I can safely say that Jurassic Park 3 was the worst film I have ever seen. The sad thing was, I sort of knew I was going to hate it even before I went. Talk about flogging a dead horse........Jurassic Park was good, The Lost World was good until the T-Rex went on the rampage around San Diego or wherever it was, but JP3 was awful from start to finish.
The Story
The film opens with a man and a boy going parascending from a boat next to Isla Sorna (site of JP2) to see if they can see any dinosaurs. Next, the boat disappears into a sea mist beneath them, they feel jolts, and the boat emerges from the mist looking bedraggled with no drivers (dinosuar attack? hmmm). The boat is headed for some rocks, so they cut loose and parachute down onto the island.
Then Alan Grant, from JP1, is introduced on some dig with a young protege. He is approached by a 'Kirby of Kirby Enterprises', who asks him to name his fee for a low-flying tour of Isla Sorna, to identify dinosaurs and so on. He writes a cheque for an astronomical fee, claiming he and his wife are rich adventurers, and they depart soon after.
The next scene is on the plane. As they approach the island, a radio call tells them that they are entering
restricted airspace, and they turn it off, which hints that Kirby's claims that the trip is legal as it was authorised by his friends the Costa Rican Government, who he knew through his business, is not altogether true. It all seems to go to plan, as they fly over some dinosaurs, but then Kirby lets it slip that they are going to land. Grant goes mad, and he is clubbed unconscious. He wakes to find they have landed. Immediately, the people who go into the jungle to 'secure' the area are attacked, they all run into the plane, and amongst noises of an attack by an animal that is 'bigger than a T-Rex', the plane taxis and accelerates down the runway. Suddenly one of the two attacked men emerges from the jungle and stands in the middle of the runway, desperately trying to flag the plane down. Obviously they can't stop, and as they close on him, the dinosaur attacks the man in the middle of the runway. The pilot pulls up, but hits the dinosaur, and the plane crash lands.
After surviving another attack (well, some of them), Grant, his protege, and a surviving security man demand some answers from Kirby. It turns out the boy on the parachute was Kirby and his wife's son, who was parascending with his wife's new husband - so it was all a pose!! They had no authorisation from the Costa Rican government, and Kirby Enterprises was really Kirby Paint and Tile - so the cheque was no good for money. They faked it all to come and look for their son. Grant is a tad annoyed, especially as they hired him because of his knowledge of the island - which considering he has never been on the island is a bit stupid.
So, the story continues, and they survive attack after attack. I think the main difference between JP3 and JP 1&2 is that in the first two, the story is allowed to build before the dinosaurs are introduced. In this one, there is an attack after 30 seconds, and the attacks continue right through. It is very noticeable. The new director has played too much on the amazing animations of the dinosaurs and not enough on the storyline. Unfortunately, he has come in where the overall storyline of manufactured dinosaurs is not so original any more - and neither is the novelty of the animation itself.
The Actors
The most recognisable character is Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill. Money grabbing? I think so. You can't fault his performance though - great as the impatient expert. The parents are played by two B or C grade actors, the mother is played by Tea Leoni, and I have to say that they play their annoying, hapless, useless parent role well. I think they basically suffer because of the poor storyline - the first non-Michael Crichton jurassic Park and some of the shocking lines. The boy looks like the kid from the Sixth Sense - but I don't think it is him.
The Dinosaurs
The main new dinosaur is the Spinosaurus, which is the dinosaur which is bigger than the T-Rex. It can attack on land and sea - and does. We also have Pterodactyls which are housed in a huge birdcage - which of course the group stumble into and almost lose another actor. Finally, we have Raptors - who can forget the classic kitchen scene in JP1? Grant has come up with theories for their intelligence - evidently, they are more intelligent than primates. Funny, but these new discoveries have an effect on the dinosaurs - where in JP1 raptors get stuck in fridges and stuff, in JP3 they are setting traps for humans and talking to each other. We also have the old dinos too, Compys and so on.
Effects
Amazing as usual, especially on the dinosaur fights. Still, they are wearing thin rapidly.
Music
I don't remember it, so it can have been very good.
Conclusion?
It was totally shocking. It was a full dinosaur attack by land, sea and air. The story was very basic, and seemed to play around the possible effects they could use for the dinosaurs. It was acted well enough, and the effects were good, but I really wanted to leave. I shouldn't have gone to see it. Now I'm getting them money, so why would they want to stop making them. So, their 'solo' project without Spielberg and Crichton has gone badly, but still makes money. I might go and see Jurrasic Park 5.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
excellent op - it would be impossible to give away the plot for this film as it has none!! i always find it hard to write film reviews without giving away too much. well done mate,
dave
Isobel_Princess 08.08.2001 14:26
Good opinion! Go see shrek instead! much better. love from isobel. oh! are you from dawsons creek?!
ClangerWrangler 08.08.2001 13:52
The original JP was one of my favourite films as a kid (and still is if I'm honest) but the Lost World was so disappointing that I have avoided this one because I know it will spoil the series further. Judging by you very well laid out op, I think I was right to do so. Thanks. Clanger
As long as you expect nothing more,Jurassic Park IIIis a satisfying popcorn adventure. A ... more
little cheesier than the first twoJurassicblockbusters, it's a big B-movie with big B-list stars (including Laura Dern, briefly reprising herJurassic Parkrole) and...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Surpassing expectations to qualify as an above-average sequel,Jurassic Park IIIis nothing ... more
more or less than a satisfying popcorn adventure. A little cheesier than the first two Jurassic blockbusters, it's a big B movie with big B-list stars (including ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Surpassing expectations to qualify as an above-average sequel,Jurassic Park IIIis nothing ... more
more or less than a satisfying popcorn adventure. A little cheesier than the first two Jurassic blockbusters, it's a big B movie with big B-list stars (including ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Adventure runs wild when renowned palaeontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) agrees to ... more
accompany a wealthy adventurer (William H. Macy) and his wife (Tea Leoni) on an aerial tour of Isla Sorna, InGen's former breeding ground for prehistoric creatures. ...
![Jurassic Park 3 [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78089635.jpg "Jurassic Park 3 [DVD] [2001]")
![Jurassic Park 3 [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78509469.jpg "Jurassic Park 3 [DVD] [2001]")
Aug 8th, 2001
very helpful by (95%):
helpful by (5%):
