Jurassic Park, In the Essence of Newness

It seemed like only yesterday I was twelve years old when Jurassic Park first was released into the big screen. Now, in this day and age, in the era of Covid-19, watching movies at home seem to be the new normal. Well, at least, for the time-being.

The inspiration to write this was none other than the fact that I had watched the movie again earlier in the day. I have all the Jurassic Park movies, of course, on DVD. But, it was when I saw it on Netflix, did I realize just how much it brought back memories of excitement and curiosity. What can be better than a story about the creatures that lived here on Earth before us? It just screamed the word "Classic" all around us.

The movies that came after the first film were good, but none of them really captured the essence of newness the first one had. The chemistry of Sam Neil, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Dern was unforgettable in the first film. Somehow, Jeff Goldblum's portrayal of Dr. Ian Malcolm worked in the somewhat monotonous role. Somehow, out there, there is a brilliant man who thinks outside the box. And, to me, Dr. Ian Malcolm stood out the most for that particular reason. He shows little emotion, but yet so effective when he had to show them, saying unforgettable lines like:

"You will remember to wash your hands before your eat anything?"

"No, I'm simply saying that life, uh, life finds a way."

"When you gotta go, you gotta go."

- 1993, Jurassic Park

Halfway throughout the movie, when Dr. Alan Grant decided to use the light flare to distract the Tyrannosaurus Rex stumping on the Jeep where the kids were hanging on by a thread, it was he, Ian Malcolm, who made the dinosaur chase him to the opposite end, clearing the way for the safety of the kids for a brief moment.

Someone you never knew would ever do something that heroic suddenly decided to step up and become one.

Yes, Dr. Alan Grant is the hero of the movie, but Dr. Ian Malcolm, I think deserves just as much credit.

It is such a pity that they did not continue the chemistry of Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm in the next two films. I would've loved to had seen that play out even more. Or, at least, in the third installment of the series.

The new chapters of the Jurassic Park saga, aptly named "Jurassic World" has always had the challenge of recapturing the newness that made the first Jurassic Park so endearing. There is a saying: nothing is as good as the first. Not necessarily true, but when it comes to the Jurassic Park saga, it is true, in my opinion.

It is not to say that the new films were not good. I like them too, but somehow, they just did not have that chemistry and newness the original had.

The upcoming film, Jurassic World: Dominion, scheduled to be released in 2021, will feature Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neil, and Laura Dern. I can't wait, since it will be the first time in a long time that the three great actors will be in the same film for a substantial amount of time in a film of the franchise.