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Jurassic Park III 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Joe Johnston
PG-13, 91 min. (intense sci-fi terror, violence) |
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Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce Young
Producer: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay: Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Cinematography: Shelly Johnson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Released: 7.18.01 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Now this is the way it should have been all along. The first two installments of Jurassic Park - the original awe-inspiring special
effects of the original in 1993, and the disappointing sequel in 1997 (The Lost World) - don't quite get it right. Those
films are too heavy on story and character development and too light on adrenaline-pumping action. Jurassic Park III finally
gets it right - it's basically an amusement park ride, which is actually the way Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) explains the dinosaurs
at one point in the film, that starts fast and furious and doesn't let up until the confusing and anticlimactic conclusion that
leaves you puzzled. In fact, a better ending would have made it one of the year's better films, but unfortunately
it runs out of gas just short of the finish line. However, with it's combination of wit and a few truly terrifying scenes, this film's a
successful entry into the dino-craze of the last decade.
Dr. Grant is suckered into leading another team onto one of the dino-islands because, once again, he needs money to fund
his ailing research team, that includes new closest friend and protege, Billy (Alessandro Nivola). Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) and
his wife Amanda (Téa Leoni) disguise themselves as rich tourists who only want a fly-over tour of the island, but in fact are
searching for their lost son, Eric (Trevor Morgan), who disappeared when paragliding over the island a few months earlier.
Predictably, their plane crashes and the roller coaster ride begins.
Humor, besides the intense action, is what sets this film apart from its predecessors. Some of the jokes include a constantly ringing
cell phone, a bottle containing T-Rex pee, and a few jabs at Dr. Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) from the previous films. Screenwriters Alexander
Payne and Jim Taylor wisely self-parodied the film to keep it light-hearted and to avoid getting bogged down in philosophical
mumbo-jumbo.
But the film's strength is in its action sequences - the main characters are constantly on the run (it almost reminded me of
Run Lola Run with its relentless exceleration), avoiding new and more dangerous dinosaurs, including smarter raptors that can
now communicate more intelligently than previously thought. There's also a carnivaur that one-ups the T-Rex, named the
Spinosaur, which is determined to have Dr. Grant and his mates for an eventual meal. The film's best moment comes during
a scene involving the flying Pteranodons in a giant birdcage. The special effects and human action interweave into a seamless
scene that is one of the better action sequences ever filmed.
Character development is not important in this film, but Sam Neill and William Macy are fun to watch play off each other, while
Téa Leoni does a passable job of the caring but somewhat careless wife and mother. Neill is easily the best actor of the
series, and hopefully will return for the rumored Jurassic Park IV in a few years. He is kind of our link to reality in the
film, constantly reminding us that this wouldn't be such a good idea in real life (creating dinosaurs that is).
Director Joe Johnston uses his background with Jumanji to his credit here, as he deftly crafts believable (and truly scary)
scenes between the human and CGI actors in the film. There's not much time to admire the hard work by the special effects
crew, but one brief moment of admiration is thrown in to satisfy the more observant viewer. Also, the sheer number of
dinosaurs in this film dwarf anything previously seen in the series, and they are more fully-realized as well.
As aforementioned, the film's conclusion blindsides you, because you simply aren't expecting the film to end on such a
low-key note. In fact, the climax of the film occurs ten minutes before the end credits. And there's no question that the final
shot of the film is intended to prepare us for yet another sequel, but if it can generate the successful mix of humor and action
as nimbly as this one did, then it will be a welcome addition to a now revitalized series. Jurassic Park III is just what the
doctor ordered for the viewer who loves the thrill-a-minute action film that never lets up.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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