Blu-Ray Review: Incredible Set For Spielberg’s ‘Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy’

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CHICAGO – Universal’s three-disc set for the incredibly-influential “Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy” is one of the best multi-film sets of the season, a glorious combination of stellar HD transfers, incredible audio tracks, amazing new & old special features, and films that have held up remarkably well over the years. “Jurassic Park” gets nowhere near the credit it deserves either as pure entertainment or as a film that would massively influence works to come. Hopefully, this set will go some way to correct those mistakes and introduce the films to a new generation.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Doesn’t it make you feel old to think that “Jurassic Park” needs to be introduced to a new generation? It’s stunning to think that it’s been eighteen years since Steven Spielberg gave Hollywood one of his most notable one-two punches with “Jurassic Park” in the Summer of 1993 and “Schindler’s List” in the Fall. The man who has influenced the summer blockbuster more than any other filmmaker in history found a way to do so again with one of the true must-sees of the ’90s, a film that wasn’t just a hit but was required viewing. Like a number of Spielberg films, it has played in constant rotation on cable ever since (and probably will long after we’re gone). The movie made more than $350 million domestically and almost a billion worldwide…in 1993 dollars. Insane.

Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 25th, 2011
Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 25th, 2011
Photo credit: Universal

Most film fans would say that the series went downhill after the first installment and there’s no denying that “Jurassic Park” is the best film in the Trilogy set and the main reason to pick it up but don’t completely dismiss “Jurassic Park: The Lost World” or “Jurassic Park III.” Both films have held up remarkably well and the entire set delivers entertainment value for your buck far more than most three-movie packages of the season. It helps that all three films have been lovingly upgraded with digitally remastered pictures and 7.1 audio tracks. They look spectacular and sound even better.

As for special features, they too stand above most of this season’s releases with over two hours of never-before-seen bonus material. Most of that consists of the great “Return to Jurassic Park,” a multi-part documentary spread out over the three films and featuring interviews with most of the major players, including a sizable contribution from Steven Spielberg himself, reminiscing about the making of the trilogy. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and William H. Macy also appear. The documentary is split in six parts — “Dawn of a New Era,” “Making Prehistory,” “The Next Step in Evolution,” “Finding The Lost World,” “Something Survived,” and “The Third Adventure.”

The films have been available before and so there’s a TON of archival special features including interviews, deleted scenes, and even a commentary on the third movie. These works have long been bestsellers on the DVD market and should be bestsellers on Blu-ray as well. They are the kind of films that play well time and time again, especially as people introduce them to the next generation. There’s still wonder in the Raptor and the T-Rex in a way not unlike there’s still wonder in E.T. and Jaws. With amazing transfers and great new special features to accompany these increasingly-timeless films, “Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy” is one of the best box sets of the season.

“Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy” consists of “Jurassic Park,” “Jurassic Park: The Lost World,” and “Jurassic Park III,” and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 25th, 2011.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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