive personality or not.
Remember: “And here I am, on my own, uh talkin to myself, thats, thats chaos”.
Ronan recently posted..
This may be the best post on Movie Mobsters! Awesome job Heather!
Thank you Jeff. Always appreciated!
The freezer attack was one of the stand out moments for me. However, No.1 is by far the best, now that I remember it! We used to have the JP boardgame – I wonder how popular that game was amongst the masses
That’s what I call a happy meal. Unless you’re that bloke… obviously. “Where does he think he’s going?” — “When you gotta go, you gotta go”.
Ronan recently posted..