Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Jurassic Park has by and far earned its title as a classic -- aside from being the most accurate dinosaur film of its time and encouraging an entire generation of paleontologists, the movie itself is just superb. Nothing in the film is wasted; every design choice, line and scene serves a purpose. In today's era of meandering plots, Jurassic Park remains tight and tense, making it not only a rollicking blockbuster but also an effective survival horror.
Jurassic Park is a must-watch for film students, as breaking down the film shows just how efficient every shot is. There are callbacks and foreshadowing, plot and character building in every single frame. And no scene truly exemplifies this so much as the "Journey to the Island" sequence, which sets up the entire film.
The helicopter ride to Isla Nublar is the first time audiences see the main adult protagonists together and the proper introduction for Dr. Ian Malcolm, mentioned earlier by Gennaro. In this scene, as the helicopter flies over the ocean, each character has a chance to show their personalities and how they react to each other. Dr. Alan Grant is reserved, and Gennaro is all business, but the way Ian bounces off of John Hammond and Dr. Ellie Sattler not only posits the first hint that the park could go wrong with his mentions of chaos theory but also allows Ian's characterization to catch up with the rest of the cast. He shamelessly flirts with Ellie, bombastically expounds on his work, and constantly taps Hammond on the leg -- which Hammond takes offense to. Ian establishes himself as gregarious, charming and a tad handsy and, in roughly a minute, makes himself a likable character on par with the other previously established characters.
And then, as Hammond calls attention to them nearing their destination, the scene shifts to one of the most memorable shots of the franchise, the one nearly everyone mentions when reminiscing about the film: the first shot of the island itself, when the Jurassic Park theme triumphantly kicks in for the first time, exemplifying the wonder in store for everyone. It's beautiful, moving and emotional, and on first watch, it's easy to miss how small the helicopter is against the backdrop of the island. The camera tracks the chopper, but it doesn't stay close -- every shot makes it look diminished and unimpressive. It's a subtle hint that mankind's machinations are little in the face of nature's might.
When the camera cuts back to the interior of the chopper, the characters get but a moment's notice before things go wrong: wind shears, which necessitate the copter dropping quickly. Hammond is quick to gloss over this, employing humor at the sudden shock. Gennaro, meanwhile, is the first one to make a grab at safety and buckle in; he's also the first to flee for the illusion of safety later on when the T. Rex attacks. Ian follows immediately after, but Alan is the one shown having technical difficulties, as he constantly seems to encounter: he ended up with two female buckles, which means he can't strap in like everyone else.
It's this little scene with the safety buckles that truly sets up everything in the film: Out of this group, Alan ends up in the most peril due to being lost in the park after the safety precautions and technology fail them. Ellie and Hammond try to help, but ultimately, Alan is the one who figures out how to strap himself in -- by tying the two belts together. This hints at the dinosaurs later being able to breed, at "life finding a way." But at the same time, it not only showcases Alan's resourcefulness but how the characters are able to survive -- human ingenuity in the face of adversity.
The helicopter eventually lands, and the characters explore the park with all its wonders and perils, but what amounts to a five-minute sequence effectively sets up the rest of the two-hour film, all while adding another character to the mix. It's nice, tight and character-driven, and while it's all subtle, it's what makes the film such a memorable masterpiece.