Father Geek here with a selection of reviews sent in to AICN from around the world wide web... Beware though, if you don't like SPOILERS maybe you should go NO further because some of the following give things away... but if you crave knowledge of this film... DIG IN...
Hi, Harry. I'm Eng Seng from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and this is the first time I'm submitting a review to AICN. Don't know if this is a little late, but I just came back from watching Jurassic Park 3 (JP3). Just wanted to share with you my thoughts on this movie.
Plot: Sam Neill, one of the palentologists who visited the Site A Jurassic Park island 8 years ago, is persuaded to take a wealthy businessman and his wife to Isla Sorna, Site B. They then get stranded on the island and have to find a way out of the island before they get eaten by the dinosaurs.
Review (Spoilers inside):
Now, basically the producers have tried to go back to the original formula. JP3 is more like Jurassic Park (the first movie). Unlike the Lost World where they brought along four-wheel drive jeeps and high-tech weaponry to hunt and capture the dinosaurs, the visitors aren't well prepared for what Site B has to offer. The two people who're carrying the firearms gets eaten very early in the film, so the other people can't do much except run and hide in trees or trailers or building left behind by InGen.
The story is quite predictable, if you've watched the previous two Jurassic Park films, then you can guess how it's going to end. Plus, with a small number of people, you can also guess who's not going to be eaten. It's basically man versus (various types of) dinosaurs, and a crash course in how not to be eaten by a Spinosaurus.
JP3 has very little character development. We get to know the most about Sam Neill and his family, but very little about the other characters. Sure, as the movie progresses we get to know why they wanted to go to Site B, but that's about it. We also don't know how that kid survived for 8 weeks in Site B without been eaten. This kid is clearly the most intelligent character in the whole movie! In the end, everyone just wanted to get off the island as fast as they could. None of the human characters can be considered a bad guy in this movie. I feel the cast did an okay job playing the roles, with no one in particular being outstanding.
The special effects in this movie are very impressive. All the dinosaurs look very real and realistic. The big fight between the Spinosaurus and the T-Rex looks very good, but sadly we see very little of the T-Rex. Even though the main dinosaur star of this film is the Spinosaurus, I really like the scenes involving the Pterodactyls! To me, their scenes are THE most exciting part of the film. The Spinosaurus is big, but it doesn't seem as nasty of the T-rex (I can't remember whether the Spinosaurus or the T-Rex gets eaten). The Spinosaurus and the Velociraptors are THE bad guys. JP3 makes the Velociraptors very intelligent with dolphin-like voices, but in the end, they still can fooled by Alan Grant which mean they're still not that intelligent after all. A velociraptor even got to sniff and touch Téa Leoni's character (the way it was going, I thought it was going to lick her).
Quote of the film: Téa Leoni's character saying: "We've even booked the first commercial flight to the moon."
Conclusion (No spoilers):
In my opinion, JP3 is not as good as the previous two films. They did a good job with Jurassic Park, introducing us to the dinosaurs and in the Lost World, we went dinosaur hunting with high-tech weaponry and lots of vehicles (and that exciting scene in the trailer toppling over the cliff), but JP3 does not anything outstanding other than the Pterdactyl scenes. I wished JP3 was a bit more like the Lost World, that would be more interesting.
With such a small cast, it's easy to guess who's going to eaten next. The whole movie is basically a long dinosaur chase. The most disappointing thing about JP3 is its weak ending. It felt like they had to end the movie abruptly or something. If you've not seen the previous two films, you'll enjoy this film. But if you've, you'll not find nothing impressive except for the Pterodactyl scenes. Oh well, Téa Leoni happens to look better after running around in Site B for a while than in civilisation.
Eng Seng
And here's another one...
i just saw Jurassic Park 3 and since i've never sent anything in to this site i decided i'd write a review and send it.
first, jurassic park is one of the best films in history! the first sequel, the lost world was a huge disappointment. when i heard jp3 was being made i had high hopes and thought that they would pull up their socks and make a sequel that kicked ass!! damn was i wrong or what.
jurassic park 3 isn't bad but it just isn't that great either. the worst things about it are the length which is too short and the directing is bad. joe johnston is no steven speilberg and you can tell. the quality of the first 2 films are sooooooooooo much better and 20 more minutes should've been added in the beginning for character development cuz it's stupid that they meet the spinosaurus in the first 20 minutes.NEED MORE TIME PEOPLE!!
jp3 definitly had potential but joe didn't use it properly. everything goes by too fast and you don't really get a break between action scenes like in the first 2. the dinos just aren't as awesome as we'd like them to be, even the spino. i also missed the t-rex since it (spoiler ahead) dies in the first 20 minutes. they needed more of him.the special effects are good but i just felt disappointed and sad that the name jurassic park was wasted once again for a movie that was just ok.
the dinosaurs in this one are cool though. they finally decided to use the pteranodons (flying dinos) in the best action scene in the movie. the spino-trex fight is pretty cool too. the raptors were good but not as suspensful as the 2 other films. another problem is the ending. it is just too abrupt and nothing exciting happens when (another spoiler) they do get off the island. they just get off without a fight. dammit!!
in short, it was great to have dr. grant and ellie back. the film is ok and will pass your time nicely but it isn't as memorable as it should be. no more jurassic park films. they've milked the poor thing for all it's worth. go see it but not with great expectations like i did.
from,
fuzzbubble
Father Geek back with still another JP3 review...
