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 It's
that familiar face that makes us feel comfortable while at the same
time firing up a feeling of anticipation: Sam Neill is back in Jurassic
Park 3 as Dr. Alan Grant, the dinosaur know-it-all who reluctantly
ends up searching for a lost boy on Isla Sorna—once Site B for
the original Jurassic Park. This time Téa Leoni and William
H. Macy join him for the ride as Amanda and Paul Kirby, the divorced
and desperate parents of the missing boy, Eric (Trevor Morgan). And
instead of Laura Dern, who briefly reprises her role as Dr. Ellie
Sattler, Neill's sidekick is the handsome, but not always so smart,
Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola).
It's several
years after the original Jurassic Park and its sequel, and
Dr. Grant has a new theory—raptors have superior intelligence.
They also have the ability to communicate with each other. As a
matter of fact, Dr. Grant believes that if prehistoric circumstances
had been different, the raptors, not humans, might be running the
world today. Apparently, raptors could even count. When Brennan
foolishly sneaks two of their many unhatched eggs into his backpack,
they notice and from that point on, the raptors are on a mission-retrieve
those eggs at all cost.
Alessandra
Nivola's Billy Brennan is likeable enough. Sometimes he just doesn't
think, but that doesn't mean you don't root for him when the chips
are down. He's young and smart, but he's still got a lot to learn.
The handsome Brennan makes a perfect protégée for Dr. Grant who
seems to like mentoring him despite his foibles.
Téa Leoni
and William H. Macy are an odd couple who find themselves in even
odder circumstances. Their quick wit breaks up the steady action
as they search for their son who crashed onto Isla Sorna while on
a parasailing adventure gone bad. Trevor Morgan's Eric knows how
to take care of himself. He gives us a glimpse of what Dr. Grant
must have been like as a young boy. Maybe, there's a Jurassic
Park 4 somewhere in his future…
If you're
looking for plot and a story with substance, don't look here. If
it's heart stopping special effects that you're seeking, you're
definitely in the right place as raptors, T-Rexes, and other formidable
forms of dinosauria go after the Homo Sapiens. Scene after scene
unfolds while dinosaurs eat men, carry them off, chase them by land
and by sea. One T-Rex even swallows a cell phone that keeps on ringing
(shades of Wile E. Coyote!). Talk about indigestion! Then, in classic
horror-movie tradition, just when you think the humans are safe
another primeval monster appears out of nowhere jolting you out
of your seat. Director Joe Johnston (October Sky, Jumanji)
supplies the requisite back-to-back thrills that keep you entertained,
and teetering on the edge of your seat, but let's face it, not all
movies are meant to leave an indelible impression on our souls.
Some movies are just plain fun. Jurassic Park 3 falls into
the latter category. So what if the story line is lacking? The fact
remains that practically everybody is fascinated by dinosaurs and
the idea of mixing them with people is irresistible.
One more bit
of advice—don't wait for the video. To get the biggest bang
out of this movie see it on a big screen in a dark theater—watching
it on TV just won't be the same.
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