52 Reasons Why Jurassic Park Might Just Be the Greatest Film of all Time

Exactly what it says on the tin: Jurassic Park obsessive Rob Beames compiles the many, many reasons why this 1993 Spielberg film is just about the best ever made.

In the vein of similar takes on Back to the Future, Gremlins and Star Wars, here are my reasons for naming 1993 sensation Jurassic Park as the best movie of all time. Many of them aren't strictly "reasons" - just cool, funny or nostalgic things that fans will hopefully get a kick out of:

1. "Clever girl."

An iconic scene... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKRnEOUxZm0 Game warden Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) has some of the film's finest moments ("they remember"; "they should all be destroyed!"; "I told you how many times we needed locking mechanisms on the vehicle doors!?"; and "quiet all of you: they're approaching the tyrannosaur paddock!"), but his best remembered line - one of the most quoted from the movie - is the above gem, delivered just prior to his grisly demise.

2. "I bring a scientist, you bring a rockstar."

Jeff Goldblum: Movie Scientist! Remember that film starring Jeff Goldblum that you like? Chances are he plays a scientist, as in The Fly, Independence Day and Jurassic Park - as well as its first sequel, where he plays "chaotician" Dr. Ian Malcolm. This irreverent, leather-clad, funnyman is one of the film's highlights, though his character changes completely for 1997's The Lost World, where his quirky supporting turn makes way for a more conventional, vanilla hero role. Malcolm's lines include "that is one big pile of shit" and "life finds a way".

3. "Welcome to Jurassic Park!"

Immortal words... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPoYzyOn44M If that didn't make the hair at the back of your neck stand on end you have no business reading this list.

4. John Williams

Too good... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6fka74ZnpU Nothing says grandeur like Williams' theme to Jurassic Park, which for me overshadows even his work on Star Wars, Superman or Indiana Jones. It comes into my head whenever I see something awe-inspiring, such as when I first caught a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In a generation's collective imagination, this is the music dinosaurs roamed the Earth to. Introduced as we first see the island, and reprised as we catch glimpse of the brachiosaurus, this theme conveys the majesty and wonder of the animals and the early promise of the park. It's optimistic and even a little naive and it almost brings a tear to my eye. You should keep it playing as you read this list.

5. "Dodgson, Dodgson... we got Dodgson here!"

Nice hat... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AERwgNvgMmc When tubby villain Dennis Nedry (Seinfeld antagonist Wayne Knight) gets told off for using an associate's real name during a secret meeting, it leads to this memorable line. Amidst the plotting that will result in the deaths of several InGen staff and park guests (and one blood-sucking lawyer), Nedry has time for this unusual laugh...
Contributor
Contributor

A regular film and video games contributor for What Culture, Robert also writes reviews and features for The Daily Telegraph, GamesIndustry.biz and The Big Picture Magazine as well as his own Beames on Film blog. He also has essays and reviews in a number of upcoming books by Intellect.