Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg soared to new heights with this massively successful adventure that spawned a monster-sized franchise. The world's ultimate theme park, featuring genetically re-created dinosaurs, is about to open and owner Richard Attenborough decides to give a sneak preview to a select few, including scientists Sam Neill and Laura Dern. However, all is not well in this new Garden of Eden and, in the jungle, the creatures are restless. (When movie scientists tamper with nature, you just know something will go wrong!) T rex and her chums may be the stars of the show, but Spielberg orchestrates the action with such effortless verve that, even today, it's hard not to be transfixed by the thrilling spectacle and the sheer scale of the director's vision.