Hello
Just caught a sneak preview on the new Jurassic Park installment and I really have to say that I'm quite disappointed with what they did with so much money. I have to fistly admit that the dinosaurs look really real but it is really nothing we haven't seen before. The problem with the movie comes from the weak script and ridiculous humor at the wrong time.
The movie starts with two para gliders crashing onto Isle Sorna which is the same location from the previous sequel. The parents(William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) of one of the para gliders who is a young teenage boy tricks Dr. Alan Grant(Sam Niel) and his assistant onto the island by saying that they just wanted to fly over the place. The rest of the movie became like the first two movies where a series of accidents and deceptions causes the characters to be on the run on the island fighting off small and big dinosaurs for survival. The plot just gets more and more predictable with the usual supporting characters being nibbled or snapped off one by one.
All in all, I think that the movie could have done better if they would come up with a darker script and not blend in heavy comedy with mild action sequences. The movie once again tried to garner for the same family audience that might not want to sit through the same thing a third time...:)
BigHeart
Annnnnd here we go again, this time from Amsterdam...
this afternoon I was lucky enough to attend a special press-screening of "JP 3" at the City Theatre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I won 2 tickets for this event through UIP Distribution. Before I start my spoilerfilled review, let me first explain that I don't know the names of all the dinosaurs or all the actors, I will try to be as clear as possible when describing a scene to you.
My thoughts on this movie: part of it is good, part of it leaves me feeling a bit empty. The first 70 minutes feel like a rollercoaster and are very intense (a bit too intense for the smaller audience as some scenes are very graphic) and has scenes that will drop your jaw. However, the grand finale is non-existent and made me leave the theatre with a bit of a cheated feeling.
The good stuff:
1) Sam Neill: the man is back after failing to appear in The Lost World, and it helps the movie greatly. Seeing a familiar face amongst new characters helps to raise the emotional involvement, which is a good thing for this type of movie. He plays Alan Grant with a certain kind of cool (which he lacked in JP) and the fact that he dons a fedora instantly reminds you of that other action hero made famous by Mr. Spielberg.
2) Joe Johnston. Hail this man for steering clear from the chosen path and giving this movieseries a new heartbeat. The pacing of the film is incredible, within the first en minutes you're diving headfirst into the action, a lot of senseless dialogue is skipped in favor of heartstopping scenes. In fact, this movie's action scenes are far superior to those made by Spielberg (he seemed more into the wonder of the dinosaurs, where JP3 is all about action) in my opinion.
3) The Spinosaurus. This is a big dino and he's mean. While the spinosaurus appears way too early in the movie and there is nothing mysterious about him, his pure strength and scary looks will have kids all over the world rush out to toy stores and buy the acion figure.
4)The special FX are wonderful for most parts of the movie. Where in The Lost World you could see that the dino's were edited into most shots (see the chase between the hunters and the 'friendly' dinosaurs for example), JP 3 really delivers. The cameras roll with the movement and this gives a tremdous flow of action. Also, the part with the flying dinosaurs is very exciting to watch (just check the first appearance of a flying dino on the bridge-it's classic) and the CGI seems seemless in most of the scenes.
The bad stuff:
1) The script, which could have been so much better. For instance, the young kid is acting quite good, but is given a few very cheesy lines. There are several holes plotwise (just check out the beginning, where unseen dino's attack a boat in open sea, nothing is done with that later in the movie) and the dissapointing climax is just that, a big dissapointment. The movie ends with a whisper, where it should have gone out with a bang.
2) The body count. While a large body count doesn't mean a movie is good, in the case of JP3, it could have made it better. Within the first 20 minutes, most of the supporting cast have been killed and you know that the big stars will survive. It would have added more excitement and despair to the movie if Johnston and co. would have followed Renny Harlin's storytelling in Deep Blue Sea. It's very exciting to not know who will die or when in that movie and it would have made JP3 more of an edge of your seat movie.
3) The development of characters. Grant isn't pissed off for long when he's being abducted, all Tea Leonie's character does is scream,all William Macy does is run. While for most of the time this is actually good for the flow of the movie, an added 5 or 10 minutes of showing different sides of the characters wouldn't have hurted JP3's short run time (90 minutes).
