From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jul 18 09:56:31 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!luth.se!uio.no!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Harvey S. Karten Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 03:13:28 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28814 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236409 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 570 X-RT-AuthorID: 1123 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28814 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 95 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:26972 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2875 JURASSIC PARK III Reviewed by Harvey Karten Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment Director: Joe Johnston Writer: Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, based on Michael Crichton's characters Cast: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young In Julien Temple's movie "Pandaemonium" which opened one week before "Jurassic Park III," much is made of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's great poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," whose moral appears near the conclusion stanza, "He prayeth best, who loveth best/All things both great and small." Well, now, Sam Coleridge would probably need to do a lot of praying had he landed on the island of Isla Soma (near Costa Rica) but he'd have a difficult time loving any of the creatures there, most of whom would be out to make a shepherd's pie out of the poet. Coleridge would be confronted not only by the massive Spinosaurus, which could hunt on land and water, but if he kept his nose to the ground while taking care to avoid them, he might still be lifted high into the air by the flying Pteranodons. Though Coleridge lived during the Eighteenth Century, which would be considered ancient history by most teens today, the age of dinosaurs would be just about as ancient to him as it is to us in the twenty-first. Dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago (that's, what, 650,000 centuries ago?) but thanks to modern scientific, technology, they have been recreated by a company called Igen and, like the Frankenstein monster have overwhelmed their creators and taken over the island. "Jurassic Park III" finds Steven Spielberg in the executive producer's chair this time around with "Jumanji"'s Joe Johnston at the helm, directing a screenplay by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor based on Michael Crichton's characters. While the story is in no way in the same league as the season other sci-fi pic, Spielberg and Kubrick's "A.I." the special effects, the sound, and the presence of two superlative actors make "JP3" well worth visiting. Filmed on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Molokai and Kauai over a period ten months with much of the action taking place in Universal's studios, "Jurassic Park III" offers an assortment of thrills, though nothing particularly new, with some delightful shtick from William H. Macy in the role of the klutzy would-be financier Paul Kirby. Kirby and his estranged wife Amanda (Tea Leoni) need to visit the island to find their fourteen- year-old son, Eric (Trevor Morgan), who disappeared after being marooned while on a para-sailing expedition with his mother's boy friend. Conning ace paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) with an offer of big bucks for his research, he gets the scientist and his associate, Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola) to fly with him to the island on the pretext that he and his wife are taking an expensive and exciting vacation. "JP3" brings back Sam Neill and Laura Dern from their 1993 roles in the original and most celebrated "Jurassic Park," a film dealing with a billionaire's amusement park populated with living dinosaurs. The concept is pretty much the same this time, with the island in effect serving as an amusement part, given the detail that the block of jungle was used artificially to create creatures large and small, but the chills are short of hair-raising--perhaps because by now we've become accustomed to the usual interplay of human meets Spinosaurus. We know well ahead of the actors which guys are going to die and which are going to survive (spoiler: the black guy does NOT die first), and we can guess the future of the estranged couple whose hormones are racing during the entire time they bolt from the creatures. (We can also be sure that they'll probably break up again after a few weeks together in the less exciting environs of their small, mid-western town.) Though William H. Macy, who has turned in spectacular performances as one of David Mamet's favorites in plays like "Oleanna" and TV works like "The Water Engine," is not as quirky as Jeff Goldblum--who performed in the role of a mathematician in the first "JP"--he provides more than enough comic relief while Tea Leoni as his wife provides enough screams to compete with John Williams and Don Davis's intrusive music. As with "Final Fantasy," the story's not the thing: in this case, a dollar to your favorite charity if you can guess which creatures are from Stan Winston's live action dinosaurs (one of which actually weighs 24,000 pounds) and which are from Jim Mitchell's special effects. Oh yes, in the final scene quite a few Pteranodons take flight from the island--and you know what that means. Rated PG-13. Running time: 91 minutes. (C) 2001 by Harvey Karten, film_critic@compuserve.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28814 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236409 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 570 X-RT-AuthorID: 1123 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jul 18 09:56:31 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!luth.se!news.tele.dk!213.56.195.71!fr.usenet-edu.net!usenet-edu.net!freenix!