Jurassic Park III (3½ Stars)

The third installment in the Jurassic Park trilogy, made in 2001. Dr. Alan Grant, who was the paleontologist in the first film, accompanies a couple on an expedition to find their son who is lost on Isla Sorna, the location of the second film.

I won't say any more about the plot. Straight to the criticism. Quite simply, this film isn't directed by Steven Spielberg, and it shows.  Spielberg passed the torch to Joe Johnston and remained as executive producer, which is a discreet way of saying he did absolutely nothing on the film.

The film does just about everything wrong. There's an action sequence at the beginning, but it falls out weak in comparison to the other two films. The film rushes into dinosaur action too fast after the arrival on the island without taking time for a build up. As the dinosaurs arrive one by one I can't help feeling that they're a "Best of Jurassic Park" selection, only included because the fans of the first two films expect them. Even the inclusion of pteranodons and spinosauri doesn't detract from this impression. And I thought that it had been established in the second film that the dinosaur breeds had divided the island into territories? In this film we see them all mixed together in the same area. The velociraptors have gained new "special powers", they can talk to one another, which they couldn't in the first two films. Worst of all, there's no real character development, the trademark of Spielberg's films. We are told who the characters are and what they want, but we don't feel who they are.

The only reason I'm giving this film more than 2 stars is because of the special effects, which are easily the equal of those in the second film, surpassing it in places. But overall the film is a flop. Instead of being a tale of human triumph over adversity it's just a 1960's dinosaur film with better special effects. If you watch the three films in short succession you get the idea that after two days of steak you've been served a hot dog.

Click here to view the trailer.