Why We Watch Movies:

So, many times when we go to movie theatres, it’s to see the latest film that everyone has been talking about on social media or in our friend groups.

The best example is the “Barbenheimer” trend. You’d go with a group of friends, maybe even dressed up as one of the characters from the movie, lean back in a plush leather theatre chair for five hours, and leave the theatre either excited or dressed, depending on which order you watched the two movies. You might even have some friends who looked at every fan theory about the movies, where one would half-jokingly unload a dissertation-long idea about the deeper meaning of “Barbie’s Heroes’ Journey.”

We sometimes want to just go to the movies after a long work week. You just want to sit down in an empty theatre, decompress, and enjoy a campy comedy on that 16 ft theatre screen.

In other cases, you might be the type of person who goes on opening day; you want to be one of the many people who are true fans; you want to be a member of the communal experience of watching the latest Marvel, A24, or other kind of movie for the first time ever.

No matter the reason, not many people get the opportunity to feel that experience again for the first time. This is especially the case for movies we call “classics”.

Imagine how it would have felt to be one of the first of many to see blockbusters like “JAWS,” “Star Wars: A New Hope,” or in this century, “Avatar.” These films were vibrant and instantly immersive, engrossing you in a larger-than-life experience. These movies changed filmmaking, and even after decades years both the old and young return to them, watching the screen in wonder.

Jurassic Park is no exception to this.

This August, the film had its 30th anniversary and has been re-released in theatres, now in a 3D format. Dinosaurs sprint across the screen, the action characters are some of the best written in movie history, and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end.

The film has also aged like fine wine; none of the effects or dinosaurs feel like they are unrealistic, which is sometimes the case for old movies, making the movie visually appeal to a modern audience. Further, its themes about the value of family, the limits of technology, and many others remain not only engaging but relevant to this day.

Further, not only is it essential to see this movie in theatre to have the full experience, but also to take an opportunity to reconnect with old friends. One of my friends loves Jurassic Park movies, and I hadn’t since the beginning of the summer because we both got busy, but that was one of the things that we wanted to do together. We laughed a lot during the movie, especially when Jeff Goldblum was using his unusually effective rizz (lol). This was a time for us to come together and just be good friends again.

That’s the power of a great movie.

So, if you find the time to go to the theatre, grab an old friend, a parent, or anyone you’d like to know better, and go see this fantastic movie on the big screen. You won’t regret it!