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Susan Granger Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 03:49:34 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28839 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236434 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 742 X-RT-AuthorID: 1274 X-RT-RatingText: 6/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28839 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 35 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27018 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2881 Susan Granger's review of "JURASSIC PARK III" (Universal Pictures) This third installment continues the story of a paleontologist, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) who, eight years ago, accepted an invitation from InGen industrialist John Hammond to preview a new tourist attraction featuring genetically engineered dinosaurs on an island near Costa Rica. After barely escaping from that nightmare, he vowed never to return - but he didn't count on his research money becoming extinct. So when a wealthy adventurer (William H. Macy) and his ex-wife (Tea Leoni) offer to fund his new theory on Velociraptor intelligence if he will accompany them on an aerial tour of Isla Sorna, a new InGen site that has become both a dinosaur breeding ground and a magnet for thrill-seekers, he agrees to go, bringing his gung-ho protégé (Alessandro Nivola). But when their plane unexpectedly lands, he discovers that the couple's 14 year-old son (Trevor Morgan) is lost in the dense jungle in a para-gliding accident. Meanwhile, they must fight for survival while under attack by rampaging reptiles, particularly the massive, menacing Spinosaurus that briefly battles with a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the flock of flying Pteranodons and, of course, the wily Velociraptors. Dr. Grant's still a crusty curmudgeon but the brutal behemoths are the stars and that's reflected in the direction by Joe Johnston, who first collaborated with Steven Spielberg on "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and screenplay by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, based on Michael Crichton's characters. While this is a predictable, by-the-numbers film with a ridiculous climax, CGI fans will relish the 140 visual effects, as compared with 54 in the original and 78 in "The Lost World." On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Jurassic Park III" is a scaly, scary 6. It's formulaic but fun, a third-generation thrill-ride. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28839 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236434 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 742 X-RT-AuthorID: 1274 X-RT-RatingText: 6/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jul 18 09:56:31 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!news.tele.dk!171.64.14.106!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-xit-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Bob Bloom Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 05:41:04 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28854 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236482 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 2.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28854 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 108 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27025 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2884 JURASSIC PARK III (2001) 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Michael Jeter, Trevor Morgan, John Diehl and Laura Dern. Written by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. Directed by John Johnston. Approx. 96 minutes. Rated PG-13. By Bob Bloom Journal and Courier, Lafayette, IN. Four things come to mind while mulling over Jurassic Park III: 1. The running time: The film flashes by in about 95 minutes. 2. The film is fast: It is mostly non-stop chase and run from beginning to end. 3. The dinosaurs are phenomenal: The computer generated or mechanical creatures are so life-like, you can almost buy into the illusion that they are real. 4. Universal knows how to milk monster/horror franchises. This is the studio that took Dracula, Frankentstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man and their related brides, sons, ghosts and daughters and ultimately made them straight ghouls for Abbott and Costello. Thankfully, the studio does not sink to that level with Jurassic Park III. Despite its B-movie trappings, this adventure thriller exhibits some wit and style. And it also is savvy enough to realize its audience. While the movie is brutal, the violence is neither very graphic nor gratuitous. It may scare the little ones, but the teen-age audience for which it is aimed will appreciate the man-eating chomping that runs through the film. Back from the original cast is Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, who is lured to Isla Sorna the backup island featured in Jurassic Park: The Lost World under the pretense of leading an aerial tour for a wealthy adventurer (William H. Macy) and his wife (Tea Leoni). In reality, the couple who are divorced are searching for their son who disappeared with his stepfather while parasailing near the island. However, the expedition's plane crashes on the island, and the race is on. This Joe Johnston-directed feature seems to sprint through most of its plot points and explanations, leaving many open-ended questions concerning the film's editing. For example, at the outset, the team which includes veteran character actors Michael Jeter and John Diehl hired by Macy's Paul Kirby makes a big display of showing off a lot of big firepower. But then that arsenal is lost when the plane goes down and one of the dinosaurs plays kick-the-can with the ship's hull. It feels as if to achieve its running time, a lot of what was shot was left on the cutting room floor. The relationship between Macy's Kirby and his ex-wife, Amanda, also is murky. Supposedly divorced because he was not a risk-taker and she was, the couple - though united to search for their lost son - do not display the emotional turmoil that would normally exist between estranged ex-spouses. While the action is first-rate, the character motivation and creation seem sloppy. Neill's Grant, for example, goes through the film as a grouchy curmudgeon, scolding everyone to keep quiet so as not to attract the attention of the behemoths. He constantly corrects his companions about the dinosaurs, calling them merely amusement park attractions, and not considering them the real McCoy because they were genetically engineered. But most of these complaints are offset by the film's visuals and sly sense of humor. There's a nod to Disney's Peter Pan, for example, as the stranded humans are alerted to the approach of a gigantic carnivore by the sound of a cellphone it swallowed along with the person holding it. (How they retrieve the phone is one of the film's grosser points that will amuse those enamored by scatological humor.) The party does find the Kirbys' missing son, who has managed to keep himself alive on the island for two months. This self-sufficient lad (Trevor Morgan) explains to Grant how he used T-Rex urine to ward off other predators. When asked by Grant how he got the specimen, the young man says, "You don't want to know," a line that allows the audience to conjure up all kinds of imaginative scenario. If only the movie itself had risen to that level. With the exception of an impressive giant aviary, Jurassic Park III has a rather claustrophobic affect. It lacks scope and mostly looks as if the entire venture was filmed on a soundstage. Jurassic Park III lacks the awe and spectacle of the original, and that is mostly because audiences have become jaded and blasé about the special effects used to create the various animals. Otherwise, the movie is an entertaining romp, a no-brainer fun time for dinosaur aficionados. Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette. Bloom's reviews also can be found on the Web at the Internet Movie Database site: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28854 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236482 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 2.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jul 18 09:56:31 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Annette Cardwell Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 05:42:23 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28855 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236483 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 178 X-RT-AuthorID: 3595 X-RT-RatingText: 4/5 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28855 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 95 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27031 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2886 JURASSIC PARK III A film review by Annette Cardwell Copyright 2001 filmcritic.com Dinosaurs! While the first Jurassic Park was mediocre and the second film god-awful, Jurassic Park III finally gets the formula right. These movies were never meant to be science heavy or overly sentimental; they should've been what #3 is -- an amusement park thrill ride packed wall-to-wall with dinosaurs and more dinosaurs, clocking in at less than 90 minutes with as little dialogue and subplot as possible. Plus, big bonus -- no Jeff Goldblum! Instead of Goldblum, JP3 brings back Sam Neill as the slightly grizzled Dr. Alan Grant who seems happy to put his terrifying up-close dino experiences behind him. Grant and his new protégé Billy (Alessandro Nivola) are once again looking for funding for their research, and are coaxed into accompanying a new wealthy benefactor -- Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) and his wife Amanda (Téa Leoni) -- on a fly-over of the second Jurassic island, Isla Sorna. But things turn ugly when the Kirbys announce they plan to land on the island to search for their 14-year-old son Eric (Trevor Morgan) who was conveniently lost there while paragliding. When the group ends up crash landing in the jungle, the movie becomes a race to see who will get off the island and who will become lunch. (Sounds like a cool idea for the next Survivor.) While dialogue has never been these films' strongest suit, JP3 remedies this by having less of it. Regardless, the writers behind this screenplay-of-fewer-words are pretty impressive: Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor are the minds behind Citizen Ruth and Election. It comes off as a bit like how a dumb movie turns out when it's penned by smart people (like a Wayne's World) -- lots of action peppered with throw-away goofball lines like, "They weren't making dinosaurs; they were playing God." As evidenced by dialogue like that, JP3 doesn't take itself too seriously, which is perhaps its saving grace; and it pulls no punches when taking potshots at the other two movies. For example, when Grant finds Eric (or, rather, after Eric rescues Grant), Eric tells the scientist, "I've read both your books. I liked the first one better than the second." Also, the so-called millionaire Kirby turns out to be a plumber. So much for a repeat of John Hammond. Above all, JP3 packs in more dinosaurs per square inch than any other JP film before it. This time, big, angry reptiles are coming out of the sky and water as well as land, and the filmmakers even introduce a dino to rival the T. Rex, a massive monster called Spinosaur (that's right, dino-fighting). And, of course, the raptors are back, and now they can communicate with each other (don't ask, evolution's a bitch). Most importantly, none of the humans try to fight the dinosaurs themselves, so we won't be seeing any unbelievable scenes of kids knocking out velociraptors with a few gymnastics kicks. Efficiently crammed with lots of thrills, Jurassic Park III may come off as a little bit like a big-budget B-movie, but you're not likely to have a better time at a blockbuster this summer. It's just loud, smash-and-crash monster movie fun at its finest. RATING: **** |------------------------------| \ ***** Perfection \ \ **** Good, memorable film \ \ *** Average, hits and misses \ \ ** Sub-par on many levels \ \ * Unquestionably awful \ |------------------------------| MPAA Rating: PG-13 Director: Joe Johnston Producer: Steven Spielberg Writer: Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young http://jp3.jurassicpark.com/ --- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=filmcriticcom&path=subst/video/sellers/amazon-top-100-dvd.html Movie Fiends: Check out Amazon.com's Top 100 Hot DVDs! Visit filmcritic.com on the Web at http://www.filmcritic.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28855 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236483 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 178 X-RT-AuthorID: 3595 X-RT-RatingText: 4/5 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jul 18 09:56:31 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!luth.se!erix.ericsson.se!erinews.ericsson.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!feed.textport.net!sn-xit-04!