Jurassic Park (1993)

19 years ago a film came out that would change cinema in many ways. Not only did the film exhibit extraordinary family-friendly narratives and showcase some of the finest Hollywood's actors of the time but it pushed the boundaries of CGI and taught film-makers that computer graphics could be integrated into a film without hindering the storytelling but rather enhancing it. During the film Jeff Goldblum's character exclaims, " You did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you actually did it", which I think can also appropriated to Jurassic Parks incredible director; Steven Spielberg.

Obsessed with dinosaurs since childhood, Spielberg had been nursing Jurassic Park for some time. However, in 1992, Spielberg had been intending to make Schindler's List his next project but having convinced to big studio executives to gamble on a three hour, black and white holocaust movie, Spielberg was happy to abide by the one condition made by the studio: he must make Jurassic Park first. No wonder people call 1993 Spielberg's miracle year.

To bring you back up to date on the story, the film follows the investigation of the zoological Jurassic Park and just how safe a South Pacific island that has free-roaming prehistoric dinosaurs (brought back to life through the magic of DNA retrieval and mind-boggling science). In for the ride are prehistoric world experts Alan Grant (Sam Neil), the role could've gone to Harrison Ford, but he turned down the opportunity to play Dr Alan Grant. Ellie Setter, who is played by Laura Dern is also accompanied by mathematician, Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and park owner, John Hammond's grandchildren Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joesph Mazello). Of course, Jurassic Park, being a hypothetical theme park, things go wrong and before long the characters go from awry situations to ones of life and death.

Coming off the back of Hook's troubled shoot - Jurassic Park managed to come in on budget and ahead of schedule. Some of of the human performances seem hurried, but Spielberg's definitely didn't rush the making of the dinosaurs and inspired a technical achievement on a scale that represented an entire visual revolution. In their early script meetings author Crichton was anxious to know how Spielberg was planning to tackle the technical challenge of the dinosaurs. Spielberg however, wanted to talk about dinosaur character. Spielberg took on board advice from some specialists but brought in lessons learned from his previous creature feature: E.T.. Eventually all this came together on the big-screen: The T-Rex eyes blinking in the flashlight, the velociraptor breath snorting against the kitchen door. These little details are what make the dinosaurs believable.

The film is remarkable in its ability to consistently juggle the many different themes and character paths without ever appearing clunky or tiring. From start to finish, Spielberg supplies us with varied sequences of horror, family, comedy, action and adventure. Jurassic Park reeks of Spielberg's incredulous charm and awe that makes you want to watch the film again and again.

Jurassic Park feels like a film that gets better with age, never feeling out-dated but just getting better and better with every nostalgic moment. Jurassic Park is one of the biggest and best summer blockbusters ever made, and a giant leap for cinematic effects.

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Everything Must Go (2011)

Will Ferrell literally had me in tears when he played Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, but his latest role offers an abrupt change of speed, so much so, that he’s near enough slammed on the brakes at full force. A comic looking for new avenues in drama is nothing new. Jim Carrey and Robin Williams have both had a go, and both have been successful. Adam Sandler also had a bash with Punch Drunk Love (2002). With a sombre short story from Raymond Carver as the source material, Will Ferrell is making a bid to be taken seriously.

Ferrell showed signs that he wasn’t just a guy capable of playing man-child clowns; he could do it all – even if it was just for a brief moment. In Everything Must Go, he shows that side again, but with a never before seen dark turmoil. Ferrell plays Nick, an executive VP for a marketing firm. He gets told his services are longer required after giving them 16 years of his life. He also loses his company car, and to top it all off, he gets home to find his Wife has left him, changed all the locks, and left all his belongings on their front yard. It’s fair to say that Nick is at his wits end, and lapses back into alcoholism.

Nick camps out in the yard doing little else but downing beers. His sponsor Frank (Michael Pena), neighbour Samantha (Rebecca Hall) and Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace), a young boy living down the road, all offer support in various forms. Eventually, Nick is given a permit to hold a days-long outdoor sale – allowing him to stay on his yard and sort out his life. The sales become a metaphor, as the cleaning away of possessions he gained while he was with his wife allows him to move on.

Now, the movie I’ve just described could be anywhere from terrific to terrible, so what you need to know is that Ferrell gives a great performance. He never overplays Nick’s drunkenness (like the drunken “we’re going to the gymnasium” of Old School), but never allows us to get too cosy with this severely drunk and depressed character. When Nick looks up an old girlfriend (Laura Dern), she tells him he always had a good heart, but there’s a clear subtext; if you don’t follow up with good actions, it doesn’t count for much, and Nick hasn’t done too well on that part.

The film is written and directed by newcomer Dan Rush, who does an admirable job of limiting the films scope and keep it moving. While the story takes place in and around Stockdale, Rush never really waivers away from the front yard, making it the central location for the majority of the story. However, it never feels confining, which is mainly due to the fact that it’s filmed outside.  

Ferrell was able to deliver a carefully restrained performance, bringing some occasional flashes of his comic skills in his relationship with Kenny and his conniving ex-boss Gary (Glenn Howerton). Everything Must Go is wilfully indie and occasionally too laid-back for its own good, and though the central story is a nice one, it never really gets too emotional, which is a shame because all the performances are solid and Ferrell certainly proves he has more tricks up his sleeve than just making people laugh.

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