Jurassic Park III (2001)

JURASSIC PARK III

2001 – USA

Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Laura Dern

- Reviewed by Tom

Jurassic Park III Amanda (Téa Leoni) and Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) are a divorced couple that get back together to a search for their missing son. The missing boy, Eric (Trevor Morgan), was out paragliding with his thrill-seeking stepfather over the shores of the restricted island of nasty monsters with pointy teeth. The tow boat that was pulling them aloft gets attacked in a fog-bank, so they cut the rope and glide to safety onto the island.

Eight weeks later the Kirby parents fool Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) into thinking they are rich adventurers and talk him into flying over the island with them as their tour guide (the check they wrote to him would later bounce). Totally against FAA rules and common sense, they land on the island, get attacked, jump in the plane, and take off again only to smack into Spinosauraus who was crossing the runway in pursuit of a human that missed the flight. As you would guess (and saw in the movie preview) they crash into the bushes and the beast attacks the plane in a scene that just goes on a little too long.

This is where the differences between the first two movies ends and it becomes the same old monster chase that we have become so familiar with. Up trees, down in holes, over fences, into tiny cages, through the dinosaur poop, and down the river in the ever-present heavy Jurassic Island rainstorm.

Oh, I almost forgot. When Dr. Grant does find the boy, it ends up that the kid is much smarter then the others, and just as much of a dinosaur expert as the good doctor himself.

OK, this isn't a spoiler, but something you could probably guess: Just wait a year or two and I bet there will be a Jurassic Park IV. The flying dinosaurs were flying away into the sunset at the end. I think they were headed towards New York City, or possibly Tokyo.

Bad things (to name a few):

Predictable plot.
Not scary.
Talking dinosaur in Dr. Grant's dream (NO!!).
In close-ups, the dinosaurs looked very mechanical.
I don't think Jurassic III is the last of them.
The ending. The raptors wimped-out and let them go!!! (Ooops! spoiler! - ed.)

Good things:

Only 90 minutes.
Some new dinosaurs.
Some of the computer-generated dinosaurs did look pretty good.
Helicopters (don't these always boost a movie a bit?).

If you are a dinosaur freak, rent the movie. RENT—DON'T buy! Otherwise do what we all did with the Star Wars series and stick with the original.

Official Movie Site

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