Jurassic Park (Dolby Digital)
OVERALL:
ASPECT RATIO(S)
16x9 Widescreen (1.85:1)
SOUND MIX
FEATURES
STUDIO
RECOMMENDATION
Dolby Digital 5.1
- The Making of Jurassic Park ��Documentary
- Early Pre-Production Meetings
- Storyboards, Production ��Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Paintings
- Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors in ��the Kitchen
- Dinosaur Encyclopedia
- Theatrical Trailers
- Cast & Crew Bios
- Production Notes
Universal
Buy it!
GRADING SCALE
Film 
Features 
Audio
Video
What Spielberg did in 1993 was remarkable. It seems he always does remarkable things. With this movie, he has spawned special effects into a whole new atmosphere. Movies like Independence Day and Men in Black have benefited from what this movie has accomplished. Spielberg broke his own record for biggest gross by a film in '93 when this movie passed E.T.
If you can live with Dern and Neill, the rest of the movie is entertaining. Decent plot and eye-popping effects puts this on par with the sequel, but that doesn't mean it's better. But this movie is getting a high grade for what it accomplished and the groundwork it laid down for future blockbusters, not so much for its material. This is and will probably always be Universal's biggest hit.
Features
This dvd is loaded in the features department. Save for a commentary track by Spielberg (which will never happen), the list of extras are very impressive. You get the 1-hour documentary on the making of the film, hosted by James Earl Jones. There's also mini-featurettes and storyboards for those interested. A great package.
Audio
I listened to both this version and the separate DTS version and have come to the conclustion that the DTS track easily surpasses the DD 5.1 track. I'm not taking anything away from this mix, it's very aggressive, offering deep bass with some very active surrounds. But the DTS track is even fuller, with crisper sounds and a much tighter mix. The sound is cleaner and even the dialogue is upped a bit. Still, the DD track is no slouch. You'll find plenty of pounding bass and good side-to-side effects. It's just a fact that the DTS sounds better.
Video
This is the exact same transfer that the DTS received, which means both transfers are perfect. Not a speck of dust or dirt can be found here. And the coloring is very rich, with deep blacks and strong blues and greens. The film is 4 years older than "The Lost World", but I thought the transfer on this film was a tad bit better than its sequel. Great for the eyes.
Overall
This is one of those few "must own" dvds for fans. I like "The Lost World" better than this one, but I still have to give this a very high recommendation just for the dvd quality. Before you buy, I still suggest taking the DTS version, much better sound.