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5 – When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (Jurassic Park)

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Spielberg knew just how popular the T. Rex (or Rexy as she’s known) would be even before the film released, and decided to bring her back for the films finale, and what a pay off! Suspense is high from the beginning as the group are fleeing from the Raptors and soon end up hanging from the suspended skeletons in the visitors centre (not before Grant kicks another dinosaur in the face though). Its a brilliant scene already, the tension building as the chase went on, but when all seems lost and the group is cornered the T. Rex comes out of nowhere. Nabbing one Raptor before it can attack and soon dealing with the other with some bone crushing results, the T. Rex steals the show at the very last moment. Everyone safely escapes relatively unscathed as the tense finale is brought to an end with sweet relief, Grant and Hammond concurring not to endorse the park. Rexy throwing the last Raptor into the skeleton and spinning round to deliver her trademark roar as the banner falls down all in one motion instantly becomes the image of the film, and with it the T. Rex becomes the poster child of Jurassic Park. They may no longer rule the Earth, but they certainly ruled Isla Nublar.

You can watch the scene below.

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4 – Raptors in the Kitchen (Jurassic Park)

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The scene begins with the infamous shaking jelly on Lex’s spoon, her quivering hand making a damn good follow up precursor to the water in the cup shot, in the same film no less. What follows is a master class in suspense as Spielberg puts the two children in mortal danger with the two Raptors in the kitchen. He makes use of every last inch of kitchen, turning a relatively harmless setting into a house of horrors, for both the kids and the Raptors. Lex desperately trying to close the shutter as the Raptor charges for her, only to smack into her reflection cast on the opposite counter, will get you every time. Its also the first time a dinosaur is killed by a human, well most likely, as Tim bravely traps his assailant in the chiller. The mixture of practical and computer effects makes the Raptors a very believable threat (the tapping claws are a brilliant touch), with this scene in particular placing them up with the likes of the Xenomorph and Predator in the ranks of monster villains. Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello both deserve special credit for making this a top scene too, they sell the vulnerability all too well, which makes their eventual escape all the better.

You can watch the scene below.

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3 – Mommy’s Very Angry (The Lost World: Jurassic Park)

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The Lost World hit its high point, as Jurassic Park often does, with the introduction of the T. Rex. However this time there’s two, and as soon as Malcolm can say “Mommy’s very angry” they’re on the scene. The beasts are barely shown, there’s no grand entrance, the enormous animatronics generally only being seen through the windows. Instead Spielberg opts to have the camera remain inside the trailer, a move that keeps the audiences perspective firmly in the middle of the terror. The T. Rex couple stalking the windows in search of their child is bad enough, but once the trailer is rolled (another great angle captures this from the inside) and then pushed off the cliff the scene has you on the edge of your seat, and its not even half way through yet. The slow build of tension from the moment Sarah hits the glass at the bottom is immense; the slow cracking of the glass, the reaching for the falling walkie talkie and Malcolm inching his way down is nerve racking. It sets a benchmark for set pieces in cinema, utilising the verticality of the scenario beautifully. The minimal use of dialogue is great too, with the panic ringing true in the odd line the characters can bring themselves to say; the best example being the last minute warning (issued twice) to “Hang on to something!”.

Eddie’s entrance marks the real spectacle of the scene though, as he endeavours to save his friends no matter what the cost. The back and forth routine is employed again as he trudges through the mud to secure the trailer (and its occupants) to his car and a tree. It nicely echoes Nedry’s struggles from the first but the danger is on a far grander scale, with the camera following his mad efforts from his car all the way through to the inside of the hanging trailer. Seeing the T. Rex duo return, this time captured in their full glory, drenched in rain accompanied by a haunting theme is about as ominous as it gets. Richard Schiffs unlikely hero Eddie soldiers on to the end however, foot firmly on the accelerator and reaching for his gun as the car is ripped apart. Ultimately his heroism is met with a horrific end, but this gripping set piece won’t soon be forgotten.

You can watch the bulk of the scene below.

