The movies in the 90s were hard-hitting and weren’t pulling punches a lot of the time, or so it felt at least. Loud noises, big effects, and cutting edge technology were the big desires of the crowd at that point and a lot of movies didn’t fail to produce. While a great many movies in the 90s can be said to be better in the theater there were several that really deserve this distinction for a number of reasons that not every movie can claim since it was either a new bit of technology, a new idea, or an old idea turned into something that a lot of people were excited about. In any case, seeing a movie in the theater is usually better when it’s something worthwhile since the whole experience is a little more impressive and in a way it’s a superior view since being in the theater doesn’t really allow for a lot of talking, or distractions, or anything that might otherwise interfere with the overall experience. It’s easier to lose yourself in a movie when you’re in the theater than it is when you’re at home, that much is easy to agree upon.
Here are five movies from the 90s that were definitely better in the theater.
5. Jurassic Park
For those of us that can remember being in the darkened theater with the THX and Dolby working overtime, this movie was nothing less than impressive from the first moment the first dinosaur was shown. While dinosaurs in movies weren’t exactly a new idea, the revolutionary technology that made this possible was something that we hadn’t seen before and that managed to be absolutely great since it brought these beasts to life in a way that we’d only ever dreamed of in the past. True, learning that this wasn’t what they really looked like from those experts that decided to speak up was kind of a downer, but the movie itself was something great, especially when the T. Rex delivered that bone-rattling roar.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
To be fair, a person kind of needed to be a TMNT fan to get excited for this movie since up until then the best representations we’d seen were on TV, and apart from the animated series they weren’t really that great. But the movie was awesome in a way that looks kind of silly now but back then was nothing short of amazing since it brought some of our greatest heroes to life and even managed to bring Casey Jones into the mix. And of course, there’s never been a better April O’Neil, as even Megan Fox hasn’t nailed down that particular role despite acting in one more movie than Judith Hoag.
3. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
People might have dumped all over the prequels after seeing them, but if you tried to just come in and get a seat at many theaters on opening day the chances were that you’d be given a sad smile and told that the show was sold out. Having sat next to plenty of Star Wars die hard fans (my people) I can attest that everyone was excited for this movie and by the time the LucasFilm logo came up people were waving lightsabers in salute and openly cheering for the movie to start. From the podrace to the epic lightsaber battle people were loving it, so the hatred that came after was something of a surprise.
2. The Matrix
“Whoa” kind of sums up this movie and the effect it had on people in the theater, since from the moment Trinity did her hanging in the air kick to when Neo really started kicking some major butt people were entranced and had nothing else to say as they watched, enraptured, as the story played out. By the end the feeling was that it was going to be left alone and the idea was that Neo and his companions would eventually reveal the Matrix for what it was to those who were willing to see. But the war would have gone on without any further explanation, but that’s not what the Wachowski’s had in mind obvious.
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
There was really no other way to watch this movie when it first came out since the T-1000 alone demanded to be seen on the big screen and in full detail. This is one of the many movies that kind of loses some of its effect when it’s seen on a smaller screen, though it’s no less enjoyable for that. The fact that Arnold was still a top dog and that John Connor was still the future of the resistance was a comfort. But to be honest, this should have been the end of the franchise, no matter that it left things as up in the air as the first movie.
Sometimes you’ve just got to pay the fare to get the needed rush.
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