"Jurassic Park III" – Effects Dino-might but Characters Only Slight by Homer Yen (c) 2001
"JP III" is like "Alien" for toddlers. In that sci-fi thriller, audiences saw oozing aliens on a space station stalking and munching doomed victims running amuck. So, if you've seen that one, you kind of know what to expect in terms of thrills and chills (although there's much less gore here). This film takes place on a deserted island instead of a spaceship. And instead of oozing aliens, the hapless victims try to survive several imposing prehistoric carnivores.
Dinosaurs are the main draw of this film. There are plenty of them, and they are all magnificently conceived using state-of-the art digital technology. We were first introduced to these behemoths eight years ago when the first "JP" was released. We were instantly mesmerized at the effects back then. And in the third installment, you'll see that you have not outgrown its novelty (even if you've seen that dinosaur special that recently aired on Discovery).
Among the impressive dinosaur population are velociraptors that are eerily more vicious and cunning than you had previously remembered. There is also a hungry 44-foot spinosaurus, a more temperamental predator than the T-Rex that looks forward to a meal of screaming humans. But most incredible are the pteranodons, flying predators (that remind me of those aliens from "Pitch Black") with talons and grabbing power that can pick up a Cadillac.
These magnificent creatures, however, are more wondrous than any of the human characters are. The cast includes Sam Neill, who survived the first JP. He returns as a devoted paleontologist who works feverishly on velociraptor research, forwarding the bold notion that they were even more intelligent than primates. They could've been the dominant species if not for the great cataclysm. Of course, these wild ideas do little for his ability to raise the needed funds to continue his research while scientists wonder why he would rather study fossils instead of real dinosaurs on those islands. That's because, as he says, "those creatures are genetically engineered, and nothing on Earth or in heaven could get me on that island."
However, an ambitious businessman (William H. Macy) and his estranged wife (Tea Leoni) convince him otherwise after promising to make a huge donation for a guided air tour of one of those islands. Of course, the couple have a hidden (but not nefarious) agenda. With hidden agendas come bad luck. And their airplane crash-lands on the desolate island. "You know," says our stoic paleontologist, "we probably won't get off this island alive." Indeed some of them don't, although like in those alien movies, the first to go are the anonymous extras.
There are some exciting and even impressive sequences as everyone tries to avoid being eaten by all manner of prehistoric monsters. However, this film's heart can't stack up to the first two JPs. This one lacks the human element that made its predecessors a bit weightier. This is primarily a search and rescue flick with the element of family unity added in. Missing is that sense of majesty or the uneasy feeling that arose when man tampered recklessly with nature. What we get is Sam Neill oozing with moral indignation, Tea Leoni impersonating Kate Capshaw (the scream queen from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), and William H. Macy providing goofy comic relief. Here, the dinosaurs are truly the more evolved species.
Grade: B-
S: 0 out of 3 L: 1 out of 3 V: 2 out of 3
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