# Jurassic Park - Blu-Ray Review



## Dale Rasco

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=7277[/img]*Title: Jurassic Park Trilogy 
Starring: Sam Neil, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough, Vince Vaughn, Julianne Moore, Tea Leoni, William H. Macy
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Michael Crichton
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: Minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: 10/25/2011* 

*Movie:* :4stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :5stars: 
*Extras:* :5stars: 
*HTS Overall Score:*92 



*Summary:* 
*Jurassic Park*
On a remote island near Costa Rica, an eccentric billionaire named John Hammond (Attenborough) has created unique type of theme park. But when one of the attractions literally eats one of the park employees, the stability of the park is called into question. Now Hammon has a small window to have experts in the field to put their stamp of approval on the park or risk being shut down by the investors, and the "bloodsucking attorney" backing this little venture.[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=7281[/img]

*The Lost World - Jurassic Park*
When Dr. Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) is invited to return to the park that he barely escaped with his life several years earlier, he quickly declines. But his mind abruptly changes when he learns that his girlfriend has already signed on board for the expedition and is in fact already at Site-B documenting the flourishing animal population that has somehow survived without the human interaction that they were bred to depend on. Now Dr. Malcolm must race post haste to rescue the woman he loves before she becomes another victim of Las Cinco Muertes. However, once on the island, Ian and team discover that the eccentric billionaire’s nephew, who has recently taken over his uncle’s company, has hired a team of hunters and mercenaries to trap as many of the creatures as possible and bring them back to San Diego to put them on display and make a fortune in the process. But that will be much easier said than done once they actually try to start capturing the animals.

*Jurassic Park III*
Dr. Allen Grant (Neil) returns in Jurassic Park III as an escort for a man and his wife who he believes has been granted access. It’s not long before he discovers he has been duped and is actually involved in a rescue mission by the man and his ex-wife to search the island for their son who went missing during a parasailing accident. Now Dr. Grant must use his experience to save not only his life, but the life of his assistant and the couple who conspired to get him to the island. But after being separated from the rest of the group, Dr. Grant discovers that the boy has indeed survived for the past several weeks since his accident and can actually teach Dr. Grant a thing or two about surviving the island. However all of their combined experience may not be enough to overcome a new threat from the prehistoric inhabitants of the island.

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=7282[/img] In 1993 Director Steven Spielberg brought to life one of writer Michael Crichton’s most popular novels 'Jurassic Park'. Hailed as a technological marvel at the time, the special effects in the film set a new standard on what could be done with computer generated graphics. Additionally, the film went on to win the academy award for special effects and become the highest grossing film in history until it was bested in 1997 by James Cameron’s Titanic. Iterestingly enough, some of the storm scenes filmed during the original Jurassic Park production are from an actual Hurricane that passed over the island of Kaua while the movie was being filmed. I remember seeing it as a news story in 1992 and thought it showed a lot of creativity on the part of Spielberg and crew to go ahead and take advantage of the situation and make sure they got some good footage for the film. Personally I am more of a fan of the first film than the other two. To me, The Lost World and Jurassic Park III were unable to shake that stigma that affects so many sequels in that they are just bigger and louder versions of the original. 


*Rating:* 
Rated PG-13 for intense science fiction terror and language. 

*Video:* :4.5stars:
Out of the three films, Jurassic Park definitely looks a bit better than the other two films. But note that as a whole, they all carry the same deficiencies to one degree or another. The resolution for instance isn’t quite as sharp as we have all gotten used to the past couple of years with Blu-ray but is exceptional when compared to previous releases of the films on DVD. Colors pop very well and the natural grain is pretty consistent throughout the films and gives a real cinematic vibe. There does appear to be some artificial edge enhancements but definitely just a more pronounced issue with the dated CGI and not so much a problem with the transfer process. Overall I thought that these Blu-ray’s were a much improved video experience than any previous releases but should in no way be considered reference quality. The 4.5 stars is a rating compared to past releases not compared to recently released movies such as Transformers: Dark of the Moon.






















*Audio* :5stars: 
The 7.1 DTS-HD-MA is where these films really shine. I do not recall these films ever being this engaging in the past. The LFE was just as I had hoped it would be with authoritative bass pounding as the mighty T-Rex first makes his appearance. It dawned upon me as I watched these films that for some reason or another, I had never seen any of them in a proper surround presentation in my home theater. Now that I have, I realize how much I have been missing. It was almost like watching them for the first time as the surround channels came to life with all sorts of island noises from the storm passing by to the park’s many pre-historic creatures. Dialogue reproduction is spot-on and never gets overwhelmed by the rest of the action on screen. Voices are clear and concise with no noticeable sibilance or other deficiencies and the score is absolutely brilliant and comes across as such. I can't say enough good things about this new 7.1 audio presentation for these films.



