Prepare yourself for the latest film with “Jurassic Park – 4K Trilogy Steelbook Collection”
- Bill Kelley III
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
4K ULTRA HD REVIEW / NEW HDR SCREENSHOTS
(1) John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) shows his guests an infant Velociraptor. (2) The electric SUV takes the guests into Jurassic Park. (3) Jeff Goldblum plays Dr. Ian Malcolm.
(Click an image to scroll the larger versions)
“JURASSIC PARK TRILOGY STEELBOOK COLLECTION”
4K Ultra HD; 1993, 1997, 2001; PG-13 for intense science fiction terror and violence; Digital copy via Amazon Video (4K), Apple TV (4K), Fandango Home (4K), Movies Anywhere (4K), YouTube (4K)
Best extra: “Return to 'Jurassic Park': Dawn of a New Era”
WITH THE soon-to-be spin-off “Jurassic World Rebirth” hitting theaters from director Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) and starring Scarlett Johansson, Universal Pictures has unveiled its latest 4K remastering of the “Jurassic Park: Trilogy.” It touts the addition of Dolby Vision grading and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, replacing the DTS:X enveloping track.
But there’s so much more.
VIDEO
The original 35mm camera negative captured in the open matte (1.85:1 matte aspect ratio) was scanned in 4K some years ago. The previous 2018 4K Ultra HD of Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic “Jurassic Park” (1993) was a respectable presentation, but suffered from varying film grain and a slightly soft image. It seemed a touch of digital noise reduction was applied, especially when using the 2010 master. Universal was notorious at that time for heavy-handed DNR. In my original 2018 4K review, I said, “I think a better 4K presentation is possible.”
The new 2025 remaster used what we assume are the original RAW 4K master files. This time the film grain is more pronounced and balanced, while clarity is dialed up a notch or two in facial close-ups, a trademark of “Jurassic’s” photography from Dean Cundey (“Hook,” “Apollo 13”) and Spielberg. There are more defined moles, hair, and wrinkles. Wide shots also have more clarity showing distant objects captured on the Hawaiian Islands. Still, composite scenes with CGI are slightly softer, suffering from early ‘90s computer technology. Title shots are also soft compared to the rest of the presentation.
The HDR10 peak brightness has also been readjusted, hitting 1000 nits from its original 910, while the average light level drops slightly to 96 nits from 101. Another positive is that the video bitrate has increased around 10-15 Megabits per second throughout.
The HDR color grading is nearly identical or the same, but the new remaster has a slightly darker brightness level in several scenes, and the recalibrated black level and contrast give the overall image a more cinematic experience and onscreen pop!
(1) The Tehachapi Pass region of Southern California subs for the Badlands, near Snakewater, Montana. (2&3) Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) view a sonic impression of a fossilized Velociraptor. (4) Dr. Grant provides a teaching moment for the young boy about a scenario in which he meets a raptor in real life. (5) Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler.
AUDIO
The “Jurassic” films received a new Dolby Atmos, which sounds identical to the previous DTS: X soundtrack, pushing those Oscar-winning sounds and sound effects to height speakers. Still, the majority of sound comes from the traditional front, center, and rear speakers. The subwoofer gets a major, earth-shattering workout. Don’t be surprised if walls and picture frames vibrate. The bass response kicks in at the first 30 seconds when the title “Jurassic Park” hits the screen.
When “Jurassic Park” premiered, it changed the movie industry when Spielberg insisted the soundtrack use the then-new state-of-the-art digital audio technology (DTS audio format) for the T-Rex roars. Over 800 theaters installed the digital playback system in 1993; Spielberg was a co-founder of DTS technology.
(1-3) John Hammond flies his special guests to Jurassic Park, located on the island Lsla Nublar, 120 miles west of Costa Rica. Deep rich colors are evident on the new 4K version. (4&5) Once on the island, it was a quick ride to see the Brachiosaurus, considered the tallest of all dinosaurs. Composite scenes with CGI are slightly softer, suffering from early ‘90s computer technology. (6) Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician and chaos theorist.
EXTRAS
All of the carryover bonus features are included on the three 4K discs, with over three hours of interviews.
Spielberg’s fascination with dinosaurs began early when his father took him to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, home to one of America’s largest collections of dinosaur bones. “Like most kids, one of my first long words was ‘Triceratops,’” Spielberg says during the “Return to ‘Jurassic Park’: Dawn of a New Era” documentary featured on the 4K disc.
We see Spielberg behind a massive 35mm camera, actually operating it in the summer of 1992, while directing his actors at the same time. “Start crawling toward me,” he instructs one actor in the opening sequence of what has become one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises. “Grab it. Grab it,” he continues. “All the way…that’s great. That’s a cut. Fabulous!”
