Credit: Universal PicturesJurassic Park (1993) is one of the most beloved films of all time. Directed by Steven Spielberg (Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones trilogy), the sci-fi thriller blockbuster grossed over $1 billion worldwide and became an overnight classic.
It also spawned an entire multi-media franchise, so far giving us five movie sequels (with the sixth, Jurassic World: Rebirth, currently in development), two animated shows, comic books, novels, video games, theme park experiences, and lots more.
However, despite the franchise being aimed towards kids just as much as it is towards adults (especially in recent years since the Jurassic World rebranding), the original film is filled with moments of genuine horror. Its balance between wonder and terror is one of the many reasons why audiences and critics praise it so highly. But is it suitable for children?
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Jurassic Park might take the “less is more” approach with its violence, but it still has plenty of dinosaur-on-human violence. Despite there being hardly any blood in the film, the kills are vicious and disturbing. Sure, they leave plenty to the imagination (steamy windscreens and foliage often get in the way), but what you do see is still enough to give you nightmares.
But did you know that there’s a version of the film that has no kills whatsoever, or any violence for that matter?
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Published by Treasure Cove Story, who’ve also released other storybook re-imaginings of popular films, and adapted by Arie Kaplan with illustrations by Josh Holtsclaw, “Jurassic Park” is a family-friendly adaptation of the 1993 classic directed by Steven Spielberg.
While the book closely follows the events of the film, recapturing iconic moments from Alan Grant’s first encounter with a Brachiosaurus to the Visitor Center-showdown between Alan, Ellie, Lex, and Tim and the Velociraptors, it’s more of a “whistlestop” tour.
And, as the storybook is intended for children (or “smaller versions of adults” as Ellie puts it in the film), unsurprisingly, there are no dino-related deaths. That’s not to say that the likes of Robert Muldoon and Dennis Nedry make it–they probably just get eaten off-page!
For fans wanting to sink their teeth and claws into something geared toward adults, though, be sure to read Michael Crichton’s 1990 best-seller “Jurassic Park” if you haven’t already.
While Spielberg’s iconic silver-screen adaptation differs enormously in tone (and also omits even more from the source material than all eight Harry Potter films leave out of JK Rowling’s seven books), the book is a lot darker and way more graphic with its violence.
However, if you’re eager to introduce your kids to Jurassic Park but feel the film is a bit on the scary side, the storybook version is an excellent gateway to the franchise.
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Where Can I Watch Jurassic Park?
The original Jurassic Park is available to stream across multiple platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and even Disney+.
“Experience one of the biggest films in motion picture history with director Steven Spielberg’s ultimate thrill ride, Jurassic Park,” the official Jurassic World website reads.
“Featuring Academy Award® winning visual effects and ground-breaking filmmaking that has been hailed as ‘a triumph of special effects artistry’ (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times), this epic film is sheer movie-making magic that was 65 million years in the making.
Jurassic Park takes you to an amazing theme park on a remote island where dinosaurs once again roam the earth and five people must battle to survive among the prehistoric predators. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough, discover the breath-taking adventure you will want to experience again and again.”
Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill (Alan Grant), Laura Dern (Ellie Sattler), Jeff Goldblum (Ian Malcolm), Ariana Richards (Lex Murphy), Joe Mazzello (Tim Murphy), Richard Attenborough (John Hammond), Wayne Knight (Dennis Nedry), Bob Peck (Robert Muldoon), Samuel L Jackson (Ray Arnold), Martin Ferrero (Donald Gennaro), and BD Wong (Henry Wu).
Are you already familiar with this version of Jurassic Park? Let us know in the comments down below!