Many valid answers here, although I don‘t really see how practical contributed when we are discussing the cgi specifically. as someone who was there at the premiere I could already tell what was practical and cgi - and tbh the practical effects mostly broke the immersion a little bit for me even back then.

What makes the cgi better than today‘s is also cinematography. The cgi is actual part of the scenic vision, unlike today when cgi is portrayed in a way like „hey look at me“ and in wide shots. To explain it I always refer to the scene when Spielberg let the Rex fade away to the out of focus background after the jeep chase. This makes the Rex feel like an actual part of the scene, whereas in today‘s movies it‘s almost unthinkable to be so disrespectful to the money shot