Jurassic Park 3-D **** (PG-13) Twenty years ago, Steven Spielberg added to his impressive list of WOW! movies, thrilling, scaring and fascinating the world with this sci-fi epic of cloned dinosaurs running amok at an island theme park. Now hordes of computer geeks have pounced upon the Master's master print, upgrading it with current 3-D technology to fine effect. Not only does the original story hold up, but the basic question of whether our collective wisdom is keeping pace with the rapid pace of scientific advances to use our new knowledge safely and productively is perhaps more relevant today. It’s the same question one might ask when hearing the cell-phone blather of others, who often seem to be chatting on the go simply because they can, not because they really have anything important or urgent to discuss.
So when Richard Attenborough’s character buys an island, planning to let the world experience living dinosaurs in a natural habitat, his elaborate system for preventing disasters quickly proves inadequate - especially failing to prepare for human frailties. The park is awash in casualties before it even opens. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum head the cast of experts imported to verify the park’s authenticity and security.
Even for those who remember what happened, this 3-D enhancement makes the ticket worthwhile, with a satisfying mix of character development, danger, science and comic relief. There’s nothing dated about the dialogue or the action, even if the pace is slower than today’s typical superhero or space flicks. And Samuel L. Jackson supporting role as a computer nerd is no small bonus, either. (4/5/13)