JURASSIC PARK 3

US, 2001, 90 minutes, Colour.
Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandra Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Laura Dern.
Directed by Joe Johnston.

Jurassic Park 3 has most of the essential ingredients from the previous films. However, with its brief running time and slighter plot, it seems like something of a postscript to the original film and its sequel, The Lost World. It is directed by Joe Johnston who specialised in special effects films ranging from The Rocketeer to the original Jumanji.

Sam Neill was absent from the second film but resumes his central role as Dr Alan Grant, dinosaur expert, assisted by a young archaeologist played by Alessandro Nivola. There is also a connection with the first film when Grant goes to visit Ellie and her family (Laura Dern).

He is approached by an eccentric couple, allegedly millionaires, the Kirbys played by William H.Macy and Tea Leoni. They offer financial inducement for his work so Grand accompanies them with Billy. They fly dangerously low over the dinosaur island and the plane crashes. The motivation for the trip is that the mother is looking for her son gone on holidays to the island and who had disappeared (with the audience seeing the accident as a prologue to the film).

The mother, with a touch of hysterics, and shouting for the son, alerts the dinosaurs to the human presence. The rest of the film, their interactions with a range of dinosaurs, excellent special effects, menace and threats. Some of the crew are killed by the dinosaurs. Grand is separated from the group but finds the lost boy. They discover some dinosaur eggs and Billy conceals some to exploit them.

After a great deal of menace and chases, they go to the original building from Jurassic Park which helps them survive for a while – and the important thing to find a mobile phone. The solution is that Alan rings Ellie who is able to provide some support and they go to the coast and are rescued on the beach.

In the spirit of the other films – but slighter.

1. The impact of the original novel, the original film? The contribution of the sequel? This third film – a smaller version, a briefer version of the basic story?

2. The popularity of dinosaurs in the cinema audience’s imagination? As if they really existed? The credibility of the plot, the island, the survival of the dinosaurs, the special effects bringing them alive, visuals, sound?

3. The US sequences, home visits, the archaeological digs? The island, the beauty, mountains, see? The musical score?

4. Action, computer graphics, the range of dinosaurs, interactions with the humans, threats and danger to the humans?

5. The prologue, the boat, the hang gliding, the boy, the boat crashing, survival or not?

6. Alan Grant, his experiences on the island in the first film, his visit to Ellie and her family? His not wanting to return? His work, detail, explanations, with Billy? Their knowledge of the dinosaurs?

7. The visit of the Kirbys, the characters, pretending to be millionaires? Their statement of the mission to go to the island, their lies? Their wanting Alan Grant? The money offer? His agreement? Billy accompanying him? The flight, the dangers, wanting more than just a tourist ride? The revelation of truth, the couple, marriage and divorce, the boy being lost and their wanting to find him?

8. The characters of the Kirbys, Amanda and her emotions, unsympathetic, pressurising, her husband, exceeding to her wishes?

9. The crash and the plane, being stranded? The decision to make their way to the coast? Amanda and her shouting, provoking the dinosaurs? The fears?

10. The visuals of the dinosaurs and the interactions? Alan and his being separated, his finding the boy? Surviving? Making their way to the coast? The boy and his courage? Reunited with his parents?

11. The crew, the crash, the threats by the dinosaurs, gruesome deaths?

12. Alan and his stands against exploitation? Finding the dinosaur eggs? Billy taking them, his motivations, Alan being harsh on him, his injuries, the later recovery?

13. Getting to the beach, getting to the headquarters of the old Park, survival, helps, threats? The importance of the phone?

14. Getting to the coast, the phone call to Ellie, a getting help – more than enough, their escaping the island?

15. A slight film in comparison with the others, a kind of postscript for a trilogy?