Jurassic Park III

Director: Joe Johnston Joe Johnston

Overview

Director Joe Johnston takes over the creative reins from Steven Spielberg for this third installment in the thriller franchise. Sam Neill returns as Dr. Alan Grant, a scientist who's tricked by wealthy couple Paul and Amanda Kirby (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) into a fly-over of Isla Sorna. The object of their sightseeing tour is one of the Costa Rican islands populated by ferocious, genetically bred dinosaurs and the "site B" setting of Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World (1997). After their plane crash-lands, it's revealed that the Kirbys are actually seeking their teenage son, lost on the island after a paragliding accident. Trapped on Isla Sorna, Grant and his companions discover some painful truths the hard way. Among their discoveries: some of the scaly monsters possess more advanced communicative abilities than previously believed, the dreaded Tyrannosaurus Rex has a larger and more lethal competitor, and flying Pteranodons pose an even graver threat than some of their land-locked brethren. Jurassic Park III is the first in the series not to be based upon a novel by original author Michael Crichton.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/22/2018
UPC:	0191329057889
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Universal Studios
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Sam Neill	Dr. Alan Grant
William H. Macy	Paul Kirby
Téa Leoni	Amanda Kirby
Alessandro Nivola	Billy Brennan
Trevor Morgan	Eric Kirby
Michael Jeter	Udesky
John Diehl	Cooper
Laura Dern	Ellie Sattler
Bruce A. Young	Nash
Taylor Nichols	Mark
Mark Harelik	Ben Hildebrand
Julio Oscar Mechoso	Enrique Cardoso
Sonia Jackson	Actor
Bruce French	Actor

Technical Credits

Peter Buchman

Alexander Payne

Jim Taylor

Joe Johnston	Director
Christopher Boyes	Sound/Sound Designer
Peter Buchman	Screenwriter
Thomas D. Causey	Sound/Sound Designer
Betsy Cox	Costumes/Costume Designer
Robert Dalva	Editor
Don Davis	Score Composer
Nancy Foy	Casting
Larry J. Franco	Producer
Shelly Johnson	Cinematographer
Kathleen Kennedy	Producer
Michael Lantieri	Special Effects
Doug Meerdink	Art Director
Alexander Payne	Screenwriter
Artist Robinson	Asst. Director
Steven Spielberg	Executive Producer
Gary Summers	Sound/Sound Designer
Jim Taylor	Screenwriter
David Womark	Associate Producer
Michael Crichton	Source Author

Editorial Reviews

Prehistory's progeny run amok again in Jurassic Park 3, the latest exciting installment in this popular series based on the bestselling Michael Crichton novel. Original leading man Sam Neill, who sat out Part 2 (Jurassic Park: The Lost World), returns as the intrepid paleontologist whose knowledge of Jurassic Park and its raptor residents proves invaluable to a married couple (William H. Macy and Téa Leoni) searching the island in a desperate bid to find their missing son, apparently stranded there following a parasailing mishap. Laura Dern, the first film's leading lady, also reprises her role and figures prominently in this episode's suspenseful climax. Director Joe Johnston (Jumanji), an old hand at effects-laden adventure movies, establishes his characters in a leisurely fashion -- but once the island is reached, the action begins with a bang, after which the pace picks up and never slackens. As in the previous two films, animatronic creatures and computer-generated effects are employed in tandem to create the illusion that the prehistoric creatures are as real as the actors themselves. A rousing romp in the best Saturday-matinee tradition, Jurassic Park 3 supplies a surfeit of thrills and chills. Johnston explains many filmmaking secrets in his commentary for the DVD edition, which also includes a "making of" documentary, a montage of behind-the-scenes footage, photo and storyboard galleries, and alternate theatrical trailers.

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse

When Steven Spielberg was looking for someone to take over the helm of his dinosaur series, Joe Johnston was a natural choice. He'd already worked on the special effects for the first Star Wars trilogy and directed Honey I Shrunk the Kids and October Sky, proving his skill at working with special effects without losing sight of a story's human interest. Johnston has done the series proud, as Jurassic Park III is a non-stop action-adventure of the highest order. The director was aided by a talented cast, including William H. Macy of Fargo, Alessandro Nivola of Face/Off, the charming Téa Leoni, and Sam Neill, returning as Dr. Alan Grant from the first film. They all deliver strong performances, bringing just the right level of gravity to the wildly improbable proceedings. The script, co-written by Election's Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, was still not finished when the film started production, which makes the contribution of the actors, who were forced to improvise some of their dialogue, even more impressive. But most of the credit for the film's success goes to Johnston, editor Robert Dalva, and the technical crew (both puppeteers and CGI artists) responsible for bringing the film's real stars to life. The dinosaurs look great, especially during a thrilling battle sequence between a T-Rex and an even larger, more ferocious Spinosaurus. Johnston and Dalva do an amazing job of keeping the proceedings moving at a breakneck pace. Without the exposition of the first two films to slow it down, Jurassic Park III leaps right into the action. It's the most action-packed, kinesthetically intense film of the series. A great summer popcorn movie, clocking in at a tight 92 minutes, the film moves fast enough to create its own air conditioning.

All Movie Guide - Josh Ralske

All it wants to do is scare a smile onto your face, and it often succeeds.

New York Times - Elvis Mitchell

It's a tribute to the action skills of director Joe Johnston (Jumanji is the relevant credit) that this film is as brisk and involving as it is. Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times