Jurassic Park III is a 2001 American science fiction adventure film. It is the third installment in the Jurassic Park film series. The film stars Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, and Michael Jeter. It is the first film in the series not to have been directed by Steven Spielberg, nor based on a book by Michael Crichton (though numerous scenes in the film were ultimately taken from Crichton's novels Jurassic Park and The Lost World). The film takes place on Isla Sorna, off Central America's Pacific coast, the island featured in the second film, where a divorced couple has tricked Dr. Alan Grant into going in order to help them find their son.
Jurassic Park III | |
---|---|
Directed by | Joe Johnston |
Written by | Peter Buchman Alexander Payne Jim Taylor |
Produced by | Kathleen Kennedy Larry J. Franco |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Shelly Johnson |
Edited by | Robert Dalva |
Music by | Don Davis |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $93 million[2] |
Box office | $368.8 million[2] |
After the success of Spielberg's Jurassic Park, Joe Johnston expressed interest in directing a sequel, a film adaptation of The Lost World. Spielberg instead gave Johnston permission to direct the third film in the series, if there were to be one. Production of Jurassic Park III began on August 30, 2000. Jurassic Park III received mixed reviews from critics, however was successful at the box office, grossing $368 million worldwide.
A sequel, Jurassic World, was released on June 12, 2015.
Plot
Tourists Ben Hildebrand and Eric Kirby decide to parasail around the island of Isla Sorna. A creature of unknown species attacks and kills the boat crew as it passes through a fog bank, but Ben uncouples the line, and with Eric bound with him, he goes sailing into the wilderness.
Dr. Alan Grant has become famous as a result of the events of Jurassic Park. Ellie Sattler is married and has two children. Grant discusses with Sattler how raptors are far more intelligent than they had previously believed, having a complex social structure and hunting pattern. One afternoon at a dig site, Grant's assistant Billy Brennan demonstrates how he can use a 3D printer to replicate the larynx of a Velociraptor.
A wealthy couple named Paul and Amanda Kirby arrive and offer Grant funding for his research if he will give them an aerial tour of Isla Sorna. Desperate for research support, Grant reluctantly agrees. He flies there along with Paul, Amanda, Billy, and the Kirbys' mercenary associates, Udesky, Cooper, and their pilot Nash. On the plane, Grant learns that the Kirbys' real plan is to land on the island. When he opposes this, he is knocked out by Cooper and wakes to the sound of Amanda using a bullhorn. This attracts a Spinosaurus, which kills Cooper and Nash and destroys the plane. Fleeing, the survivors manage to briefly lose the Spinosaurus, only to encounter a Tyrannosaurus rex. The Spinosaurus returns, but the group escapes while the two carnivores fight each other. The Spinosaurus overpowers the T. rex and kills it.
Soon after, Grant learns the Kirbys are actually a middle-class divorced couple who are looking for their son Eric and Amanda's boyfriend Ben. Further exploration leads them to find the parasail entangled in a tree with Ben's decomposing body attached to it. When the group encounters raptor nests with eggs, they flee, taking the parasail with them. They find an abandoned InGen compound, where Amanda is ambushed by a raptor. The group manages to trap it, but it escapes and contacts the rest of its pack. During the ensuing chase, the group flees into a herd of Corythosaurus and Parasaurolophus and cause a stampede, separating Grant and Udesky from the others. Grant retrieves Billy's satchel, while Udesky is wounded by the raptors. When Amanda, Paul, and Billy try to help Udesky, they realize it was a trap set by the raptors, one of which then kills Udesky.
Grant suspects the raptors are searching for something while observing two of them communicating. He is then ambushed and cornered by the raptors, but is rescued by Eric, who managed to survive in an overturned supply truck. The next day, Grant and Eric are reunited with the Kirbys and Billy. After surviving another encounter with the Spinosaurus, Grant discovers that Billy took two eggs from the raptor nests and hid them in his satchel to use for funding, which provoked the raptor attacks. He decides to keep the eggs to ensure the group's survival. The group then enters a large aviary used to house Pteranodons, which attack the group and fly away with Eric. Billy rescues Eric by using Ben's parasail, but is then attacked and apparently killed by Pteranodons. The rest of the group escapes the aviary, leaving the door unlocked in their panic. They make their way downriver using a small boat.
That night, as Grant tries to contact Sattler, the Spinosaurus attacks the boat. Grant and Paul scare it off by setting the boat's fuel on fire. The next day, the group makes their way towards the shoreline, but are surrounded by the raptors. Grant has Amanda surrender the eggs and then uses the 3D-printed raptor larynx to confuse the pack, who run off with the eggs. The group flees to the coast and find that Sattler had called in the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy to rescue them. They discover that Billy, while seriously injured, is alive. As they leave the island, they see the Pteranodons flying free, and Grant muses they are looking for new nesting grounds.