*Extras:* :5stars:
*Jurassic Park: *

Dawn of a new era 
Making pre history 
The next step in evolution
The making of Jurassic Park 
Original featurette on the making of the film
Steven Spielberg directs Jurassic Park 
Hurricane in Kauai featurette 
Theatrical trailer
Jurassic Park – Making the game
D-Box motion code enabled
My scenes bookmark feature
BD-Live access
Digital Copy

*Jurassic Park – The Lost World: *

Finding the lost world 
Something survived 
Deleted scenes 
The making of The Lost World 
Original featurette on the making of the film 
The Jurassic Park phenomenon: A discussion with Michael Crichton (June 1997)
The compie dance number
Behind the scenes features: ILM (before & after visual effects), concept art, models, storyboards
Theatrical trailer
D-Box motion code enabled 
My scenes bookmark feature
BD-Live
Digital Copy

*Jurassic Park III:* 

The making of Jurassic Park III 
The dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III 
The special effects of Jurassic Park III 
The Industrial light and magic press reel 
The sounds and music of Jurassic Park III 
The art of Jurassic Park III 
Montana: Finding new dinosaurs 
Behind the scenes features: Tour of Stan Winston Studios, scene breakdowns, visit to ILM, storyboard comparisons, productions photos
Feature length commentary with the special effects team -, John Rosengrant, Stan Winston Dan Taylor, and Michael Lantieri, 
D-Box motion code enabled
My scenes bookmark feature
BD-Live access
Digital Copy



*Overall:* :4.5stars:
Jurassic Park is a pretty good franchise that makes its way on to Blu-ray in good order. The video leaves a little to be desired but I really thought that the issues that came up really stemmed from the filming and post production process and not a problem with the transfer process. All that being said, the AQ on all of these Blu-ray discs are absolutely phenomenal! The bass is exceptionally well done and the surround channels are put to the test with great directionality and stellar ambient sound. Overall this would have been a buy for me had I not received the review copy and I would suspect it would be similar scenario for many of you. Rest assured that this is one you will want to own and that there is no need to delay. Highly Recommended!

*Recommendation: Buy It!​*



Official Blu-Ray Reviews Scoring


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## Prof.

Thanks for the review Dale..and I think you've hit it spot on compared to other reviews I've read..

I have been hesitant about ordering this trilogy after reading the reviews, but I watched Jurassic Park 111 on upconverted DVD last night and I had forgotten how bad it is..A very wishy washy image!! If the blu-ray version is an improvement on that, then it will be worth buying..


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## Dale Rasco

Thanks Prof, I've read a couple of other reviews as well and what I've noticed is that they don't bother trying to compare to the previous releases. Hopefully you'll enjoy it, my family and I really did!


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## Jon Liu

Thanks for your review! I REALLY want to own the first one on Blu-ray, but I am so torn because I don't want to re-buy the entire trilogy again! The Lost World was so unbelievably awful that I cannot stand the idea of me paying money for it once again.

The third one was not bad, more fun, but still some nonsense.


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## Vader

Thank you for another great (spot-on) review! What I really appreciate about your reviews is the way you don't forget about the entertainment value of the film, instead focusing only on the technical merits of the transfer. Can't wait until Tuesday!

EDIT: Well, I've just finished watching all three films, and I can say that I completely concur with Dale's review. First things first, as for the PQ, while a marked improvement over anything so far seen on home video, it is obvious that it would have benefited from a new 4k scan. I also believe that this is the absolute best the film will ever look on Blu-ray (given Universal's track record, I would be very surprised to see a remaster.) As I believe that Blu-ray is the last physical format (a discussion for a different thread), this is the best JP will ever look on my setup (I will not do the whole streaming/download/cloud thing). Now for the real treat: the audio. While I do not claim the video to be in any way reference, the audio certainly is! Hearing the T-rex in lossless 7.1 DTS-HD MA is a dream come true, and I don't think the ear-to-ear grin ever left my face. While the bass is not as hot as something like say, Thor, it was very well balanced with the dialog (which never once was anything less than crystal clear.) Don't get me wrong... when called for (i.e. the initial T-Rex attack in the rain), it is more than capable of unseating a few fillings. All-in-all, I am very pleased with my purchase.


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## leej

This had been recently released on DVD when I was shopping for my first surround system. Every salesman that demoed a system, played T-Rex for me. I was sold on surround sound and of course, a subwoofer. I have to hear this in 7.1 and now that I have a better system, I can't wait.


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## foto69man

To be honest, I love this release. Listenng to it on surround sound was amazing. The raptors got highlgihted the best, and scared me a few times when they pop out of weird angles so the sound of them hits you. Definite buy for everyone


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## Mark Techer

Just to add to Dale's most excellent review.



Dale Rasco said:


> *Audio* :5stars:
> The 7.1 DTS-HD-MA is where these films really shine. I do not recall these films ever being this engaging in the past. The LFE was just as I had hoped it would be with authoritative bass pounding as the mighty T-Rex first makes his appearance. It dawned upon me as I watched these films that for some reason or another, I had never seen any of them in a proper surround presentation in my home theater. Now that I have, I realize how much I have been missing. It was almost like watching them for the first time as the surround channels came to life with all sorts of island noises from the storm passing by to the park’s many pre-historic creatures. Dialogue reproduction is spot-on and never gets overwhelmed by the rest of the action on screen. Voices are clear and concise with no noticeable sibilance or other deficiencies and the score is absolutely brilliant and comes across as such. I can't say enough good things about this new 7.1 audio presentation for these films.


