Dino Land Essay, Research Paper

“Dino Land ” The Scariest Place on Earth “Thump…..thump…thump..” The glass of water in the Jeep ripples with vibration. The sound is heard again…”thump…thump…thump..” All of the sudden, a gigantic roar is heard, followed by the final thump of the huge dinosaur foot. Does this scene sound familiar? It should if you have seen the 1993 blockbuster hit movie, Jurassic Park. While almost everyone has seen the dinosaur adventure story on the big screen, it was not originally a screenplay. Jurassic Park began as a best-selling scientific novel, written by Michael Crighton, many years before it was even dreamed about in Hollywood–which may be the reason why it became such a successful adventure film. The plot of the movie dealt with scientists attempts to re-create the dinosaurs, using the DNA from misquotes who were trapped in tree sap millions of years ago. The main scientist is a wealthy entrepreneur with intentions of creating a zoo-like amusement park, with prehistoric creatures. The story begins with an invitation from the wealthy entrepreneur to scientists for a “sneak preview” to check out the amusement park before its grand opening. Unfortunately, with something this complex and intricate, something is bound to go wrong, and it does. As soon as the scientist and their teams arrive, chaos erupts and the dinosaurs are let loose all over the park. This causes everyone to try and abandon the island, which, in turn, makes for a great adventure movie. While most action movies have a lot of explosions, car chases, and gunfights; Jurassic Park dealt more with of special effects. The dinosaurs in the film were created by computer graphics, and they appeared very lifelike. The sizes of the dinosaurs were done proportionally, according to historical information, yet it was shocking to see how gigantic they really were. Sound effects also added to the reality of the dinosaurs. For example, the sounds of the furious T-Rex, and the sound of the vicious raptors, were created to be extremely lifelike. Almost everyone’s favorite scene in the movie is when the T-Rex brakes loose from the electrical gate; and as he is walking toward his victims, there are ripples in the still cup of water. This special effect makes viewers feel like the dinosaur is really alive, coming after them, and sends chills down your spine. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were nothing like the Dino in the Flinstones or Barney–they were vicious and destructive. Some of the scenes in the movie were really gruesome, such as the scene where the loose T-Rex walks by a bathroom, finds a man, and eats him on the spot. The details of the dino’s meal are shown closely on the screen, adding to the horrifying display. Therefore, after watching Jurassic Park, perceptions of dinosaurs may change. Children will learn that historically, dinosaurs were not friendly, and they can not be tamed or kept like pets as it is portrayed on television. This historically correct portrayal of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park displays the hard work of palaeontologists. If it was not for them, we would not know so much about dinosaurs today, and not be able to understand a story about them. Palaeontologists gather up and compile little pieces of information, and put them together to make the whole picture for us–one dinosaur at a time.

While it may sound strange, Jurassic Park seems to portray the best and the worst of mankind. We can see the admirable side of mankind through the technological advancements such as biotechnology, the cloning of the dinosaurs, and our boundless ideas of innovations. However, we can also see the inferior side of our mankind; that is, when we try to change laws of the nature, and in return all we end up with is a corrupted and chaotic world. Presently, we have the technology of cloning, and we have successfully cloned living things, such as sheeps and frogs. Still, we must ask ourselves if what we are doing is morally and ethically correct? Or will we lead ourselves to destruction? If God created mankind and the world, and if he meant for dinosaurs to be extinct, then why should we scientifically tamper with God s decision? The answer can be found in the conclusion of the movie. I have both read the novel and seen the movie of Jurassic Park, and although the two vary in they own plot, I found both of them to be entertaining and worth reading/watching. In the novel, Crighton has a much more scientific outlook, using a lot of scientific data and explanations. However, the movie focuses more on special effects and the entertainment value, rather then the plot itself. Although the two differ in many of ways, both variations are enjoyable. The movie has great special effects, the dinosaurs seem very realistic; and after watching, my perception about dinosaurs has changed, and I have also gained a great deal of respect for palaeontologists. I would definitely recommend the movie, Jurassic Park, if not simply for the entertainment purpose, for its hidden messages and effects.