Steven Spielberg’s Sci-Fi Action Masterpiece Is His Greatest Movie Of all Time

Steven Spielberg has made some of the most successful movies of all time. His films have stood among the highest-grossing in history, and it’s hard to top what Spielberg has accomplished throughout his career, especially in the ’80s and ’90s. His movies also feel superior when compared to other commercial movies. While Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark are formidable works of art, the director showed he had a unique sensibility when he made E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Although it made loads of money, E.T. was genuinely an excellent sci-fi adventure.

For decades, others tried to capture the magic of Spielberg’s superb film about unconditional friendship, but none came close to his masterpiece. Not even his own movies could be compared to it. Nevertheless, in the early ’90s, Spielberg released an action movie that would once again take Hollywood by storm. In 1982, he made us believe that aliens could actually be our best friends. But in 1993, he brought dinosaurs back to life.

While many consider E.T. to be his greatest movie, Jurassic Park truly deserves that title. Staying within the confines of his genre movies, the $1 billion dinosaur feature stomps through the rest and presents the director in his prime. Spielberg made everyone believe there were dinosaurs on the screen, and though they were terrifying flesh-eating creatures, he always made sure to maintain enough balance between thrills and wonder to turn the spectacle into pure movie magic.

We Never Should Have Played With Evolution

Based on the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park follows a wealthy visionary who teams up with scientists to bring dinosaurs back to life. John Hammond invests so much money in cloning the ancient creatures because he wants to open a theme park where humans can interact with the extinct animals. As unreasonable as this may sound, Hammond fiercely believes the park could be successful. He invites a team of experts to evaluate the absurd idea. Specialists Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm instantly look down on the science of playing with evolution. As if this weren’t enough, Hammond also brings over his grandchildren.

At first, it’s wonderful, and almost impossible to believe, as the giant dinosaurs are alive and roaming on the island where the park is supposed to be. The problem is that things go… wrong. After a greedy employee causes the island to lose power during a rainstorm, the dinosaurs break free from the paddocks. As Hammond sees what has happened to his simulation, the experts have to find a way back to safety on an island that the massive creatures have claimed.

‘Jurassic Park’ Is the Pinnacle of Spielberg’s Filmmaking Mastery

No one was bigger than Spielberg in the ’80s. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a major release in 1981, but merely one year later, Spielberg broke the box office again with E.T. The family sci-fi film became the highest-grossing movie of all time, and paved the way for the director to become a massively successful producer as well. Everything he touched turned to gold.

And then came the ’90s. Hook wasn’t well-received by most, but Spielberg had something up his sleeve. The director had been working on the dinosaur film for some time, and in 1992, he began shooting Jurassic Park and developing Schindler’s List at the same time. 1993 saw the release of both films – one would shatter the box office, while the other would land him a well-deserved Best Director Oscar. Needless to say, it was one of the most important years of his career.

Many ask how he managed to make two extremely different films in the same year. They were far from easy in terms of production, as the set of Jurassic Park was damaged by a natural disaster, and Schindler’s List was emotionally draining. Maybe he works better under pressure (Jaws was also notoriously difficult to make), and that’s how he managed to make two of his best films at the same time. Regardless, he never tried to go on that journey again.

The Impossible Task of Picking Spielberg’s Best Movie

While the discussion of whether E.T. or Jurassic Park is Spielberg’s ultimate masterpiece will have several points of contention (and everyone is entitled to their own favorite), picking out the director’s greatest movie is anything but easy. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Ready Player One, and Saving Private Ryan are impressive examples of his ability to tackle several genres and make something special in different areas. Perhaps it’s simpler to say he has some of the greatest films in genres such as sci-fi, war, and adventure.

In any case, Jurassic Park was a landmark in the director’s career. After the 1993 film, he never achieved anything quite like it again. Not with the sequel, or bringing back iconic characters like Indiana Jones to the big screen. It was truly the end of an era for the director who made some of the biggest blockbusters in history, but hadn’t exactly designed a blueprint. Of course, Jurassic Park was a triumph because of its groundbreaking special effects, but in the film, you could actually feel the magic of the storytelling master at work. When it comes to sci-fi action, few movies balance all their elements so well, and Jurassic Park is the perfect representation of it. Plus, the first Tyrannosaurus scene? That’s the best action sequence of all time.