The audio on the first two films was spectacular and slightly less so on the third. The third already had an awesome sound mix IMO but doesn't quite have that wow that Rydstrom was able to bring to the first 2 films. 

I still have my DTS LD copies of both JP1 and JP2-TLW. The problem with the first JP movie released in DTS back in 1996 was that the LFE track was encoded at -7dB and not -10 and the surrounds were not attenuated by 3dB for the home. So in essence, both the LFE and surrounds play back at 3dB too high on a properly calibrated HT. Yet it wow'd the world and helped establish DTS as the preferred sound format.

The new mixes on BD do sound balanced and the extension of the new back surrounds really adds so much more to these already great soundtracks in way of envelopment and spaciousness. The LFE is deep and powerful and the clarity of the main channels is amazing.

Some points for me that were worth the price of the box set are:

JP 1:
Basically the whole soundtrack 
JP 2: 
1. When the father races to save his daughter from the compy's atack, his voice pans into the right surround. This seems lost in the earlier DVD version of the film.
2. When the glass is breaking under Sarah. 
3. When Dieter throws rocks at the compys we now have a true real time pass down the room. The previous 5.1 versions always sounded good here, but the fine details and envelopment of the surrounds didn't quite hold up on the previous DVD. The DTS LD was reference audio here. 
Everyone seems to hammer Universal for their video transfers, yet I think these look quite good. I didn't mind the scrubbed look of BTTF either. 

JP3:

1. I still love the plane crash. It is clever how the sudden short burst of louder sounds make the whole scene seem much louder than it actually is. 
2. When the raptors surround the team and they surrender the eggs was really good in 7.1. 

Like STAR WARS, the video quality is not perfect but is the best we've seen them at home so well worth the asking price.


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## Prof.

I watched JP1 last night and was most impressed..The PQ is very good but the AQ is a real standout..
The first time I saw JP1 was on video..The audio quality of the video was excellent..except for the surround sound..The thunp of the T Rex approaching and it's roar were very dynamic..

When the DVD came out, a lot of that original impact was just not there..and whereas in the Video, when those big timber entrance doors closed, the room shuddered..but no such impact with the DVD..

I was most pleased to hear that great boom of the doors closing was back on the blu-ray version..along with more distinctive surround sound and the great thump of the T Rex footsteps...Even it's roar was right back in your face again..
Most impressive..I just hope that JP2 & 3 are just as good..


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## ALMFamily

It really has been fun buying Blu Rays while thinking "this is gonna sound so awesome in my new HT!" Definitely adding the JP trio to my list!


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## Todd Anderson

I have to agree with the above ^^ post. It is fun to read these reviews because they tap right into the impacts/technicalities of sight and sound. And they are typically spot-on.

I'm torn about this box set... Namely because the crown jewel of the set is movie 1.... Movies 2 and 3 kind of seem like they are disposable. I wish there was an option just to buy the first. I may with this out a while and pick up a used copy once the prices drop considerably.


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## Todd Anderson

by the way... looks like amazon just put this box set on sale... Seems like a pretty good deal.


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## headknocker

27dnast said:


> by the way... looks like amazon just put this box set on sale... Seems like a pretty good deal.


My wife bought the JP Trilogy from Amazon around three weeks ago for only $30 shipped. I couldn't believe the crazy low price.

It was an announced early Christmas present but I'm not allowed to fire up the discs until Dec 25th:foottap::hissyfit:


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## Todd Anderson

Just watched the first of the JP trilogy on BD.

Wow!

PQ didn't bother me at all... looked great to my eyes. Not as crisp and vibrant as some of the best, obviously, but it had a bit of an aged feel which is befitting of an older movie. So I'm okay with it.

I'm going a bit further with the audio. FANTASTIC. I, like many on this forum, hold Dark of the Moon as one of the best audio presentations... and it is phenomenal. But, I think I actually enjoyed the JP audio more... only because it wasn't a constant attack from all channels. When the surround channels are tapped (the directional roar of dino... or snapping of branches) it is so perfectly placed that it enhances the immersion factor. Sometimes, an overload of surround sound can get lost on the listener... in the case of the original JP, this is not the case. Not to mention, the bass. BOOM!

Excellent, excellent, excellent...:clap:


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## Prof.

Audio wise all 3 are very good...BUT video wise I'm afraid it goes down hill from JP1 and 3 is no better than an upconverted DVD!! :gah:


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## amythompson172

Thanks very much for the well written review! And for letting me know Jurassic Park is out on Blu-Ray! I think it deserves another watch!


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## gene9p

JP II is a pretty poor transfer..all 3 have knockout soundtracks


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## gorb

Thanks for this review too. I picked up this set for dirt cheap on black friday, but I haven't found the time to watch it yet. I do enjoy all three films, but the first is definitely the best. I've heard some complaints about the video quality but I'm sure I won't really notice anything. The audio is what makes JP the experience that it is anyway imo.


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## vettett15

I also picked up the blu ray during christmas time, forgot how much i liked the movie. Does anyone know how low the bass goes during some of the "stomping" scenes?


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