Review of Jurassic Park III (2001) by Mitchell B — 14 Jun 2015

Jurassic Park 3 is considered the low point in the franchise. It's certainly the worst film in terms of quality and it is, by far, the lowest grossing film of the bunch. Most people hate this movie and I can see why. I can't defend it as a good movie. The Lost World I will defend as being underrated but this one I can't. However, I still enjoy it as a fun timewaster. It's a guilty pleasure for sure.

The plot is super simple. A kid named Eric goes parasailing with a friend near Site B from The Lost World which is still inhabited by dinosaurs. They end up getting stranded there and Eric's parents Paul (William H. Macy) and Amanda (Tea Leoni), gather a rescue team to find him. Among the rescue team unknowingly are Dr. Grant (Sam Neil) and his partner Billy. They themselves get stranded and now must find Eric and get off the island while running from dinosaurs who want to eat them.

The main reason I enjoy this film is because Sam Neil returns as Dr. Grant who is my favorite character of the franchise. Sam Neil I find to be one of the most underrated actors at least in American cinema. It's a shame he doesn't get more work as he's one of my favorite actors.

The rest of the cast is pretty subpar. This film probably sports the weakest cast of all the movies though Jurassic World comes at a close second. The best character, by far, is Dr. Grant but he can't save the cast. The only other notable characters here are Billy and Eric. William H. Macy does a good job with what he has. His character is really nothing but he has some entertaining bits.

The film looks good. The effects are below the first two given that they got a different effects team but they're still pretty for the most part. Though, some effects do look pretty dated like some of the animatronic effects for the Spinosaurus. Besides that the setting and sets still look great and builds atmosphere.

Above all I found the film entertaining. If you want a more philosophical film that the first two films had with the message of man tampering with nature then you won't find it here. They through all that out in favor of just having a straightforward and entertaining survival flick. For me it was fun despite some annoying characters, dumb plot threads, and a laundry list of things that make zero sense.

Overall, I can see why so many hate this film. I know it isn't good. However, I enjoy it as a fun monster b-movie. If you just want an entertaining monster movie to watch then you can give this look. If you want something like the first two films than you will be disappointed.