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Steve Rhodes Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 06:15:37 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28861 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236450 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 703 X-RT-AuthorID: 1271 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28861 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 78 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27032 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2887 JURASSIC PARK III A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** After the wildly popular but cheesy THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, moviegoers have been wondering whether JURASSIC PARK III, this time directed by Joe Johnston (OCTOBER SKY and JUMANJI), would follow the usual movie rule whereby each sequel is another drop in quality from its predecessor. Well, I'm here to report that JURASSIC PARK III is a rule breaker, a smartly written and funny popcorn flick that is a lot of fun. It isn't as needlessly gory as LOST WORLD, so it should appeal to younger ages, and the screenwriters, first-timer Peter Buchman and the CITIZEN RUTH and ELECTION team of Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, pack plenty of goodies for older viewers as well. And the monsters, I mean dinosaurs, are more realistic than ever, including some new flying dinosaurs. This time the trip to dino island is chartered by a pair of super wealthy adventurers, Paul and Amanda Kirby, played with their usual blend of intelligent vulnerability by William H. Macy and Téa Leoni. Along with some soldier of fortune types, the Kirbys also bring aboard two paleontologists, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola). Early on we hear Alan claim, "no force on earth could get me on that island," which means, of course, that he'll soon be island-bound. Trevor Morgan plays the Kirby's resourceful and strong-willed son, Eric. (Morgan's dinosaur credentials go way back to his first starring role in BARNEY'S GREAT ADVENTURE.) Of course, the plane will crash, leaving the occupants stranded. As always, the audience gets to play the game of guess which guy first has "lunch" written on his forehead. The corollary is guessing who will survive to the end, which is typically easy since you are usually safe figuring out the salary of the stars and then reasoning that the studios will want to get the most bang for their buck. Alan tries his best to take charge. But, when he orders "Nobody move a muscle," at the sign of the first large carnivorous dinosaur, everybody runs like crazy anyway. Later he sticks to simpler instructions, like, "Run!" The new gimmick this time is that they've found that the raptors can communicate with each other and that their brains are quite advanced. This means that eluding them proves extra tricky. The script lets the humans find just enough tools of various kinds to make it. Ingenuity is at a premium and the survivors evidence both courage and brains. The best part of the movie may be the length. Just when you are completely satisfied and before you ever have a chance to get tired and start checking your watch, the movie concludes quickly and efficiently. And it ends without any doubt as to whether the studio wants to call an end to the JURASSIC PARK franchise. (Like that was ever in doubt!) JURASSIC PARK III runs a fast 1:32. It is rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi terror and violence and would be acceptable for kids around 8 and up, depending on how well they handle monster violence. My son Jeffrey, age 12, gave it ****. He said it was much better and not as blood thirsty as LOST WORLD. He thought the plot was cool and the graphics were great. His friend Sam, age 12, also gave it ****. He liked the way it related back to the original in story, style and music. The film opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday July 18, 2001. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email? Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28861 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236450 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 703 X-RT-AuthorID: 1271 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 20 13:30:47 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!luth.se!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!headwall.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Jerry Saravia Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:48:38 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28868 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236665 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 875 X-RT-AuthorID: 1314 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28868 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 88 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27037 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2889 JURASSIC PARK III (2001) Reviewed by Jerry Saravia July 19th, 2001 The ads proclaim that this is not just another a walk in the park. Indeed, it is in fact a well-travelled path through the same damn park. Do not expect the filmmakers of this latest snooze to know what it means to entertain the audience. One, twice, maybe. The third time is not the charm. The diamond should be cut ever so delicately so that it can still sparkle. Here, it is more like a piece of charcoal. Let's consider the premise, if you wish to call it that of this latest sequel. A kid is left alone in a Costa Rican island known as Site B or, to Jurassic fans, Isla Sorna. Dr. Grant (Sam Neill), a survivor of the original "Jurassic" film, is persuaded by a rich businessman, Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) and his wife, Amanda (Tea Leoni), to go on a tour of the island, which happens to be infested with dinosaurs. This is no ordinary tour since it turns out that the kid who is HOME ALONE IN ISLA SORNA happens to be related to the Kirbys. Now Grant must confront those sneaky velociraptors and other dangerous breeds of dinosaurs but since he has field experience, he should have no problem. Only the Kirbys and the other members of the tour (including Michael Jeter in a brief role who brings some inkling of humor) are what Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Malcolm in "The Lost World" referred to as "fruitcakes." That brief premise is a basic concept that can be described as a pitch to a Hollywood studio executive. It is not the basis for a movie. It is just an idea...but what else is there? Not much except countless scenes of dinosaur carnage, loud Dolby-ized roars, hums and thumps, Tea Leoni overexemplifying her screams and that is it. Some brief mention of genetic engineering holds some interest but hardly enough since it is barely mentioned again. Joe Johnston ("The Rocketeer") takes over the directing chair but you, sir, are no Steven Spielberg. Spielberg knew how much to show on screen and when to aim for some brief over-the-top thrills. He also had the gift for imbuing us with giddiness and a sense of wonder whenever a dinosaur popped up on screen. Johnston, however, overdirects to the hilt as if he was back in "Jumanji" terrain and he has a less than capable editor at the helm (where is Michael Kahn when you need him?) Thus, the film feels disconnected and fruitless in the second half as it shows a dinosaur attack, one-dimensional characters bickering, another attack, more bickering, etc. In the last half-hour, the movie seems to have one too many climaxes and never