Jurassic Park III (2001)

2 out of 4

Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, Laura Dern

Director: Joe Johnston

Time: 93 mins

After helming two of the biggest box office blockbusters of all time in Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), director Steven Spielberg has stepped aside for the third instalment in the dinosaur saga. Joe Johnston (Jumanji, The Rocketeer, October Sky) has stepped in for what seems a thankless task, but given his background and Spielberg's blessing, the project seemed promising. Many people were disappointed by The Lost World when it was released to huge audiences four years ago, especially with its silly ending. When early reviews came in saying Jurassic Park III was close to the original in thrills, while containing more monsters and a faster-paced, darker storyline, I was sold. Sadly, though the dinosaurs themselves are a highlight, the episodic nature of the action scenes and a poor, seemingly rushed ending pretty much ruined it for me.

Working from an original script, Johnston has crafted a film based more on fast motion for its thrills rather than the tightly-wound coils that Spielberg unleashed in his works. This turns Jurassic Park III into more of a typical monster film, with attack followed by exposition/reflective moment, followed by another attack, followed by exposition/reflective moment, and so on and so on. This peak-and-trough approach, while keeping the story moving, fails to develop any sort of momentum in terms of excitement. Jurassic Park and The Lost World may have taken a while to get going, but once the action started, the attack scenes were long and had the audience gripping their seats. If nothing else, Jurassic Park III shows that Spielberg certainly knows how to fashion suspense, a skill oddly lacking from Johnston's arsenal.

The first Jurassic Park told the story of a billionaire who funds a project to create the world's first real, live-and-breathing dinosaur theme park, and of the ensuing chaos and tragedy when the monsters get loose. The Lost World tells of a Site B, where the dinosaurs were supposedly bred, and of two stupid groups of characters who tempt fate by exploring the island. Now, in the third, someone still hasn't learnt the lesson.

Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill), one of the survivors from Jurassic Park, is offered a chance to be a guide to thrillseeking couple Paul (William H. Macy) and Amanda Kirby (Tea Leoni), who want to fly over the abandoned Site B. With the help of his assistant, Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola), and a blank cheque from the Kirbys, Grant reluctantly agrees. Once on the island, however, the plane they've chartered experiences a problem and they're forced to crash-land. Stranded, with carnivores all around them, Grant, Billy, and the Kirbys must quickly make their own way to safety.

The first two films showcased plenty of different dinosaurs, but the main action setpieces revolved around two species: the king lizard, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the fast-moving and cunning velociraptors. Jurassic Park III wisely introduces a variety of new monsters, including the ferocious spinosaurus, an even more dangerous predator than the T-Rex. The raptors, of course, are back in force, and are smarter than ever. But the most interesting dinosaurs are the pteranodons. Curiously missing from the list of park denizens in the first two films (though the ending of The Lost World did show some pteranodons), it's about time some flying dinos got their piece of the action. They're also involved in the most visually thrilling sequence in the whole film, as our protagonists are attacked from the air, in the water, and while hanging from cliffs when they stumble into a gigantic aviary. Sadly, the other attack sequences don't exhibit the same ingenuity, mainly consisting of the spinosaurus or the raptors repeatedly showing up and chasing after our party. The magicians at Industrial Light And Magic have done a great job again, however, and this time the prehistoric creatures are almost seamless.

Jurassic Park and The Lost World were justly criticised for their lack of characterisation. It seemed the human actors were just there to speak and provide targets for the real stars of the show. This facet isn't remedied in Jurassic Park III. Though Alan Grant is back, there isn't much in terms of character development for him. Sam Neill reprises his role with a knowing humour, but the part of Grant is too staid to generate much charisma, unlike the sarcastic Ian Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum in the first two films). Grant's a nice man, but he's not very interesting.

The inclusion of fine character actor William H. Macy and the appealing Tea Leoni could have helped, but again their characters are underwritten. We find out they're divorced a third of the way through the film, and that Paul Kirby owns a paint shop, but nothing much else. Alessandro Nivola, chilling as Nicolas Cage's brother in Face/Off, doesn't add a lot to his role, either. Do look for Jurassic Park stalwart Laura Dern, who features in a couple of key (and welcome) scenes.

Even with the lack of story, characterisation, and the loosely structured series of attack, followed by quiet moment, followed by attack, etc., Jurassic Park III is still an entertaining ride, given its fast pace. But the most disappointing aspect is the sudden, abrupt ending. After such a buildup, one expects a worthy finale. But there is none. One could call Jurassic Park's ending as abrupt, and The Lost World's as silly, but at least there had been suspenseful scenes to savour beforehand. Jurassic Park III just...ends. Finis. Adios. No climax. Go home.

There is a huge, built-in audience for Jurassic Park III, even if the level of anticipation was not quite the same as when the Lost World was released four years ago. The film could have been great, given the technical expertise director Johnston had at his disposal, but the lack of momentum and a lacklustre ending ruins what goodwill the new (and returning) dinosaurs had generated. In what has been a fairly disappointing summer movie season so far, Jurassic Park III turns out to be another below average entry.

(c) Joe Wong (20 July 2001)