Cast
- Sam Neill as Dr. Alan Grant, the world-famous paleontologist who survived the incident on Isla Nublar and has since developed an apathetic attitude towards the creatures he once admired.
- William H. Macy as Paul Kirby, the owner of a hardware store who poses as a wealthy businessman in order to lure Grant into helping search for his son.
- Téa Leoni as Amanda Kirby, Paul's former wife who accompanies the group to Isla Sorna to search for her son.
- Alessandro Nivola as Billy Brennan, a young and over-enthusiastic graduate student from Grant's dig site.
- Trevor Morgan as Eric Kirby, Paul and Amanda's 12-year-old son, stranded on Isla Sorna.
- Michael Jeter as Udesky, one of the mercenaries.
- John Diehl as Cooper, a mercenary and weapons specialist.
- Bruce A. Young as M. B. Nash, another of the mercenaries who serves as the group's pilot.
- Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Degler, née Sattler, a paleobotanist who also survived Isla Nublar.
- Taylor Nichols as Mark Degler, Ellie's husband.
- Mark Harelik as Ben Hildebrand, Amanda's boyfriend.
- Julio Oscar Mechoso as Enrique Cardoso, the owner and operator of the "Dino-Soar" parasailing service.
- Blake Michael Bryan as Charlie Degler, Ellie and Mark's son.
- Sarah Danielle Madison as Cheryl Logan, one of Grant's graduate students at the Fort Peck Lake dig site.
- Linda Park as Hannah, Ellie's secretary.
Creatures on screen
Production
Joe Johnston had been interested in directing the sequel to Jurassic Park and approached Spielberg, a friend of his, about the project. While Spielberg wanted to direct the first sequel, he agreed that if there was ever a third film, Johnston could direct.[3] Universal Pictures announced the film on June 29, 1998, with Spielberg acting as a producer. Michael Crichton was reportedly going to collaborate with Spielberg to create a storyline and write a script. The film was set for release in summer 2000.[4]
In June 1999, Craig Rosenberg wrote a draft of the script involving teenagers who get marooned on Isla Sorna.[5] Johnston was announced as the film's director in August 1999, with Rosenberg still attached. Production was expected to begin in early 2000.[6][7]
New writers were brought in to scribe a story involving Pteranodon escaping from Site B and causing a spate of mysterious killings on the mainland, which was to be investigated by Alan Grant and a number of other characters including Billy Brennan, a naturalist named Simone, a tough military attaché, wealthy Paul Roby, and Roby's teenage son Miles. Grant's group crash-lands on the island, while a parallel investigation is being carried out on the mainland. The aviary sequence and laboratory set piece were initially much longer and more complex, including Velociraptor stealthily entering the hatchery as the team spends the night there. Sets, costumes, and props were built for this version.[3]
In February 2000, filming was reportedly set to begin in Fiordland, New Zealand around the end of the month.[8][9] Scenes were originally planned to be filmed there for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.[10] In March 2000, Maui, Hawaii was reportedly chosen instead of New Zealand.[11] Sam Neill signed on to the project in June 2000, with 18 weeks of filming expected to begin by August 2000, for a release in July 2001.[12] Macy originally turned down his role due to scheduling conflicts.[13] Trevor Morgan and Téa Leoni were cast in August 2000,[14] with Utah's Dinosaur National Monument and an Oahu military base being considered as possible filming locations.[15][16]
Five weeks before filming began,[3] Johnston and Spielberg rejected the entire script as they were dissatisfied with it; $18 million had already been spent on the film at that time.[17] The "rescue mission" plot, which had been suggested by David Koepp, was used for the film instead.[3] Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor began rewriting the script in July 2000.[13] Johnston said that the script was never finished during production: "We shot pages that eventually went into the final script but we didn't have a document".[5] During the pre-production phase, concept artists created advertising for the film using a number of working titles including Jurassic Park: Extinction and Jurassic Park: Breakout.[18]