exactly arrives at a conclusion. Monotony sets in early and it becomes a chore to sit through the movie, even at a seemingly painless 90 minute running time. The first two "Jurassic Parks" were mindless monster movies to be sure but they at least had a central theme and some sense of purpose. The first film was about the danger of meddling with nature and packaging something unique to the masses - it was a modern-day "Frankenstein" tale. The second film had a more ecological theme, and an understanding of how animals nurture and care for their young. This movie (not based on any novel by Michael Crichton) is about nothing. There is no theme, no sense of purpose and little in the way of ingenuity except to show how life-threatening it is to be trapped in an island of untamed dinosaurs. Why are we back at Isla Sorna, the same island from the last picture? Why not take the dinosaurs to New York City to be exhibited only to then run rampant around the city? A more modern approach to "King Kong" would have ended the series with a bang rather than a whimper. And why leave Laura Dern hanging in a thankless cameo? "Jurassic Park III" has one or two scary sequences that recall the thrill and intensity of the first film. It is also modest fun for a while seeing William H. Macy maintain a straight face throughout. Still, other actors are left to appear as gaping idiots, particularly Leoni who grates the nerves and Sam Neill, who seems to be coasting by with nary a trace of the humor or pathos he brought to the original. In short, this is a soulless, joyless movie bereft of three-dimensional characters or a strong, compelling story or theme. It is decidedly no walk in the park. Footnote: *SPOILER* Sam Neill and Laura Dern turn out to be divorced this time out, though she has kids and is remarried. At the end of the first film, they were happily married. What happened to them since? It could have provided some illumination on Neill's Dr. Grant character at least. For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml E-mail me with any questions, complaints or general comments at Faust668@aol.com or at faustus_08520@yahoo.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28868 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236665 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 875 X-RT-AuthorID: 1314 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 20 13:30:47 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!newsfeed1.swip.net!swipnet!fizban.solace.mh.se!news.stealth.net!feed.textport.net!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Dustin Putman Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:49:33 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28869 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236666 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-AuthorID: 1388 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28869 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 107 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27035 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2888 Jurassic Park III * * * (out of * * * * ) Directed by Joe Johnston. Cast: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Trevor Morgan, Alessandro Nivola, Laura Dern, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Nash. 2001 - 92 minutes Rated PG-13 (for violence and mild profanity). Reviewed by Dustin Putman, July 19, 2001. With Steven Spielberg stepping down to getting merely an "executive producer" credit, director Joe Johnston's "Jurassic Park III" could unquestionably have been an irrelevant, needless second sequel to one of the biggest money-making franchises of all time. With all of its possible story options told out in the first two pictures, could there really be more to do with the premise aside from hack together pieces from the predecessors and construct them into a new, cohesive whole? Quite the contrary, as "Jurassic Park III" turns out to be a new kind of breed of dinosaur--a little long in the tooth, but with just enough life to resurrect not only the series, but the genre of big, summer action-adventure movies. If 1993's "Jurassic Park" was a groundbreaking achievement, both in modern special effects and marvelous, cliffhanging storytelling, and 1997's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" was a joyless, boring misfire with none of the magic that made the original so memorable, then "Jurassic Park III" stands as infinitely better than the second film, but not quite up to par with the first. Still, it's an entertaining and tightly-wound suspense yarn that, clocking in at 92 minutes, is over a half-hour shorter than the previous "Jurassic" excursions. This running time difference works as a definite asset, as the story and break-neck action sequences get going almost right away, bypassing the dreary, seemingly endless exposition that made "The Lost World" almost a chore to endure. Triumphantly reprising his role from the first movie, Sam Neill stars as Dr. Alan Grant, a paleontologist who, seven years after his unforgettable experiences at Jurassic Park, still must field questions about what he went through and saw. A proposition comes his way in the form of Paul (William H. Macy) and Amanda Kirby (Tea Leoni), a wealthy, married couple who wish to fly over Isla Sorna and take in the glorious sights of the dinosaur-infested Site B. Following a generous paycheck that leads Dr. Grant; his young, wide-eyed assistant, Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola); and three other crew members, to accompany the Kirby's on their "harmless" trip, their real motives emerge. The Kirby's, it seems, are a middle-class, divorced couple who have every intention of landing the plane on Isla Sorna to begin searching for their 14-year-old son, Eric (Trevor Morgan), whose paraglide crashed there eight weeks earlier. When their airplane crashes on the island, however, they find themselves stranded without any way of calling for help, in a land of dinosaurs that would happily eat them for lunch. With little more than a brief fifteen-minute introduction to the characters and plot, "Jurassic Park III" jumps to the chase, literally and figuratively. The next hour is an almost non-stop parade of snazzy, state-of-the-art visual effects that make the creatures look more realistic and elaborate than ever, and fast-moving, breathtaking action set pieces that don't hardly let up to allow you to breathe. One such sequence, set on a creaky jawbridge that the potential victims have no idea is located inside a giant birdcage with flying, carnivorous Pteranodons, jauntily milks the tension for all its worth. Also working to the film's advantage is