Title: Jurassic Park: Widescreen Collector's Edition
Region: One
Genre: Sci-fi Action
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferero, B.D. Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards
Writers: Michael Crichton and David Koepp
Based On The Novel By Michael Crichton
Director: Steven Spielberg
Feature length: 127 minutes
Extras: "The Making Of Jurassic Park", "Early Pre-Production Meetings", Storyboards, Production Photographs, Design Sketches, and Conceptual Paintings, Phil Tippett Anamatics: Raptors In The Kitchen, Theatrical Trailers, Dinosaur Encyclopedia, Production Notes, Cast And Filmmaker Data, DVD-ROM Features including Live Web Events and a Direct Hotlink to the Set of Jurassic Park III
Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English Captions and French Subtitles
Packaging: Keep Case
Chapter Stops: 20
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 1993/DVD Release: 2000
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home Video Distributor: Universal Home Video
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
At last "Jurassic Park" is coming to DVD and in one word it is fantastic! Universal Home Video has given this important film known for it's ground breaking CGI effects the royal carpet treatment. The effects developed for "Jurassic Park" have changed the way most films and television shows are made today to such an extent that in higher budgeted films and television programs of just about any genre imaginable, one cannot always tell if a certain background is real or not and at the same time, the leap in effects that this film took from the initial CGI breakthroughs developed for James Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" are so great that certain effects, particularly Chapter 14 "Galloping Gallimimus" on the DVD is so crystal clear that I am not sure if it is the fantastic anamorphic transfer or the fact that effects like this are now much more common and developed that the scene does not look as real to me as it did in the theater or on laserdisc. This is not to say that the scene is bad, because it is not and the majority of the effects still look terrific, but I think the advancement in technology coupled with the extensive use of CGI everywhere may have raised the bar a lot higher in terms of what magic truly suspends our disbelief and what does not.
That said, "Jurassic Park: Collector's Edition" DVD from Universal Home Video is by far the best presentation of the film as a consumer product ever in any home video format. The picture is anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and though a very small amount of grain is visible from time to time, overall this is the best transfer I have seen of this film ever. The colors are vibrant and never bleed and the disc maintains the film's bright cinematic tone with no edge enhancement whatsoever.
The Soundtrack is impressive as well with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Track that delineates the dialogue while creating an ambient quality for the music and sound effects without distortion. The Tyrannosaurus Rex's roar, for lack of a better description, has never sounded so close to the theatrical experience I remember when I trekked out into Manhattan with friends and family to see it on the big screen. A French Dolby Surround Language Track is also included along with English Captions and Spanish Subtitle options.
Many of the extra features included on this DVD were available on a separate laserdisc and home video tape years back, but as far as I know this is the first time these extras and the film have ever been made available together in one product in North America for consumer distribution. These extras include the 50 minute documentary "The Making Of Jurassic Park" hosted by James Earl Jones, some videotaped early pre-production meetings between Steven Spielberg and Stan Winston, Phil Tippet, Dennis Muren, and other effects staff, a bit on location scouting videotaped voiced over by Spielberg and crew, an example of Phil Tippet's animatics for the "Raptors In The Kitchen" sequence, and a lot of storyboard, production art, and on location still galleries.
The new additions include a Dinosaur Encyclopedia section that gives data on the six different species presented in the film, including detailed diagrams and even sound effects for each individual creature. Production Notes and detailed Cast and Crew Data are also provided. The theatrical trailers for "Jurassic Park", "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and a short teaser for "Jurassic Park III" are all included.
DVD-ROM features include links to the official Jurassic Park website where exclusive access to online events related to the upcoming film and the DVD Videos will be available for those who purchase this title.
The disc itself is dual layered with well done animated menus that fit the film's DVD presentation without overdoing the animation. It is more conservative than some of the overwhelming animated menus that have appeared on some special editions in the past. The keep case packaging is gold reflective, similar to the reflective paper used for the earlier Universal Collector's Edition DVD release of Spielberg's "Jaws."
"Jurassic Park: Collector's Edition" will be available in widescreen or Pan and Scan DVD with either Dolby Digital or DTS Sound and there will be two box sets, one featuring "Jurassic Park" & "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" on DVD with CD soundtracks for each film, a collectible senitype, and a certificate of authenticity stating that this is a limited edition collector's set and there will also be a two DVD set in a slip case as well and Widescreen and Pan and Scan VHS releases to boot. "Jurassic Park: Collector's Edition" and "The Lost World: Collector's Edition" in all of it's incarnations will be available from Universal Home Video priced to sell on October 10, 2000.
© Copyright 2000 By Mark A. Rivera