IN THIS EPISODE OF…

A Video Review of "Jurassic Park III"

Copyright 2003 Glenn Walker

After the first movie, number three seems like just another installment in the same story when it should really be an event and a major happening. Jurassic Park III is however quite good. It's better than number two and much more of a sequel to the original than the second movie.

Sam Neill returns to the islands of the genetically engineered dinosaurs to help parents William H. Macy and Tea Leoni retrieve their shipwrecked son. The catch this time is what archeologist Neill has suspected that the most dangerous of the dinos, the Velociraptors, have evolved into thinking, communicating predators. Simple plot, good characters and excellent actors, for once, equal a good movie.

The dinosaurs are terrific in this one especially the featured Spinosaurus. Finally the wonder of the Japanese kaiju eiga films has been brought to the States. The magic of CGI is much more convincing than suitmation. The battle between the Spinosaurus and the Tyranosaurus Rex is the best part of the flick so reminiscent of those great Godzilla flicks.

Dinosaurs aside Jurassic Park III is filled with legitimate scares, thrills and shocks. Unlike the Japanese monster movies that I love the human story here is every bit as good as the monster story. I loved Macy and Leoni's bickering almost as much as Neill's realism and resourcefulness.

Even though it seems like just episode three in a much bigger movie it's still very good. Don't be put out by the first sequel, number three is well worth it.