This is my idea of a perfect movie. I mean, it's not perfect, perfect, but it's pretty close. To start off the score is just amazing and iconic and really drives the awe of this film. And these characters are developed so quickly but are also so good. All of the actors give fantastic performances. Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Richard Attenborough give classic performances and even the supporting actors like Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, and especially Bob Peck as Muldoon. What really struck me this time I watched it was how the action really doesn't even start until halfway through the movie, and then from there the action is nonstop.
I think that since it was paced like this, it allows us to get attached to the characters which makes the action so much more impactful and suspenseful. And even with that first hour that is primarily dialogue, it's still so engaging since the script is tightly written, it has some compelling conversations on the control that humans have, is well shot, and has some humor that feels natural in the dialogue and is in character. The humor is never forced in situations that are tense unless it's expected form that character, like Ian Malcolm.
And then that second half... my God, it's so good. This isn't an action movie to me, it's a suspenseful thriller. There's no humans fighting dinosaurs, exploding cars and planes, and the action is used relatively sparingly. The CGI is also used sparingly and only when it is needed. Both the practical effects and CGI look great still. Speilberg really crafted amazing characters, tense scenes like with the Tyrannosaurus breakout and the Raptors in the kitchen, and iconic shots. This was my favorite movie as a kid because of the cool-looking dinosaurs, and is still one of my favorites because of it's insanely great characters and suspenseful scenes.