I don't remember when I actually saw this movie for the first time. I was four when it was released in theaters, so I do not have the vivid memory of seeing it in theaters. But I grew up loving the movie and sharing every child's fear and admiration for velociraptors. When I was in high school I had a period of obsession with Michael Crichton novels, reading them all, which made me love the film even more. But no amount of childhood obsession could prepare me for the experience of watching it in IMAX 3D. I know, I sound like an advertisement, but it really was that intense. It has been an hour since our show let out and I am still trying to get my vision to settle and my body to relax. Part of that has to do with my physical experience with IMAX. I am prone to vertigo and my eyes like to fight with the 3D glasses. But a lot of that has to do with the film itself. I had forgotten how tight a frame Spielberg uses in many of the shots. And even though it was not filmed for 3D and the conversion did not take well in some spots, the whole film really is in your face. It makes for much more startling reveals and the audience actually screamed at some points, even though they knew that the velociraptor was going to jump out of those cables.
And lets talk about the sound! I worked at the IMAX, so I know how much they turn the volume down from the system's capabilities and yet it is still almost overwhelmingly loud. At one point I was fighting with a little bit of motion sickness (not that uncommon for such a large screen) and then the t-rex came on the screen. If it was not for the fact that I would have been mocked at work for the rest of time, I would have walked out. Again, not a fault of the film or the conversion. The original film is just so well made for what it is that the added volume, size, and dimension take it from fun adventure movie to just below horror film in the level of suspense. There have been a lot of people talking about taking their children because it is a dinosaur movie that is so beloved by so many. However, on the basis of sound alone, I would not recommend taking any child under at least five. It is that wonderfully intense.
Oh, and that sock I was going to work on? Didn't happen. I put it down to keep from stabbing myself so often that I only knit one stripe.
It was totally worth the money. I love this movie and the conversion just elevated the experience. My husband had never seen it, so it was a lot of fun to watch him out of the corner of my eye, while trying to keep my anticipation under wraps so that he would not know what was coming. An excellent choice for a date night.
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I was 4 when it came out too! But I remember. Vividly. Through the holes in the crochet blanket I was hiding under, I remember the dilophasaurus spitting and hissing. I felt so bad for every little kid in the theatre when my boyfriend and I saw it in 3d. But it was well worth it seeing it in the theatre again even though I have seen it enough times to know every jump and every scare.
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