Known and reviled by most as the “worst Jurassic movie,” I sit here and wait for a for Jurassic Park III rewatch at the most dinosaur-themed brewpub I’ve ever seen, The Bronto Meadery in San Diego. Bronto Meadery is hosting a viewing all four Jurassic movies before Fallen Kingdom weekend hits the US, drinking handcrafted mead, and enjoying dinogeek fellowship. (I recommend the Pure Bronto, if you get a chance to sample the mead.)
JP III is the one with the Spinosaurus and the telephone, if you forgot which one this is.
What’s good: Dr. Alan Grant is back, and so is Dr. Ellie Sattler. They do a decent job. Nothing great, but they show up and try to act a little, more (Grant) or less (Sattler). Also good: the Aviary Scene, which is a callback passage from the first Michael Critchon novel that didn’t make it into the first movie. Also, the kid in this one isn’t annoying — a definite plus.
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What’s terrible: Tea Leone. Her character screams and squeals her way across Isla Nublar, attracting every predator in range, warm blooded or cold. I have a hard time getting past that. These guys should have died in the first ten minutes. And the director should have made the Grant character smack her upside the head.
What else it lacked? Any sense of magic, or wonder, or fun. This is the movie that killed the franchise for a long, long time.
The Bronto Brew didn’t manage to get the movie up and playing, so I had to write this short blurb based on some old memories. I downloaded the film and will watch it as soon as I can, and post a legit rewatch soon. In the meantime, tell me what you thought of the (now) 5 Jurassic films, and which ones stood out in a good or bad way.
Movie Grade: C-
More on RunPee.com:
The Real, Complete Re-Watch Review for Jurassic Park III (with fun bonus videos)
Review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Missed
Or click here to read everything we’ve written about the Jurassic movies. RunPee loves science. Even bad science, because it’s fun to pick those apart.
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Co-Creator of RunPee, Chief of Operations, Content Director, and Managing Editor. RunPee Jilly likes galaxy-spanning sci fi, superhero sagas, fantasy films, YA dystopians, action thrillers, chick flicks, and zany comedies, in that order…and possesses an inspiringly small bladder. In fact, that little bladder sparked the creation of RunPee. (Good thing she’s learned to hold it.)
Deanna Gwilt
Hi there!
Super sorry about the movie (#techissues)! Still really appreciate the review. It sucks because you would think that 3rd time is the charm…and for JP3 that just wasn’t the case.
Another sad note…some of the Bronto Team members have yet to watch JP4….definitely going to be putting that the to-do list.
Jill Florio Administrator
Hi Deanna! Thanks for commenting – yeah, bummer about the film. Were you able to get the sound fixed and play the next movie? #techissues…
What did you think of Fallen Kingdom?