Remarkably anodyne, harmless, at times adorable - the sort of thriller you'd imagine coming out of NPR.

A triumph of absurdity. I'd say 90/10 ratio of platitudinous drivel to anything resembling honest communication. Can't help but wonder just how cynical it really is at heart - i.e., the whole town is defined by "soul" and yet it's completely full of shit. You just feel like Altman is standing back and filming songbirds... songbirds who only seem to tell the truth when they're singing...

At some point the adults in the room will realize they can't keep peddling Hammond's insane dream as something virtuous (Crichton didn't romanticize the character like Spielberg did, who projected his own desire to spoil children - which, come to think of it, sure explains why he cast Santa Claus in the role). Real pity they could only tiptoe up to the notion of animal rights, but I have a sneaking suspicion these writers are trained to space out their material (inevitable future franchise installments have to be about something, after all); zoological-industrial complex to be discussed in Jurassic Universe.

"Fuck Amok." Seen for the first time in the cinema - and I recommend everybody see it this way, as the inevitable walkouts seem central to the viewing experience.