Movie · 2001 · Adventure, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 32m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.4/10 (826K ratings)
This time, it's not just a walk in the park!
Overview
In need of funds for research, Dr. Alan Grant accepts a large sum of money to accompany Paul and Amanda Kirby on an aerial tour of the infamous Isla Sorna. It isn't long before all hell breaks loose and the stranded wayfarers must fight for survival as a host of new -- and even more deadly -- dinosaurs try to make snacks of them.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.4/10
IMDb: 6.0/10
Letterboxd: 2.90/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
Metacritic: 42
TMDB: 6.2/10
Director
Joe Johnston
Production
Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment
Cast
Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young, Laura Dern, Taylor Nichols, Mark Harelik, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Blake Michael Bryan, Sarah Danielle Madison, Linda Park, Sonia Jackson, Bruce French, Bernard Zilinskas, Rona Benson, Frank Clem
Where to watch
Peacock Premium, AMC, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A lean, brisk dinosaur survival thriller that delivers plenty of creature action and a few memorable set pieces, but it’s also a step down in spectacle and character depth from the original. If you want a fast, mean B-movie version of Jurassic chaos, it works better than its reputation suggests.
Best for
Viewers who mainly want dinosaurs attacking people
Fans of short, efficient creature features
People who don’t need the series’ biggest emotional or visual highs
Audiences in the mood for a straightforward survival chase
Skip if
You want the smartest or most ambitious Jurassic film
You’re hoping for the scale and wonder of the first movie
You need strong character writing or a polished script
You’re specifically looking for the franchise’s most iconic moments
Overview
Jurassic Park III is the franchise at its most stripped-down: a rescue mission that turns into a relentless island survival run. Once it gets moving, it mostly keeps moving, and Joe Johnston stages the action with a practical, muscular efficiency that makes the movie feel faster and meaner than its reputation suggests.
Worth noting
It’s also a very uneven sequel. The script is thin, the characters are sketched in broad strokes, and the film never quite recaptures the awe or suspense of the original. But as a piece of monster-movie mechanics, it has a blunt, old-school appeal: people get lost, dinosaurs hunt them, and the movie wastes very little time pretending to be anything else.
Bottom line
If you approach it as a compact creature thriller rather than a prestige blockbuster, there’s enough here to enjoy. It’s not the franchise high point, but it is a competent, sometimes surprisingly nasty survival ride with a few genuinely memorable dinosaur encounters.
Top Letterboxd reviews
matt lynch (3.5★) · 2829 likes
I like this one, it has lots of dinosaurs in it, but minus a million points for the fact that after the army shows up there's no army vs. dinosaur fight, I mean come on.
Chris Evangelista (3.5★) · 2343 likes
ALAN.
aaron (4★) · 1707 likes
LEAVE THE DINOSAURS ALONE MAN FUCK SAKE
Matt Singer (2★) · 1563 likes
The raptors talk in this one. Also Laura Dern is a housewife now. At least William H. Macy has a sweet mustache.