3. The Score
Dun dun, dun dun, dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnn.. Okay typing that doesnt really do the theme justice, but boy does John Williams score soar. The adventurous main theme, first heard as the helicopter transports our heroes to Isla Nublar, is perhaps John Williams very last classic theme. It perfectly captures the great adventure aspect of the movie, suggesting that, despite the inherent terrors, excitement abounds in Jurassic Park. The second theme is a more emotional and majestic dinosaur theme, first heard during the Brachiosaur reveal. It captures the beauty of the dinosaurs and the sense of wonder felt by all in perceiving their natural majesty. These two melodies have the marvelous ability to simultaneously bring character and viewer right through the gates of Jurassic Park. There are lots of great minor melodies too, like the raptor motif, which is played varyingly with subtle menace and blaring danger. Or the motif heard when Nedry steals the embryos, a sardonic riff that represents his hacker skills while also illuminating the deadly consequences of meshing nature with technology. Despite the terror the characters go through, the losses of their friends and their own near-death experiences, the music reminds us that there is much to appreciate about this primordial world. There is beauty to behold, and adventure to be had. It simply must be experienced from afar, from a vantage point of safety - like a helicopter chair (or a movie theater seat).