the intoxicating sense of wonder that the dinosaurs are depicted with--a trait that made the original so special, and one that was utterly absent from the followup. This assured, smart decision allows to give the film an unexpected depth that it otherwise might not have had in such a quick-paced narrative. The music, by Don Davis, powerfully recaptures the lush score that John Williams perfected in the original. And the screenplay, by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne (1999's "Election"), and Jim Taylor, is crisply well-written. With so many dinosaur chases, the character interaction is effective, workmanlike, and kept to a minimum. Sam Neill proves again what a mesmerizing, underrated actor he is, and why he is better suited for the "hero" role than the slightly nerdy Jeff Goldblum was in "The Lost World." Making the debut appearances in the series, William H. Macy (2000's "State and Main") and Tea Leoni (2000's "The Family Man") are just the type of strong character actors that give their roles the added nuances needed to avoid cliches. In only a few scenes, we are able to believe that Paul and Amanda Kirby are divorcees who still, in one way or the other, love each other very much. Laura Dern (2000's "Dr. T and the Women") also makes a refreshing appearance, albeit a fairly small one, as Ellie Sadler, her character from the original. Dern is such a likable presence, and does such a good job here with not much screen time, that it's a shame she couldn't have been right alongside Neill throughout. One thing is for sure: their chemistry together is undeniable. "Jurassic Park III" is so thrilling a motion picture that its ending, unfortunately, comes out feeling anticlimactic. A final run-in with their meat-eating adversaries seems missing, as if the makers couldn't wait for the film to come to a close. The disappointing conclusion aside, "Jurassic Park III" is a welcome return to the style and startling execution that made the 1993 picture such a success. With a final image that hints at a possible fourth "Jurassic" adventure, the thought of such, it turns out, doesn't seem like such a bad idea after all. - Copyright 2001 by Dustin Putman http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Dustin+Putman * GET READY FOR FRIDAY! THE GRAND OPENING OF MY BRAND-NEW MOVIE REVIEW WEBSITE...THEMOVIEBOY.COM !!! * ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28869 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236666 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-AuthorID: 1388 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 20 13:30:47 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!luth.se!news.tele.dk!171.64.14.106!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Jon Popick Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:56:11 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28876 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236552 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 595 X-RT-AuthorID: 1146 Summary: r.a.m.r. #28876 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 73 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27049 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2892 Planet Sick-Boy: http://www.sick-boy.com "We Put the SIN in Cinema" © Copyright 2001 Planet Sick-Boy. All Rights Reserved. The press notes for Jurassic Park 3 proudly trumpet the fact that there are as many new dinosaurs in the new sequel as there were in the first two films combined. While that may sound impressive, it simply means that the filmmakers are concerned only with giving viewers more of the same instead of trying something new. I guess you could say they're sticking to the old "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" adage, considering the first film was, at the time, the highest-grossing picture ever and its first sequel still holds the record for the biggest opening weekend in history. But bigger budgets and projected box-office grosses don't stop JP3 from being a by-the-numbers action flick with a decent cast and impressive special effects. A drop-off in quality from the first to the second was noticeable, as it is from the second to the third, but it probably has much more to do with the fact that it's the only film not based on a Michael Crichton novel, rather than Steven Spielberg's move from the director's chair to an executive-producing credit. Sam Neill (The Dish) reprises his role as Dr. Alan Grant, a dinosaur expert who believes raptors are much smarter than anyone had previously thought, and even believes the creatures are capable of speech (apparently, this guy has never heard an interview with Dell Curry). With funding for his research project running short, Grant reluctantly accepts a strange offer from a rich, thrill-seeking couple (William H. Macy, State and Main, and Téa Leoni, The Family Man) that wants to fly over Isla Sorna and have Mr. Dinosaur point things out to them. Guess what? Things go horribly wrong. Members of the group are shed like so many layers of clothing (following the Brother Rule, of course) and, before long, JP3 starts with the running and the screaming and the, "Oh, God, it hurts." Anybody else tired of seeing characters picked off in reverse order of their popularity? In no way do I recognize Deep Blue Sea as an example of a good action film, but it was pretty damn surprising when Sammy Jackson got swallowed up by that shark. Don't look for any surprises here. Grant, his assistant Billy (Alessandro Nivola, Time Code), and the Kirbys are repeatedly split up into various groups, creeping around the island like the Scooby gang before meeting one last time for what appears to be a Cape Fear spoof. Sure, they've got two new dinosaurs after them - the flying Pteranodon and swimming Spinosaurus - but we know everyone crucial to a possible Jurassic Park 4 will make it off the island with most of their limbs intact. JP3 is so heavy on action that it didn't really need dialogue. Thankfully, Grant never utters typical sequel lines, such as anything that came out of Brendan Fraser's mouth in The Mummy Returns or Danny Glover's in any of the Lethal Weapon sequels. Give that credit to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (Election), who polished the script by debut scribe Peter Buchman. JP3 was directed by October Sky's Joe Johnston, who is no stranger to high-tech films which feature giant creatures (he also helmed the animal-laden Jumanji). While the film is technically seamless and a great way to blow 90 minutes, its complete lack of story greatly diminishes the effects of JP3's amazing visuals. Maybe we're spoiled by the technology of the 21st century, but humans