Rating: Summary: To call this film letdown is an understatement. Review: Hands down, this has to be the worst sequel ever made to a movie. It even makes strait to video look classy, and that really hard to do. Sam Neil literally destroys any creditability he had as an actor with this mess, and the rest of the cast is just too horrible too even mention (William H Macy should be a shame of himself.) There is not even a hint of a plot any where in this movie, and the dino effects look like [...junk]. The direction is a joke, and the pace of the film is too fast to even make sense of what is happing from one scene to the next. Sick with the first two movies and stay way from this one, it is that bad.[....]
Rating: Summary: It's a dreadful film Review: I'm sorry, but I cannot believe that the average rating for this film is so high. It is a completely awful film. Firstly, it's very very predictable which is enough reason to avoid it anyway. Secondly, what the XXXX is a Spinosaurus? It's a dreadful film, I can't stress it enough. The only fun I had during this thankfully short piece is watching Tea Leoni's (sp?) facial expressions. Surely the worst actress I have ever seen in any film in history. She's appauling, so is the film. I'd give it 0 stars if I could. Don't waste your time or money.
Rating: Summary: Still some life left in this dinosaur Review: Sequels are a mainstay in the movie business these days. Studios call them franchises, and they can be extremely profitable. Entire seasons, especially summer, are built around them. Coming next summer, for example, are Men in Black 2, Austin Powers 3 and the fifth Star Wars. How frenzied has this trend become? Warner Brothers started filming the second Harry Potter movie before the first one even opened. New Line made all three Lord of the Rings books into movies simultaneously and will release them over the next three Christmas seasons. This brings us to Jurassic Park 3. It's arguably the best in the series, an old-fashioned monster movie that gets straight to the point. It's as lean and coolly efficient as the dinosaurs it portrays. Everything its human characters do and say moves the story along briskly. It could be used in film schools as a model of commercial film making. Yet, because its a sequel, most viewers will have a 'been there, done that' reaction. The novelty of computer generated graphics has worn off. Seeing people interact on screen with giant and often dangerous creatures from the past is no longer so thrilling. Jurassic Park 3 still made a ton of money, but people went to it with naturally lowered expectations. This time the action takes place on Isla Sorna, which was the one where all the genetic experiments took place. The project has been abandoned, and the place is strictly off limits to almost everyone. This doesn't stop Eric's [Trevor Morgan] stepfather from paying a crew to take them hang gliding over it. Of course, disaster strikes, and they get trapped on the island. Eric's parents, Paul and Amanda [William H. Macy and Tea Leoni], posing as wealthy tourists, trick paleontologist Alan Grant [Sam Neill] and his assistant, Billy [Allesandro Nivola], into flying with them over the island. The researchers are shocked and surprised when the plane actually lands on dinosaur-infested Sorna. Alan went because the couple wrote him a big check to refund his research back in America. He did not plan on being part of a search and rescue mission in a place he vowed never to return to. The movie wisely introduces some new creatures, the most effective of which are spinesaurus, a dinosaur even larger, uglier and hungrier than T-rex, and some giant carnivorous birds. They also give the hideous raptor dinosaurs much more intelligence, which make them even more formidable adversaries. Still, after a while, once you've seen one bad-tempered dinosaur, you've seen them all. Loving attention as been paid to recreating the look of these prehistoric beasts. For the most part, they mirror how many scientists imagine they look. In all three movies, how these dinosaurs behave is another thing. Maybe a carnivore would eat you, maybe it wouldn't. Would you risk finding out if you are on the menu? As in real life, every character in these movies instinctively runs away from them. Yet, all the herbivores are treated like they are gigantic puppies. That makes no sense to me. Wild elephants and rhinoceroses are herbivores. If you walked into their territory, do you think they would just stand there? Listen to me, kids. Herbivore does not always equal non-aggressive. If an animal is bigger and stronger than you are, show some respect.