4) The Spinosaurus. I mentioned him during the good parts, I'll mention him again now. While it's good to see a new meanie, his screentime was overused. Popping out of nowhere and showing up during most action scenes leaves little mystery. While the tremors of JP1 when the T-Rex arrived are now classic, the Spinosaurus (which is even bigger) just shows up with almost no sound or even the slightest hint of a tremor. It's like a little mouse in the arrival-noise department, and it hurts the movie. Not much, but still.
5) The T-Rex. Only 1 minute of screentime or something in that neighbourhood. While it's good to move forward, I still think another scene with another T-Rex wouldn't have posed a big problem.
In the end, I probably could go on for much longer about what is good (did I mention the cool raptor scenes alrady?) and the bad (the movie is shot very dark, it could have been the projection though), but I always think people should decide for themselves. In my opinion, JP3 is an improvement over The Lost World but is not even close to surpassing the original JP-movie.
Hats off to Joe Johnston for making his own movie and not trying to stay too close to Spielberg's vision. Some parents will feel that the movie is too violent/graphic in some areas, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Why pretend that chewing on people is clean and goreless?
One thing that truly disturbed me was the fact that the script was uninspired for the final act and I do think that the wonder of the dinosaurs (like in JP1) has lost most of it's glory. I do feel that the raptors/T-rex are slowly turning into what Freddy/Jason/Michael Meyers became in their later sequels, eye candy and no mystery.
I do believe that moviegoers all over the world will find this third installment an improvement over The Lost World.
In the end, you can compare JP3 to Die Hard with a vengeance, great entertainment until the dissapointing finale.
Greetings from Amsterdam, Costa King
From France, ol' Father Geek received this one...
In english - In general, a sequel has one major imperative : more action. But nowadays, where money rules and blockbusters are kings, by making more and more franchises, the producers forget to keep a faithful spirit to the original films. With Jurassic Park, Steven Spielberg had made a work about the consequences of using technology against nature, or in a more simple way, of wanting to top God. He was then referring to the myth of Promethea, but he was more likely referring to those monster flicks like Frankenstein, adapted from the book of the same name which also carried the sub-title "or the modern Promethea".
The Lost World was, according to Spielberg himself, a sequel and just a sequel. A way for him to explore a few ideas which he couldn't realize in the first one (just as it was done for the Indiana Joneses), and mostly to answer a whole lot of fan-mail, requesting, begging for a sequel. I often think about the first two parts of the Alien saga : the first one is dark and mysterious as the second one is pure action, both are nonetheless great horror movies. The first two Jurassic Park have a similar pattern, but this third installment is actually the real equivalent to James Cameron's Aliens.
Here the script is quite simple and the priority is given to action scenes. Who could've doubted it ? Probably no one. However, we all had the right to question the quality of such a movie. We can stay cool. I think those who were disappointed by The Lost World will find this film more convincing. And those who appreciated it for its rythm and its numerous action scenes, will take pleasure in watching Jurassic Park 3.
As implicitly indicated in the title, Johnston's film doesn't pretend to be another variation of the same universe, but more simply an extension of the universe created for the first one, and a further exploration of that universe. The writers have managed to be faithful to Michael Crichton's work, and use some recurring elements of his universe which weren't used in Jurassic Park. We have a divorced couple here, and this does not dammage the plot. There is also a scientific background only briefly exposed (are raptors more intelligent than we thought?) yet allowing some great scenes for the raptors.
Following a somewhat failed introduction, as they're rushing to start the action as soon as they can, the movie becomes total entertainment. And it is a good entertainment. There is adventure, excitement, horror and survival, with some cool references to the classics of the genre. The microscopical inconsistancies are flushed by the abundance of action sequences, carefully spaced out not to appear as too much, and a very effective directing, far from Spielberg, but more than enough for this kind of movie. The monster fans will be rewarded by some new dinosaurs, some of which have an important place in the film.
We come to yet another great element of this movie : the special effects are great. Once more, following Spielberg's footsteps, they have chosen not to hire big stars but to make sure what they've got is high quality. This means that a good part of the 93 million dollars budget goes to the dinosaurs. That can seem only secondary, but it has an important role in making us believe. Knowing the universe represented here, the movie-lover will foresee the scenes, thus disarming the wanted effect. But Johnston manages to create a satisfying ambiance, thanks to which the spectator's reaction as it happens will be joyous.
Bob from www.filmdeculte.com
Here's a brief bit from London, England...
I can confirm that there was a screening of Jurassic Park 3 in London on Thursday night. The audience reaction was good - with plenty of laughs in all the right places. As for me, I thought it infinitely superior to The Lost World - the plot is grittier and the cast is much better - William H Macy is very funny in the role as the put-upon ex-husband, and Sam Neill turns in another solid performance. As for the special effects, they were mindblowingly good - particularly the dino fight sequences. How the people from XFM thought it was worse than the Lost World is astonishing - did they see the same movie as us?
KITTY
