BIGGEST BEAST OF SUMMER

At 25, the pioneering, special effects-laden ‘Jurassic Park’ remains the king of the season

Summer films come in all forms.

The best should be a vacation from the everyday.

The biggies — also known as “summer blockbusters” — originated nearly five decades ago in 1975 when Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” scared most everyone out of the water.

Two years later, the original “Star Wars” took the summer blockbuster to the stars, and the rest is Hollywood history.

Those films helped pave the way for the likes of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Back to the Future,” “Avatar,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” and many others.

None captures the essence of the summer blockbuster better than Spielberg’s 1993 mega-hit “Jurassic Park,” which has turned 25. It opened in theaters June 11, 1993. (And the fifth film in the franchise it started, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” hits theaters June 22.)

“Jaws” scared the heck out of moviegoers, and it can be argued it’s a horror film. “Jurassic Park” is the ultimate thrill ride, one that paved the way to state-ofthe-art special effects and an entirely different way of viewing something young and old moviegoers watch in wonder — dinosaurs.

“Jurassic Park” didn’t bring star power to its cast, and that’s because the stars were Spielberg, his effects team of Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and Michael Lantieri, and, of course, those wonderful dinosaurs.

The T-Rex was the lead, and the raptors were spectacular in their supporting roles. Actors Sam Neil, as Dr. Alan Grant, Laura Dern, as Dr. Ellie Sattler, and the wonderful Jeff Goldlblum, as Dr. Ian Malcolm, were perfectly cast, however.

All those ingredients churned out a box-office smash hit that was “an adventure 65 million years in the making,” as states the film’s poster tagline. Five years ago, it was re-released in theaters, and it’s all-time box office return stands at more than a billion dollars.

Here’s one man’s case for “Jurassic Park” as the ultimate summer film:

THE STORY » Grant, Sattler and Malcolm are invited by millionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to preview his amusement park full of living dinosaurs created from the DNA of pre-historic insects. Hammond’s grand children (Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello) are along for the ride, but that’s sabotaged by the park’s moneyhungry employee played by Wayne Knight, who’s prepared to sell off dino DNA to the highest bidder. Hijinks ensue, and the park and its new creations spin wildly out of control. THE UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT » The use of computer-generated scenes started here, and none pulled moviegoers in quite like the first dinosaur scene as the crew arrives at the park. It’s played out masterfully to composer John Williams’ stirring score. The

looks on Neil’s and Dern’s faces as they first see the Brachiosaurus sold it. Then Attenborough nailed it with his iconic “Welcome to Jurassic Park” line. Only Spielberg could make us believe humans could walk among dinosaurs. THE UNFORGETTABLE

SCENES » T-Rex escape: Spielberg is at his best showing us the ripples in a glass to signify the T-Rex’s approach. That affect — buoyed by a plucked guitar string attached to the car — is arguably more intense than the appearance of the dinosaur itself. It’s pure movie magic. Raptor attack: Game warden Robert Muldoon thinks he has an escaped velociraptor in his sights, only to be outsmarted by another stalking him to his immediate left. Bye-bye Muldoon. Stalked in the kitchen: An all-time thrill scene as Hammond’s grandkids, Timmy and Lex, are hunted by two raptors. Anyone who’s seen “Jaws” knows Spielberg can pull the trigger on killing off children, so upon first viewing this is a hold-onto-your seat moment. THE ONE-LINERS » “Life finds a way”; “Welcome ... to Jurassic Park”; “Clever girl”; “Hold onto your butts.” THE RE-WATCH FACTOR » A rock-solid 10 out of 10. Check in and out at anytime -- it’s worth the time.

FINAL VERDICT » Some might argue Spielberg has lost his touch since his monster year of 1993, when he directed “Jurassic Park,” and “Schindler’s List.” Since then, he’s had hits such as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Minority Report,” “Catch Me If You Can,” and most recently “The Post” and “Ready Player One.” For some, “Jaws” is Spielberg’s greatest cinematic achievement — including from this corner — but, after careful consideration, I’ve decided to endorse this film as my No. 1 summer film of all time. Movie Thoughts is a semiregular series related to a movie in theaters or bigscreen trends.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Isabella Sermon share a scene in the new film “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” -a scene that strongly echoes a memorable one from 1993’s “Jurassic Park.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE The site of famous dinosaur scenes at Kualoa Ranch in the valley of Kaaawa, Hawaii, is shown in 2005. “Jurassic Park” hit movie theaters 25 years ago, and the summer blockbuster was a game-changer.