Sam Neill is back in this third installment of the Jurassic Park trilogy after being absent from the previous film. In this one, the filmmakers use much of what works with the first film as far as the narrative. They apply the same formula in hopes to get a similar result. And it works!
Everything from attention grabbing openings to reuniting children with their families adds to the recipe for this highly entertaining film.
Doctor Alan Grant (Neill) is dragged to Isla Sorna (the dinosaur inhabited island from The Lost World) by an eccentric couple who may have a hidden agenda that Grant isn’t aware of.
Although it copies many elements from the first film, it makes its own mark with some great action sequences and a refreshingly consistent narrative. The script is much less convoluted than its predecessor and it’s full of quotable lines.
There is a brilliant scene involving pterodactyls–which may very well be the highlight of the entire film, and one of the best scenes from the trilogy.
Jurassic Park III retains the mystery and surprise that has been so key to making this series enjoyable. And I’ve said it before, but John Williams’ score is so fantastic. I get chills every time I hear that motif. The music provides such a peaceful contrast to the thrilling suspense going on at the same time–helping to underline the magnificence of these dinosaurs regardless of the specific circumstances that these characters have found themselves in.
The only thing that keeps me scratching my head is how the effects team can make these dinosaurs look so impressive, yet they can’t perfect the green screen technology.
Either way, this is a perfect denouement to a brilliant trilogy.
The Twizard 