Sequels are frequently the home of the damned as far as movies go.
Not only do they wallow in a far worse plot than the original, but the novel ideas that drove an original movie usually can’t push along another two hours worth of film.
This is the stereotype that “Jurassic Park III” is up against. Especially considering how horrible the second film in the series was, this film has a much bigger hill to climb than most.
Luckily for this third one, and moviegoers in general, Universal Pictures has all the special effects and money in the world with which to load the screen. This film is nowhere near as good as the first, which featured a tremendous cast in a wonderfully exciting story and situations no one had seen before.
But, “Jurassic Park III” manages to entertain, excite and throw in a few new treats for those who are already used to seeing living, breathing dinosaurs on screen.
Still, the filmmakers rely on a standard formula. After quickly getting all the major characters onto the island, the action begins and continues all the way to the end.
Making a return trip to the island is Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill). Grant has managed to stay away for years, but is coaxed into a fly-by with scheming husband-and-wife team Paul and Amanda (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni). Grant agrees to accompany them as long as they don’t land, but when the plane approaches a landing strip, he is knocked out to prevent protest.
From there, the dinosaur action begins.
A few additions are made to the dinosaur menu in this film, namely the flying Pteranodon and the Spinosaurus, a dino so big it manages to put down Tyrannosaurus Rex early on. The Spino v. T. Rex fight is a highlight, and viewers would never doubt for a moment they’re witnessing a massive fight between two of the biggest, baddest meat-eaters ever to walk the planet.
The movie progresses from dino-assault to moving across the island, to yet another dino-assault. It’s far less successful at building up tension than the original “Jurassic Park,” but everyone can expect to be startled more than once.
The film sets out to accomplish one very simple thing: to provide entertainment. It does this very well, moving at an incredibly fast pace and not leaving much time after one shock to prepare for the next one.
The effects are stupendous, the dinosaurs look as real as can be imagined and anyone making his or her way to the theater will not feel cheated as a result of all the hard work that went into the effects.
Those expecting an in-depth story will not find one here. This movie, as is to be expected, is a highlight of modern technology put to use to make an audience jump in its seats and marvel at what it sees. Those looking for an exciting, well-crafted action movie need look no further. Those looking for drama and realistic characters might want to head to another area of the cinema.