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2 – T. Rex and Blue Vs The Indominus Rex (Jurassic World)

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What a finale. Having Owen Grady stay and take pot shots at the Indominus Rex with his two Raptors was a delight in itself, but its was far from enough to bring it down. Grey’s calling for ‘more teeth’ is then answered beautifully by Claire as she decides to lure out the T. Rex, not just any T. Rex, but the original Rexy who terrorised Jurassic Park all those years ago. The reveal is so atmospheric, the red light of the flare lighting up the head as its slowly comes to the open gate, and the incorporation of the original Jurassic Park theme in the soundtrack was goosebump inducing. The instant that flare hit the Indominus Rex audiences knew they were about to witness something special, all that was missing was Samuel Jackson asking us to hold onto our butts. This fight had the weight behind it that the Spinosaurus battle in Jurassic Park 3 was missing. Audiences knew both the combatants well, the sheer feeling of heartbreak present when Rexy first went down just going to show how much we cared for the T. Rex by this point, and then Blue came back!

The team up was the second surprise in the finale, and the brief spectacle it birthed was incredible. All of a sudden the anxiety was replaced with air punching joy as the two went to town on the Indominus. The fight itself was surprisingly well choreographed for a dinosaur battle, from watching Blue jump from back to back as it kept the pressure on the Indominus whilst the T. Rex caught up to seeing Rexy press the advantage rather than go for the bite was a thing of beauty. The fact that it was all presented in one shot only made the madness more fluid, right up until the glorious moment in which the Indominus was Deep Blue Sea’d and pulled to the depths (though seeing the T. Rex and Raptor, former enemies, standing next to each other ready to battle on was just as good). Michael Giacchino’s deserves a nod too, as his soundtrack keeps emotions high and the adrenaline rolling throughout the climatic battle. An incredibly satisfying scene then, and one that gave the T. Rex one last chance to shine alongside the new dinosaurs of the franchise.

There are no clips yet, but the end of this TV spot gives us the T. Rex’s grand entrance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmtpOpC16PM

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1 – The T. Rex Escapes (Jurassic Park)

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Could it have been any other scene? The T. Rex dominates the top three of the list, and for good reason. But the very first encounter with the T. Rex was undoubtedly its best. Spielberg crafts each and every moment of the scene meticulously, squeezing every ounce of suspense he can from the gripping scene. The ripples in the water indicate something big is amiss, and then the goat leg hitting the roof of the car confirms it. Stan Winston’s incredible animatronic rears its enormous head and before you know it the T. Rex escapes to terrorise audiences the world over. Its another perfect mix of CGI and animatronics that bring the T. Rex to life, but perhaps the real stand out aspect of this scene is the sound direction. No music permiates the tension whatsoever, instead Spielberg opts to leave it to the ambient noises of the storm to emphasise how alone the group are in their struggle. The T. Rex sounds phenomenal, but the constant stormy downpour, metallic twangs of the fence breaking and discomforting ooze of the mud raise the intimidating ambience to a new level.

The group are separated, giving two perspectives of the T. Rex as it goes to town on the kids car. In a similar manner to the trailer scene of The Lost World you’re placed right in the interior of Tim and Lex’s car to experience the terror first hand, yet at the same time Grant and Malcolm watch from the other car unable to do anything. Its great direction, placing us in the shoes of the victim and the helpless onlooker in turn, and experiencing both only makes the others position all the more scary. Its especially inspiring to see Grant and Malcolm act together to save the children, the only time the two actually encounter a hostile dinosaur together in fact. The animatronics terrifying stare as Grant lures it with the flare, only to to see it chase it like a dog after a stick, is a heart stopping moment. Malcolm’s decision to lure it further, while stupid, is a damned heroic act too. The snippets of dialogue, Neil’s “Ian freeze!” and Goldblum’s “Save the kids!”, are delivered with such genuine fear you’re right in the moment with them. It all comes to a jaw dropping take as Grant narrowly avoids the falling car, but its the T. Rex’s last roar that brings the tense scene to an end. It wouldn’t be Spielberg without some humour in there however, with Donald ‘when you gotta go’ Genarro’s gruesome death offering a darkly comic comeuppance for the character. It remains the hallmark scene of the franchise, and a monumental landmark not only for special effects but for film making in general.

You can watch the bulk of the scene below.

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So those are my top 25 Jurassic Park scenes. Do you agree? Comment to let me know what your favourite moments were and thanks for reading!