Jurassic Park III

Dinosaur.Fanatic

I just re-watched the controversial Jurassic Park III last night, and I have to say, I think it's a lot better than people make it out to be.  And this is not just because I am a fan of Spinosaurus - in fact, I would consider the Spinosaurus and its activities the lowpoint of the movie, what with the fact that it cannot burst through a compound door.... or a tree.... or that it is totally robotic in its animatronic movement.  But I'd just like to ask, what do you all think about the movie as a whole?  Do you love it, hate it, or are you somewhere in between?  What specifically about the movies made you cringe or put you on the edge of your seat in a good way? 

Rex Fan 684

jpjoe, what you said about the raptor dream reminds me. How could Grant dream about the raptors from JP III when the only ones he ever encountered looked different? The raptor should have looked like one from the first movie. Theoretically speaking.

Raptor-401

I will say one was trying to disprove you while the other just wanted to know more of your opinion.

Rex Fan 684

So I'm a bit paranoid and a bit right. Sounds like my usual self, haha.

Raptor-401

It's alright. Before when you Rex fans would criticize Spino I would get paranoid and act like you guys were criticizing me. But then I looked at it and realizing I was doing the same thing for Rex, so I have grown to not get offended anymore.

Lord Vader

Uh, guys? Did anyone say welcome back to Dino.Fan? 

Welcome back Dino.Fan, long time no see.

Raptor-401

Sorry, but it looks like I came here on the site long after Dino.Fan has come here... I officially became a full-out regular about 4 or 5 months ago.

Well then welcome Dino. Fan, hope you can stay with us.

Something Real

DINOSAUR.FANATIC - This is an extremely compelling topic you've posted! As a general whole, I felt that Jurassic Park III was a fun and easily-followed film. However, I also believe that it lacked a great deal of the magic present to a large degree within Jurassic Park. To be fair, the Lost World was something of a comingling of egdy techno-thriller and "shoot-'em-up" action that boasted slightly less thought-provoking instances and provided a more straightforward thrill-ride. Don't get me wrong, I liked the Lost World; I watched it three times in theatres and perfected the art of hiding snacks in my purse! ;) However, it, like JP3, seemed to trail-off sequentially from the first film. Naturally, the first movie in a franchise often gets the lion's share of the attention. Yet, I can't help but feel that Jurassic Park III fell steeply away from its forerunners.

   In Jurassic Park and the Lost World, the animals, in my opinion, were presented as living beings for which we could feel awe, fear and wonder - beings who were in and of themselves living, brething scientific quandries. Additionally, the actors provided strong performances, merging interesting dialogue, slight humor and subtle quirks of personality that made the films fun to watch even when the dinosaurs weren't present on the screen. However, with JP3, the actors and animals seemed to be little more than display pieces without personality or depth - props for an all-out action film. The Spinosaurus, in my opinion, is one of the most glaring aspects of this train of thought.

    Instead of providing this magnificent creature with personality and depth, the story-writers treated it much in the same way as a T-800 from the Terminator series - an unstoppable killing machine without any other goal other than to track down and slaughter the protagonists. There was simply nothing else to it. Sure, it killed a T-Rex, but that seemed more like a "look at how powerful, awesome and good at killing this dinosaur is" flaunt. Had the Spinosaurus been treated with the same care and attentioin to detail as the animals from the previous two films, I've a feeling it would have been well-recieved by all fans.

   That being said, there was one instance in particular that I felt managed to recapture the magic of the original Jurassic Park, the Pteranodon scene. In my opinion, that segment was one of the most tense and rivetting moments throughout the entire film - causing me to actually feel suspense and concern for the protagonists. Not only that, but I felt that the Pteranodons themselves were excellently portrayed and affectionately rendered in CGI! I certainly hope this helps to satisfy some of your curiosity. Regardless, thank you very much for bringint this to us! :)

Great Leonopteryx

I like the dinos, but I hate the plot

idk, the plot seems so weird to me

and I'm kinda dissapointed when amanda (the blonde with megaphone) survived

so if you asked me if i like it or not as a whole, I think I'm somewhere in between

Great Leonopteryx

double post 

sorry

Dinosaur.Fanatic

Sorry I didn't respond earlier - I was busy last night, haha

@Like a Bossk - I agree, I prefer seeing dinosaurs in their natural habitat, and that is a good point: what if these are animals who are territorial, and feel threatened? Maybe the movie is a constant chase, but there could be a reason for that. Good point.