Rating: Summary: Lost in the jungle Review: “I just love it when dinos eat people,†effects maestro Stan Winston says with obvious glee in his commentary for the Collector’s Edition DVD of “Jurassic Park III.†Winston’s people eaters are once again the stars of the “Jurassic†franchise, but this time out they’ve evolved into voracious scenery chewers as well. Not only are the beasts far more lifelike than any Winston and his collaborators have created, but some display acting chops via individual voices, looks and expressions, the filmmakers say. These advances in dino drama are on full view in the special sections of the “Jurassic Park III†DVD, giving viewers a chance to dig as deeply into the creative process as they wish. The DVD comes widescreen or full frame, with both 5.1 DTS and Dolby sound. The picture is up to big-budget action film standards, with deep greens and nicely saturated blues predominant. The sound mix roars along with the critters, the subwoofer steadily amping up the anxiety level. The 5.1 mix effectively renders the action without calling attention to itself. The “Jurassic†team’s craft is examined in several special DVD features: “Turntables†offer computer images of various dinosaurs that can be viewed from all sides. A featurette on the making of the dinos focuses on new beasts such as the Spinosaurus -- but repeats too much material from the so-so “making of†promo. Tours of Stan Winston Studios and ILM give more detailed insights into the creative process. The disc features some great scenes of the cast and crew working with the mechanical dinosaurs that were later coupled with the CG creatures. Winston, Taylor and several colleagues provide the film commentary, which starts strong but runs out of gas by the third act. Much time is spent pointing out which scenes are live action, which are CG and which are “effects quilts.†Even the effects pros seemed confused by the blend at times. Unfortunately, the “Jurassic†DVD also breaks some new ground in promotion. A special feature link leads to screens full of pitches for Universal parks and “Jurassic†products. The carney approach grates, lowering the overall level of what is otherwise a pretty good DVD.
Rating: Summary: OK I guess Review: Well this movie could have been alot better. First, I'll tell you about the good things in this movie. The new dinosoars are pretty cool even though I kinda miss t-rex. The raptors look different. Stan Winston did an excelent job with the live action dinos. The full-motion animals look very, very real. And there is plenty of action. Now I will tell you the bad things about this movie. The story really stunk (almost as bad as the characters). It was missing the Michael Chricton scientific stuff (the raptors could talk, wow, tons of them were speaking english in the movie "Dinosoar"). Steve didn't direct it. The raptors made really wierd noises. It was way too short. The ending was horible (the characters walked on to the beach and were suddenly escorted out by the whole US navy). And it was very, very, very predictable (i knew who who would live after the first ten minuets of them). Other than that it was ok. It is good tohave for dvd because you can skip through scenes and not have to experiance the revolting plot.
Rating: Summary: Fun Sci-Fi Adventure Ride Review: Plot and purpose take a backseat in the third addition to the "Jurassic Park" series. The obvious motivating factor for the production of the film was money, not devotion to the art of filmmaking. Despite that fact, I stll cannot help but enjoy this exciting and fun science fiction adventure ride. It works just fine as that--a fun science fiction adventure ride. Paleontolgist Alan Grant (Sam Neill reprising his role from the original JP) reluctantly agrees to accompany an adventuresome husband and wife tandem (amusingly portrayed by William H. Macy and Tea Leoni), as their guide on a safe distance airplane tour over Isla Sorna, the island still inhabited by the genetically engineered dinosaurs. Things heat up when, to Grant's dismay, they land the plane and reveal their true motive--to rescue their young son who was lost on the island after a glider flight went terribly wrong. All out run-like-the-wind-from-the-dinosaur-on-your-tail action ensues. While bordering on the silly side at times, and lacking the novelty of the original, it introduces new dinosaurs, elements, ideas and sequences that you wished were in the preceding films, most notably, a thrilling pteranodon sequence where the flying dinosaurs swoop down and ensnare helpless human victims. Theories about the velociraptors' intelligence, briefly touched upon in the prior films, are given a more coprehensive exploration here, as well. And the 16ft spinosaurus is truly a spectacle to see; its ferocity rivals that of the t-rex! Although it lacks the Spielberg touch (directed by Joe Johnston a la "The Rocketeer"), it contains enough state of the art visual effects, spectacular cinematic scenes, wit and surprises to entertain. The climax is a satisfying is one.