running away from dinosaurs isn't nearly as entertaining as it was in the '90s. 1:31 - PG-13 for intense sci-fi terror and violence ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28876 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236552 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 595 X-RT-AuthorID: 1146 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 20 13:30:48 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Laura Clifford Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:56:38 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28877 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236494 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1487 X-RT-RatingText: C- Summary: r.a.m.r. #28877 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 73 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27042 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2890 JURASSIC PARK III ----------------- Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill, "Jurassic Park") is becoming disillusioned. Paleontology is no longer the sexy science it once was since the Ingen Corporation cloned his subject matter. His lectures bring people interested in his adventures on Isla Nubla rather than his research and funding dollars are drying up. When the Kirbys (William H. Macy, "Fargo"; Tea Leoni, "The Family Man") ask him to be their guide for an anniversary flyover of Isla Sorna (the notorious Site B of "The Lost World") he's disdainful, but once they wave their checkbook, he reconsiders. However the Kirbys haven't given Dr. Grant their real agenda in "Jurassic Park III." Of course, we, the audience, have been tipped off, given that the film begins by showing us Eric (Trevor Morgan, "The Patriot"), a young boy, and Ben (Mark Harelik, "Election") going for a paragliding adventure off that same island that goes awry (and looks like cheesy rear projection). Grant's established back home with a new right hand man, Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola, "Love's Labour's Lost") on site at a dig in Montana sorely lacking funds. He also pays a visit to old flame Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern, "Jurassic Park"), now married to another with a young son who calls Grant 'the dinosaur man' apparently for the sole purpose of dredging her up again for the film's poorly imagined finale. Grant takes Billy along on the Kirbys trip, which is really an illegal gambit to save their son, that young paraglider. The couple aren't millionaires, making Grant's check bogus, and they're separated as well (Eric was with Amanda's new boyfriend, not that that makes much sense), meaning we're in for some gooey family dynamics while waiting for the dino dining. The Kirbys hired hands (and obvious bait) are a threesome led by Mr. Udesky (Michael Jeter, "The Gift"). (Didn't anyone consider that casting Michael Jeter and William H. Macy together and not having them be related was a little odd?) As directed by Joe Johnston ("October Sky," "Jumanji") (Spielberg only produced this one) from a risible script by Peter Buchman and the "Election" team of Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, "Jurassic Park III" is nothing more than a quickie monster flick with a couple of new dinos (a Spinosauraus, which goes head to head with the T-Rex, and Pteranodons). The plot, as it were, is a series of coincidences combined with extreme leaps of faith and a trifecta of stupid cell phone tricks. The effects are no longer new, and, as shot by television cinematographer Shelly Johnson, rather murky looking at times. Film Editing by Robert Dalva ("October Sky") was presumably done by machete, to keep this down to a 90 minute run time. I know of no other reason to explain the ridiculous ending which features the survivors confronting a pack of raptors, then being saved by the most ludicrous of logic jumps within a few minutes. 'Original' music by Don Davis just repeats John Williams' original themes. While Neill and young Morgan attempt to inject some humor and humanity into the proceedings, the rest of the cast are plodding unexceptional. "Jurassic Park III" will probably provide some quick entertainment for those who go into it knowing what to expect, the same crowd who maybe liked "The Lost World: Jurassic Park." C- For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com laura@reelingreviews.com robin@reelingreviews.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28877 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236494 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1487 X-RT-RatingText: C- From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 20 13:30:48 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!luth.se!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Robin Clifford Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 17:59:41 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 28879 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236490 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: C+ Summary: r.a.m.r. #28879 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 88 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27052 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2893 "Jurassic Park III" Steven Spielberg has relinquished the directing reins of his successful dino franchise and gives Joe Johnston ("Jumanji") a chance to play with the big boys in "Jurassic Park III." A friend described "JP3," for me, without seeing it: Adventurers (with Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) in tow) arrive clandestinely on Monster Island - it's called Isla Sorna, here. They meet a big, mean dinosaur - introducing the new kid, the Spinosaurus - have some of their number eaten, then run away. They see big, cuddly dinos, are chased again by another meanie, and run away. They make their way to "the compound," where more mean dinos try to eat them. Get chased, run away, get chased, run away, get chased, run away. My friend was dead on describing this cookie cutter effort from start to finish. Now, that's scarier than the monsters. The neat thing about the first "Jurassic Park" flick was the fresh, never-before-seen prehistoric world created by Michael Crichton and put up on the big screen by Spielberg. It was exciting to see T-Rex for the first time or chew your nails as the raptors hunted down the youngsters. Sure there was a lot of hokum with the kids being the heroes, saving the adults from being eaten, but, we could get over the Spielbergian clichés and have a good time. This brave new cinema world was visited again, sadly, with the mishmash that was "Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World." A