His goal for “Jurassic Park” was simple: to make a movie for dinosaur lovers, not a monster movie. Based on the novel by bestselling author Michael Crichton, Spielberg hired him to adapt his book into a script. “The second I read [it], I knew we were not dealing with monsters, but a credible look at how dinosaurs may someday be brought back alongside modern man,” Spielberg says. Aside from pure entertainment, Crichton tackles the big question: DNA cloning may be viable, but is it ethical?
(1&2) Dr. Grant is amazed by the Triceratops. (3) Everything starts to unravel when Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) reboots the Jurassic Park computer system, causing the electric fencing to go offline. (4) Grandson Tim Murphy (Joseph Mazzello) finds a pair of night vision goggles and he discovers the goat is missing at the T-rex exhibit. (5-7) The T-rex breaks through the fencing that's no longer electrified, as the DTS:X soundtrack produces deep sonic bass response and loudness during the attack. (8) Chief engineer John Arnold (Samuel L. Jackson) says, “I get Jurassic Park back online without Dennis.” (9) Dr. Sattler and park game warden Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) find Ian Malcolm badly injured from the T-rex attack.
Spielberg envisioned using full-size animatronics as much as possible for the dinosaurs. Stan Winston (“Terminator 2,” “Aliens”) and his FX gang were the only effects wizards in Hollywood who could pull it off. “He had an amazing shop, great artisans, and great technology,” Spielberg recalls. He also recruited paleontologist Jack Horner as a consultant. Horner, like Sam Neill’s character, believed dinosaurs evolved into birds. “Horner became our credibility.”
Winston and crew started with 1/16 scale models, then moved up to 1/5 scale dinosaurs. Once those got the green light, life-size animatronics were ordered. That’s when everything came to life. Movements were seamless as up to a dozen puppeteers worked in concert to operate the massive creatures.
But the REAL game changers were George Lucas’ computer pros at Industrial Light & Magic, who revolutionized computer-generated images (CGI). Initially, Spielberg had committed to old-school stop-action photography with models, much like the technology used for “King Kong” in the 1930s. However, the gang at ILM proved realistic CGI was achievable, producing over 60 digital effects, mostly for distant shots and the famous stampede of long-necked Gallimimus, running between actors Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant), Ariana Richards (Lex Murphy) and Joseph Mazzello (Tim Murphy). Four years later, hundreds of CGI effects were created for the sequel, “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.”
There are dozens of insider stories from the cast, including Jeff Goldblum (Ian Malcolm), who recalls when Spielberg became an on-set sound effects master using a bullhorn to screech like a Raptor to get reactions from his cast to the non-visible dinosaurs.
(1&2) Dr. Grant, and John Hammond's grandchildren Tim and Lex watch a herd of Gallimimus. Dr. Grant, Lex, and Tim climb the once electrified fence. (3) The power returns while Tim continues to climb off the fence and was electrocuted. (4) Muldoon and Dr. Sattler encountered several raptors.
“Return to Jurassic Park: The Third Adventure” details how Spielberg passed the director’s baton to longtime friend Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger”). Just five weeks before production, Johnson killed the original script and demanded a new plot for the first act. This is the weakest of the series, where Sam Neill returns as Dr. Grant, and is tricked into helping a wealthy couple (William H. Macy and Téa Leoni) find their tween son who disappeared near the theme park ruins.
Spielberg continues to lead all directors with the most 4K physical disc releases (20). First, with “Duel” which premiered on Nov. 13, 1971, on ABC’s “Movie of the Week,” “The Sugarland Express” (1974), “Jaws” (1975), “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981), “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982), “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984), “The Color Purple” (1985), “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989), “Hook” (1991), “Jurassic Park” (1993), “Schindler’s List” (1993), “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997), “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), “War of the Worlds” (2005), “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008), “The Post” (2017), “Ready Player One” (2018), “West Side Story” (2021) and “The Fabelmans” (2022).
Spielberg’s mega-hit is still a lot of fun and a landmark piece of filmmaking in the world of CGI. Don’t hesitate to run to this upgrade!
— Bill Kelley III, High-Def Watch producer
(1) Dr. Grant and Tim whose hair still shows signs of being electrocuted, have a quiet moment before the next battle. (2) Lex (Ariana Richards) hears the sounds of the raptors. (3&4) Lex and Tim try to hide inside the kitchen, but the Raptor is on the hot trail.
(1) John Hammond's dream for Jurassic Park has died. (2-4) Dr. Grant, Lex and Tim survive Jurassic Park. John Hammond's cane with a fossilized mosquito trapped in amber.