Jurassic Park III (2001)
Jurassic Park III is a fast-paced dino adventure with fun action but little depth, feeling more like a side story than a true sequel.
I’ve always loved Jurassic Park films but the third one in the series is where things start to feel more like a fun but unnecessary detour. Sam Neill is back as Dr. Alan Grant, which is great but the story is pretty thin. This time, he gets tricked into going to Isla Sorna by a desperate couple looking for their lost son and as expected, things go sideways fast. The film wastes no time jumping into the action but unlike the original, there’s no real buildup or sense of wonder. So it's just a lot of running, screaming and dinosaurs popping out of nowhere.
That’s not to say it’s all bad. The Spinosaurus is introduced as the new apex predator and while I wasn’t thrilled about it taking down a T-Rex so easily, it does make for some cool action scenes. The Pteranodon sequence in the giant birdcage is one of the best moments in the film, adding a fresh kind of tension. The effects, though, are okayish. Some of the animatronics still look great but the CGI somehow feels weaker than in the first two films. It’s fast-paced and full of dinosaur action but it often feels like the film is just rushing from one set piece to the next without much thought.
The biggest problem for me is that the characters just aren’t that engaging. Dr. Grant is still likable but he doesn’t get much to do beyond reacting to chaos. The new characters, played by William H. Macy and Téa Leoni, are more frustrating than interesting and their constant arguing gets old really fast. And then there’s the ending, which is way too abrupt, just as things start getting really intense, the military shows up out of nowhere and that’s it.
If you just want to watch dinosaurs chase people for 90 minutes, this film delivers exactly that. It’s not particularly smart or memorable but it’s a quick, entertaining one if you don’t think too hard about it. Compared to the first Jurassic Park (or even The Lost World), it lacks that sense of awe and tension.
Smash Hit Score: 5/10
Jurassic Park III is just ok. It’s got plenty of action, some cool dino moments and moves at a fast pace, but it feels more like a cash grab than a worthy sequel. Not the worst way to spend an hour and a half but definitely not a must-watch.
