Movie Review # 526: Jurassic Park 3 (2001)

Alright everyone, today, we review what turned out to be the last of the Jurassic Park movies for over a decade. That is until fourteen years later, when the franchise would pick back up again with 2015’s Jurassic World. So now, let’s talk about the third installment, Jurassic Park 3.

Plot: When a young boy named Eric Kirby (Trevor Morgan) goes missing on the island of Isla Sorna, his parents, a divorced couple named Paul, and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy, and Tea Leoni respectively) enlist the help of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill). Though reluctant at first, Dr. Grant ultimately agrees to do so. Now, will the team be able to navigate the dangers of new dinosaur creatures, both herbivorous, and carnivorous ones, and will Eric still be found alive despite having been missing for several weeks?

Now, as I’m sure many of you know, I did mention that the previous film of this franchise was a bit of a letdown. So, was Jurassic Park 3 any better? Sort of, but not by much. First off, there were a couple points in this film that didn’t seem to make all that much sense. Additionally, the story might have felt a little bit too short. Maybe not by a whole lot, but still. Oh, and there were some cliches that probably weren’t the best to include in this sequel, or even film period. Finally, the story overall, while a little stronger than The Lost World: Jurassic Park, could have maybe been a little stronger.

But now, onto the good stuff. First off, one ought to give the filmmakers credit for not recycling stuff from the first two films. Okay, yeah this third installment does recycle some things to a degree. Nevertheless, how could one not appreciate that the filmmakers were obviously trying to go in a somewhat different direction than either of the previous two movies? I mean it sort of feels like a movie like Cast Away, except maybe with dinosaurs, and more suspense mixed in. Speaking of suspense, Jurassic Park 3 really ups the game with that aspect, albeit maybe a little too much at times, but still. The acting is also really superb. It was especially great to have people like William H. Macy, and Tea Leoni coming to join this cast? Macy especially seems to have some really great lines be it in films like 2005’s Sahara, or 2007’s Wild Hogs. Jurassic Park 3 was no exception. Oh, and how could I not mention some of the really beautiful shots that are shown in this film, be it when you see pterodactyls flying in the clouds, characters parasailing, or other shots, a great many of them are enjoyable to watch, and help this movie be engaging all the more. Finally, how about the score by Don Davis? Well, he may not be John Williams by any means. Still, he does his best to remain true to the music that proves why this franchise is good to one degree, or another.

And that’s my review for Jurassic Park 3. Yeah, I’m some ways, I can sort of see why we didn’t get another Jurassic Park/World film until 14 years later, in 2015. The story, though good, and a little better than that of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, could have maybe been a little longer. Not to mention the couple points that didn’t seem to make sense, and things like that. Nevertheless, the third Jurassic Park film does fox at least a couple mistakes from the second film, and does a little better at telling a rather compelling story. Definitely still see Jurassic Park 3, if you still have yet to. Though it may not be quite as good as the first film, you’ll probably find yourself getting at least a little more enjoyment out of it than say the second film. If you’ll disagree with me on that after watching this third film, then let’s have a discussion on that. Well, again, see Jurassic Park 3, and see what you think! At least this franchise picked back up again in 2015.

Final Grade: B