Avatar vs. Jurassic Park

One of the schools I was subbing at last week was on a really strange schedule due to testing. The day ended with a two hour study center, so the teachers chose to show a movie. The options were Jurassic Park or October Sky, so naturally (like anyone didn't see this coming) the kids picked Jurassic Park. Though I tend to have a poor memory, I do remember the first time I saw this film. It was the summer after sixth grade (1993), and my best friend, her mom, her sister, and I went to the drive-in. Even though the drive-in is probably not the ideal location for viewing intense, graphic, action films, I was still impressed by how real everything seemed in the movie. It was like John Hammond really did discover a way to bring dinosaurs out of extinction with DNA found in fossilized amber, and someone was there to film it.

Yesterday, Michael and I went to see Avatar in 3D. It just blows Jurassic Park out of the water. I know filmmakers have come a long way (technologically and graphically) since the days of T-rex and velociraptors chasing Dr. Alan Grant through the jungle, but seeing these two movies in the same week really hit home how advanced the tech is becoming. I wonder what movies will be like in another 17 years. I really enjoyed the movie and am glad I finally saw something in 3D, but I don't think it's worth the extra money to see future films in 3D. I felt a little like I was watching a Magic Eye movie and had to keep unfocusing my eyes to see it right. The action sequences were especially difficult for me to follow in focus. It was amazing though.