cross between the original, "The Road Warrior" and "Godzilla," the second outing just rehashed the new technology, poked some fun at itself and monster movies, but was pretty routine, and sometimes boring, with its "more is better" attitude. This third (and undoubtedly not the last if this makes money) in the series uses formula, rather than originality, to convey its conventional man-against-monster yarn. The newness has worn off the franchise and it is now more of the same. What caused us to wow and wonder in 1993 has become commonplace in 2001. The F/X developed nearly a decade ago have been improved and made even more seamless, but there is not the quantum leap that Spielberg and company made with the debut of the original "Jurassic Park." The story - the first of the franchise not adapted from a Michael Crichton book - doesn't try to invent anything new as it tells its tale of man against nature, albeit a nature artificially designed by man. The team of writers - Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor - provides an action/adventure yarn that is exactly as my friend described it to me. There are no surprises and few logical ties to the original. For example, in "JP1" there were no Spinosaurases or flying Pteranodons, but, a few years later, they have miraculously evolved from nothing. A T-Rex is going to make little T-Rexes, not Spinos. It is insulting to the fans of the franchise to be talked down to by the filmmakers. Don't they realize that fans notice these details? Some of us do have an attention span longer than 15 minutes, we should tell them. I hope Sam Neill gets a good paycheck for this outing. The actor goes through the motions as Dr. Alan Grant and is left to mouth such lines as "Nobody move!" And that is about it for this veteran thesp. William H. Macy and Tea Leoni, as the divorced couple looking for their lost child on Monster Island (that's the basis for the "GP3" story), are adequate. Handsome Alessandro Nivola is conflicted (or constipated, it's hard to tell) as Dr.G's assistant. There is, of course, a kid - Trevor Morgan - as the focus of the search and, yes, he's smarter than the adults. The rest of the cast members, including Michael Jeter, are simply items on the dino lunch menu. Laura Dern reprises her role as Dr. Ellie Sattler and, with about 10 seconds of screen time, saves the day, long-distance. Technically, as one would expect in a film with Steven Spielberg as an executive producer, this is a high-tech wonder of CGI and animatronics. The glitter has worn off since T-Rex first thumped his foot down, but the craftsmanship given to putting life into these prehistoric creatures should be lauded. The mechanical F/X, like a Spino attack on the adventurers trapped inside the wrecked fuselage of their plane, are first rate. Production design, by Ed Verreaux, does a fine job creating the lush jungle and dangerous compound sets for the monsters to play in. Maybe it's time for the "Jurassic Park" park franchise to join hands with Toho and Godzilla. I can picture it now. The dinosaurs have taken over the United States and its up to Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan and the rest of the boys from Japan, to save the world and kick some Jurassic butt. I'd go to see it. In the meantime, I give "Jurassic Park III" a C+. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 28879 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 236490 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: C+ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Sep 11 11:20:29 2001 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc.edu!news-out.nuthinbutnews.com!propagator!feed2.newsfeeds.com!newsfeeds.com!news-in-austin.nuthinbutnews.com!feed.textport.net!sn-xit-04!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Shannon Patrick Sullivan Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Jurassic Park III (2001) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 19:06:10 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 29384 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 247032 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 1.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #29384 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 56 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:27542 rec.arts.sf.reviews:2930 JURASSIC PARK III (2001) / * 1/2 Directed by Joe Johnston. Screenplay by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Starring Sam Neill, William H Macy, Tea Leoni. Running time: 94 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB. Reviewed on August 15th, 2001. By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN Synopsis: Original "Jurassic Park" survivor Alan Grant (Neill) is tricked by Paul and Amanda Kirby (Macy and Leoni) into leading an expedition to an island overrun by dinosaur, to rescue their stranded son. Grant's team is picked off one by one as they encounter dinosaurs both new and familiar, and Grant grows to realise that some breeds are more intelligent than he previously thought. Review: There is one reason why "Jurassic Park III" is better than its immediate predecessor, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park". The latter wasted 129 minutes of my life; the former, only 94. The first "Park" was a marvellous film, full of awe-inspiring sights, interesting characters, and genuine thrills. Its two successors have been pale imitations, amounting to hundred-million-dollar B-grade horror movies. At least this third entry realises it; whereas "The Lost World" tried to justify its existence with a ludicrous and overextended plot, "Jurassic Park III" simply sticks its characters on an island with a bunch of dinosaurs and lets the mayhem begin. There is a desperate sense of deja vu presiding over this movie; the computer-animated dinos are no longer novel or exciting, and even the first-time presence of aerial lizards scarcely improves the situation. Remember that wondrous first trolley ride through the Park in the original movie? Nothing in this rehash even comes close. Add in execrable dialogue from screenwriters Buchman, Payne and Taylor, and phoned-in performances by the normally capable Macy and Leoni, and it is difficult to recommend the film to anyone but dino enthusiasts. At least Neill makes some effort to retain the dignity of his character, and there is much less gore than in "The Lost World", making this installment more suitable for children. Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/ ========== X-RAMR-ID: 29384 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 247032 X-RT-TitleID: 1108705 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 1.5/4