Back in the late 90s, CGI wasn't as advanced as it is today, so filmmakers could only use it sparingly. Spielberg found this balance in the first movie and really capitalized on it in the second.

The technology used in CGI has roots in the 1960s, but the use of 2D and 3D animated models found filmmaking popularity in the late ’80s and early ’90s. 1993’s “Jurassic Park” introduced ...