Jurassic Park’s Dinosaurs Worked Because Spielberg Focused on Something Else

When Jurassic Park was released in theaters in 1993, the cutting-edge blend of CGI and practical effects made the dinosaurs look more plausible than they ever had on the big screen up to that point. That realism was key to selling the audience on the spectacle, but it was the human cast who made Jurassic Park feel so authentic. There are many terrific performances throughout the film’s 127-minute runtime, including Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough. However, Sam Neill’s take on Alan Grant, in particular, is what makes the movie feel special more than three decades after its release.