Jurassic Park III (2001)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writers (WGA):

Michael Crichton (characters)
Peter Buchman (written by) ...

Release Date:

18 July 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

This Time It's Not Just A Walk In The Park!

Plot:

A decidedly odd couple with ulterior motives convince Dr. Alan Grant to go to Isla Sorna (the second InGen dinosaur lab.), resulting in an unexpected landing...and unexpected new inhabitants on the island.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Dinosaur | Search | Raptor | Dung

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Sam Neill	...	Dr. Alan Grant
William H. Macy	...	Paul Kirby
Téa Leoni	...	Amanda Kirby
Alessandro Nivola	...	Billy Brennan
Trevor Morgan	...	Erik Kirby
Michael Jeter	...	Mr. Udesky
John Diehl	...	Cooper
Bruce A. Young	...	M.B. Nash
Laura Dern	...	Dr. Ellie Sattler
Taylor Nichols	...	Mark Degler
Mark Harelik	...	Ben Hildebrand
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Enrique Cardoso
Blake Michael Bryan	...	Charlie (as Blake Bryan)
Sarah Danielle Madison	...	Cheryl Logan
Linda Park	...	Hannah

Also Known As:

JP3 (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Jurassic Park 3 (USA) (alternative spelling)
Jurassic Park 3: The Extinction (USA) (working title)
Jurassic Park: Breakout (USA) (working title)
Return to the Island: Jurassic Park 3 (USA) (working title)
The Extinction: Jurassic Park 3 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi terror and violence.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | SDDS | DTS-ES

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:PG (DVD rating 2005) | New Zealand:PG (TV rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38315) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Hungary:14 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

When Ellie is talking to Grant she mentions getting a quote from Jack Horner for her book. Jack Horner is a paleontologist who was Michael Crichton's inspiration for the character of Alan Grant; he was also a consultant on all of the three "Jurassic Park" films.

Goofs:

Continuity: The computer-generated Spinosaurus does not correspond with the practical version in terms of size. Compare the shots practical version holding Nash (the black mercenary) in its jaws to the shot of the computer-generated version trapping him under its foot and delivering the final bite. The CG creature looks nearly twice as big as the practical one in that shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Enrique Cardoso: Here you go, my friend.
Ben Hildebrand: Make sure you get as close as you can! I'll give you something extra if you make it a good trip!
Enrique Cardoso: Hey, I'm gonna get you close, my friend, but not too close, eh. You don't want to be eaten.

Movie Connections:

Spin off Jurassic Park III: The DNA Factor (2001) (VG)

Just about your basic adventure chase

To call this movie an extravagant piece of art would be a joke. The plot was extremely hollow, and a majority of the acting was less than stellar. However, I won't deny that I enjoyed the 90+ minutes I spent sitting through this film. There was everything to expect in the typical JP movie: victims with awfully good endurance, a jungle, and some scary dinosaurs.

Truthfully, it felt as if I were watching a different sequel to the original, not a second. The premise was pretty much the same: a survivor of the Jurassic Park incident is forced to return to the island, and when all communication is cut by unfortunate circumstances, it's time to run around like crazy, trying to find a way off the island while escaping vicious dinosaurs at the same time. This time, we get to watch Sam Neill squirm instead of Jeff Goldblum, and instead of doing research, they're looking for a twelve-year-old kid. Not exactly the smartest move, but all is forgiven and forgotten when the dinosaurs are unleashed once more.

If you're expecting something original and spectacular, then you're going to be disappointed. If you're like me, who only expects to see a fun-filled chase through the jungle for an hour or so, then sit back and relax.