@Spinojira - I'm also glad this movie gave Spino some time in the spotlight. Guys, I hate that fight scene just as much as anyone. I would have at least given Rex a more dignified death than those ten seconds of abomidable Jack Horner-influenced choreography. And I agree, I love it for nostalgic reasons as well, despite its many flaws.

@Rex Fan - I apologize if any of my comments came across as undermining or rude; I certainly didn't intend to insult you, and I respect all your opinions.

@jpjoe84 - True, that guy was cheesy, but I mean he had the navy and marines with him. I think it was meant to be corny.

@Raptor 401 - I agree that the movie should have been longer. No objections there. I will say that I believe the acting was purposeful. Remember, these are not a group of attuned, learned, curious scientists conducting behavioral research like in JP or TLW. This is a couple distraught over the potential death of their son. They are not supposed to speak eloquantly or calmly think rationally; that's Grant's job. When these actors come across as inept, confused, or just plain bad, it's because of the characters they are portraying, which are meant to be portrayed in this light. And let's give the Kirby's some credit - after all Mr. Kirby was able to help fend off the Spinosaurus.

@Something Real - That's hilarious that you perfected snack-sneaking in the theater! I agree, and I think that the "shoot-em up" nature of TLW added some charm to the plot.  It's interesting how you say that the dinosaurs lacked purpose or depth. I agree, but I think that this was purposeful. In the first two films, characters composed of scientists studied the dinosaurs and were able to appreciate the wonder of these animals. In the third film, we have a distraught, confused and terrified family, who naturally are not able to appreciate the wonder of the dinosaurs because they are too busy running for their lives. I know that if my family was stranded on the island, I would certainly not be taking time to marvel at the animals, I would be horrified. Granted, the film is not devoid of appreciation for the dinosaurs; recall the astronaut/astronomer conversation, Grant's brief tour from the plane, etc.

As for the characters, I believe they are given as much depth as any Jurassic Park characters have been given. We don't have much back story, but events lead to them coming to the island, then eventually escaping. As I said before, these are very human characters. They act much like you or I would act if stuck on an island. They cannot think rationally and are fraught with fear. It's Grant's job to be thinking rationally in this situation. 

Dinosaur.Fanatic

@Something Real - Almost forgot - I second your opinion of the Pteranodon scene; that part is really fantastic! It is by far one of the most enjoyable scenes, and it's cool that they were able to implement an idea from the book.

@T-Rex White - I think the plot is definitely something we hadn't yet seen, something different and new. Like I said before, it's difficult to come up with new material; that's why it's taken so long for JW to get off the ground. I think that if you accept the plot as something more small-scale, something different, you will have a better experience watching the film. 

I also really like the dinosaurs. This is one of the few films of the early 2000s where the CGI actually looks really convincing and lifelike. The designs for the animals were incredible. I just wish the animatronics had had better operators. They looked robotic in their movement.

Lotus3

im sorry rexfan i dod not mean to be rude. i'm in seventh grade and we lerned in debate unit that its a logical falacy to base an argument on copmaring a thing to other things

Something Real

DINOSAUR.FANATIC - Hmm, I can definately see your perspcetive of the film. That is certainly a rational outlook. I, too, would likely be scared out of my bloody wits were I to find myself in a similar situation - likely too frightened to appreciate the animals! Your point of view was very insightful! Thank you ever so much for sharing it! :)

Rex Fan 684

It's cool Lotus and Dino Fan. I understand.

John Morrison

I personally enjoyed the movie because I wasn't comparing it to the other two movies in the sence of film making, but in the sence of a real universe. From this perspective the movie made more sence for just as in real life not every event that takes place is going to be amazing or mind blowing and the characters did well in the enviornment they were placed in. If I was in their shoes I would probably made similar desisions in order to try and survive. So while definatly not the best in the trilogy it was still pretty good.