Rating: Summary: Steven, please phone home. Review: Hands up if you thought The Lost World wasn't up to much? Yeah, me too. Funny though, after the experience of seeing this third dinosaur movie, I'm nostalgically itching to see the second one again. Because I remember that, despite a crummy story thinly spread amongst too many characters, it was at least directed by Steven Spielberg, who knows a thing or two about making entertainments of this sort. The script let him down, but the film was crammed full of little moments, details and touches that evinced his magic touch. Let's face it, Julianne Moore face down on the slowly cracking glass door was a how-to in movie tension. But more importantly, Spielberg viewed the dinosaurs as a behaviourist, always insisting on their status as animals, giant fish out of water merely reacting to their unnatural circumstances in the only way they know how. It made the dinosaurs sympathetic, kept buoyant the theme of man playing God, and it made for very convincing special effects. Jurassic Park III is a monster movie, pure and simple. A little too simple. The technology has advanced to allow CG creatures many times more versatile than before, but somehow they seem flatter. If proof were needed that CGI is nothing without the skill to wield it, then it is here. The half hour amputated from the running time-- presumably in a panic that the film would bomb-- would have been better spent supplying the actors with actual characters to work with and enriching the audience experience with people to give a toss about. But I don't mean to be too cruel about Jurassic Park III. On its own terms, it's enjoyable enough and far from poor of its type. Unfortunately, its terms are not its own, but those of someone who did much, much more with a dodgy rubber shark nearly thirty years ago.
Rating: Summary: Hold on to your butts! Review: In June, 1993, Universal Pictures released "Jurassic Park". It produced $357 Million in sales, the 5th highest grossing movie of all time. Later they made a sequel. 2001 gave us "Jurassic Park III", a return to the land of "winkin, blinkin, and nod", with bigger and badder dinosaurs than ever before. Paleontologist Alan Grant is lured to Isla Sorna, a remote Costa Rican island, to help search for a boy lost in the jungle. He accompanies the boy's father and ex-wife. Their plane crash-lands, and this energetic thrill-ride is ready to begin. The brilliant, breathtaking opening sequence sets the tone, as two parasailing tourists' vacation is jolted by unseen monsters from an ancient past. But what's wrong with "JP III"? Not the effects. Just the story. Sam Neill returns as Alan Grant, the confident leader. Tea Leoni and Bill Macy play the divorced couple trying to re-ignite their fallen marriage. But there's no chemistry here. Leoni's character is a shrill bimbo housewife. You just don't care about these people. Laura Dern is wasted in a small role. The real star of "JP III" is the spinosaurus: the largest(60 feet) meat-eating dinosaur that ever lived(bigger than T-Rex). The super-star is the excellent effects(animatronics, rotoscope, and CGI). "JP III" was lushly filmed on three islands in Hawaii, off Palos Verdes, Cal., around Los Angeles, Universal sound stages and back lot, and even Fallow Lake(used in 1954 for "Creature from the Black Lagoon"). This new DVD is anamorphic widescreen 1.85:, and features a haughty commentary by Stan Winston and the effects crew. You also get photos, clips, interviews, a short on an actual dinosaur dig in Montana, and scenes of participants riding Jurassic Park theme ride at Universal City. As undeveloped movie characters lose your interest, the dinosaurs and cinema magic take over. An early scene tells it all: Alan Grant and his aide disembark from their damaged plane on the island. Suddenly a frightening roar bellows from the jungle. Grant's sidekick says: "Oh no. It's Tyrannosaurus Rex!" But Grant says: "No it's not..It's something bigger..."
Rating: Summary: fair to middling Review: This second effort at a sequel to JURASSIC PARK is a considerable imptrovement over THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, but from the science fiction standpoint there is litt;e original to it. I've written better science fiction plots myself--several of them. It seems not to occur to any of these hacks that the modern world is a totally alien ecology for dinosaurs, which could comprise an important plot element.
Rating: Summary: You can't vote 0 stars? Review: This movie was just a sorry excuse to show off the latest dinosaur fx. The characters go to the forbidden island much against the council of everyone (big surprise). Half of the original crew that lands on the island gets eaten (big surprise). What bothered me was that when someone gets eaten right in front of one of the other characters in the movie, they act completely nonchalant in the next scene. Our dear friend Billy just got eaten alive in front of our eyes, but hey did you catch that Mets game? Of course all the characters that are central to the 'plot' survive. Can anyone tell me why a 35 foot tall dinosaur even cares about a human that wouldn't even offer enough food to get stuck between it's teeth? It would care even less with all the 'fight' that such a small calorie intake is putting up. Mabye it will take one more film to make everyone realize just how far south this series has gone since the first one. Just go ahead and make it a TV series and kill it off already.
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