Production began on August 30, 2000, at Dillingham Airfield in Mokuleia, Hawaii.[19] The following month, a teaser trailer was released online.[20] Filming continued on Oahu until September 9.[21] Aerial footage of Molokai's North Shore cliffs was then shot over the next two days, followed by a week of filming in Kauai.[19][22] Filming concluded in Hawaii on September 20, 2000.[21] Production then moved to California. John August was hired to do uncredited work on the script in September 2000.[23] Scenes were filmed at Occidental College in Los Angeles on October 10, 2000.[24] Scenes were filmed at Center Bay Studios in Los Angeles at the end of October.[25] Other filming locations in California included South Pasadena and a rock quarry in Irwindale.[26] Filming also took place at Universal Studios' backlot in Los Angeles.[24] Production returned to Hawaii in January 2001, to film the movie's ending, which had yet to be written during the previous Hawaiian shoot. The ending was filmed on Kauai's Pila'a Beach.[5]
The storyline contains minor scenes from Crichton's Jurassic Park and The Lost World novels that were ultimately not featured in the film versions, such as the Pteranodon aviary and the use of the boat. In a deviation from the previous films, the Spinosaurus is considered the primary antagonist:[27] Johnston stated, "A lot of dinosaurs have a very similar silhouette to the T-Rex ... and we wanted the audience to instantly recognize this as something else."[28] The silhouette of the Spinosaurus is also on the poster behind the Pteranodon, taking the place of the Tyrannosaurus which had been used in the previous films' posters. Baryonyx was originally considered to be the "big bad" before Spinosaurus was chosen, and early concept posters reflected this. Within film dialogue, Billy interprets the animal encountered as a Baryonyx or Suchomimus, but Dr. Grant corrects his analysis based on its size and its sail.[3]
The special effects used for the dinosaurs were a mixture of animatronics and CGI. Due to new discoveries and theories in the field of paleontology, the portrayal of several dinosaurs differed from that of the previous films. Discoveries suggesting that Velociraptor were feathered prompted the addition of quill-like structures on the head and neck of the males in the film. "We've found evidence that Velociraptors had feathers, or feather-like structures, and we've incorporated that into the new look of the raptor", said paleontologist Jack Horner, the film's technical adviser.[28]
Given John Williams was busy writing the music for Spielberg's own A.I. Artificial Intelligence, he recommended Don Davis to write the Jurassic Park III score. Williams' original themes were integrated into the score as well as several new ones, such as one for the Spinosaurus that focused on low sounds, with tubas, trombones and timpani. The fight between him and the Tyrannosaurus, compared by Davis to King Kong fighting a dinosaur in the 1933 film, had a juxtaposition of the Spinosaurus theme with the one Williams wrote for the T. rex.[29] In addition, "Big Hat, No Cattle", a song by Randy Newman, was used in a restaurant scene.[30]
Release
The film earned $181,171,875 in the United States and $368,780,809 worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year worldwide[2] but still earning less than either of its predecessors. As with the other films in the franchise, there was a large marketing push, including seven video games[31] and a novelization aimed at young children.[32] The film was released on VHS and DVD in December 2001.[33] It was re-released with both sequels in December 2001[34] as the Jurassic Park Trilogy, and as the Jurassic Park Adventure Pack in November 2005.[35] The film has also been released as a two-disc DVD set alongside Hulk.[36] In 2011, the film was released on Blu-ray as part of the Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy. The soundtrack was released in July 2001.[37]
Scott Ciencin wrote three children's books to tie in with the film; the first detailed the eight weeks Eric spent alone on Isla Sorna;[38] the second had Eric and Alan returning to Isla Sorna to rescue a group of teenage filmmakers;[39] and the last involved Eric and Alan leading the Pteranodon home after they nest in a Universal Studios theme park.[40]
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 50% rating based on 162 reviews, indicating mostly mixed reviews. The site's consensus states: "Jurassic Park III is darker and faster than its predecessors, but that doesn't quite compensate for the franchise's continuing creative decline."[41] It also has a 42 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[42] On both sites, it is the lowest rated film out of the Jurassic Park franchise.
Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman, who praised both the previous Jurassic Park films, awarded the third film only a C grade, writing "Jurassic Park III has no pretensions to be anything more than a goose-bumpy fantasy theme-park ride for kids, but it's such a routine ride. Spielberg's wizardry is gone, and his balletic light touch as well, and that gives too much of this 90-minute movie over to the duller-than-dull characters."[43] Derek Elley of Variety Reviews felt likewise, calling the film "an all-action, helter-skelter, don't-forget-to-buy-the-computer-game ride that makes the two previous installments look like models of classic filmmaking".[44] Ben Varkontine of PopMatters called it "not as good a ride as the first", but "better than the second."[45] Much of the criticism was leveled at the plot as simply a chase movie with no character development; Apollo Movie Guide panned the film as being "almost the same as the first movie" with "no need for new ideas or even a script".[46] Empire magazine gave the film 3 stars out of 5, commenting that it was "Short, scrappy and intermittently scary" and that the film ultimately "skews young".[47]
On Ebert and Roeper, Richard Roeper gave it a Thumbs Down, while Roger Ebert awarded a Thumbs Up.[48] In a subsequent review, Ebert called it "the best blockbuster of the Summer".[49] In his written review, Ebert gave the film three stars and wrote that while the film was not as awe-inspiring as the first film or as elaborate as the second, "it's a nice little thrill machine. [...] I can't praise it for its art, but I must not neglect its craft..."[50]
Early pioneer of the dinosaur-bird connection Robert T. Bakker has quipped that the feathery quills added to the Velociraptor for Jurassic Park III "looked like a roadrunner's toupee." However, he conceded that feathers are difficult subjects for computer animation and speculated that Jurassic Park IV's raptors would have more realistic thorough plumage.[51]
Awards and nominations
Award | Subject | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Saturn Awards | Best Science Fiction Film | Nominated | |
Best Special Effects | Jim Mitchell, Stan Winston (uncredited), Danny Gordon Taylor, Donald R. Elliott, John Rosengrant | Nominated | |
Satellite Awards | Best Visual Effects | Nominated | |
Best Sound Mixing | Howell Gibbens | Nominated | |
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Horror/Thriller Film | Nominated | |
Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Effects & Foley | Howell Gibbens, Christopher Boyes, James Likowski, Frank E. Eulner and Ken Fischer | Nominated |
Sierra Awards | Best DVD | Won | |
BMI Film Awards | Best Music | Don Davis and John Williams | Won |
Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Remake or Sequel | Nominated | |
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards[52] | Worst Actress | Tea Leoni | Nominated |
Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More Than $100 Million Worldwide Using Hollywood Math | Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, based on the book by Michael Crichton | Nominated | |
Worst Sequel | Nominated |
Merchandise
Hasbro released a line of 3.75" action figures in the spring of 2001 to coincide with the release, including electronic dinosaurs, humans, and vehicles. The figures were scaled down from the original Kenner action figures from the pre-Jurassic Park III toy lines. A smaller die-cast line of toys was also produced, along with clothes and books. Several video games based on the film were also released.
See also
References
- ^ "JURASSIC PARK III (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 2001-07-09. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
- ^ a b c "Jurassic Park III (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ^ a b c d e The Making of Jurassic Park III. Universal Pictures. 2005.
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(help) - ^ Cox, Dan (June 30, 1998). "'Jurassic 3′ slated by U; Spielberg, Crichton to pen pic". Variety magazine. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ a b c "Jumanji's Joe Johnston Joins Jurassic". About.com. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
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value (help) - ^ Petrikin, Chris (August 5, 1999). "Johnston to direct third U pic". Variety magazine. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ "Spielberg dodges directing 'Jurassic 3'". CNN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ "JURASSIC PARK 3.... some news and some musings..." www.Aint-It-Cool-News.com. February 1, 2000. Archived from the original on 2000-03-03.
- ^ "Further Information On JURASSIC PARK 3". www.Aint-It-Cool-News.com. February 2, 2000. Archived from the original on 2000-03-04.
- ^ "Scene Is Set For 'Jurassic Park' Sequel". Sun-Sentinel. October 25, 1996. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Head, Steve (March 29, 2000). "Location News & Trailer Rumor". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ McNary, Dave (June 28, 2000). "Neill to reprise 'Jurassic' role; Third installment to begin shooting July/Aug". Variety magazine. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ a b Brake, Scott (July 20, 2000). "Rewrites and New Casting For Jurassic Park 3". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Head, Steve (August 9, 2000). "Jurassic Park 3, The Casting Continues". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Head, Steve (August 16, 2000). "Jurassic Park 3 and the Dinosaur Quarry". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Head, Steve (August 7, 2000). "Jurassic Park 3 Seeks Military Base". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Masters, Kim (January 30, 2013). "Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy on 'Star Wars,' 'Lincoln' and Secret J.J. Abrams Meetings (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2015-03-09.
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(help) - ^ Jurassic Park III (DVD). 2001.
- ^ a b Ryan, Tim (August 25, 2000). "Cameras roll soon for Jurassic Park III". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2000-10-18.
- ^ Head, Steve (September 11, 2000). "Jurassic Park 3 Teaser Trailer Online". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-06.
- ^ a b Kieszkowski, Elizabeth (September 2, 2000). "Media gain access to 'Jurassic Park III' set". The Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on 2000-10-18.
- ^ K. Kakesako, Gregg (September 4, 2000). "Film producers catch aloha spirit". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2001-06-25.
- ^ Head, Steve (September 21, 2000). "Flying Dinos for Jurassic Park 3?". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ a b Head, Steve (October 24, 2000). "Jurassic Park 3 on the Studio Backlot". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Head, Steve (October 31, 2000). "Jurassic Park 3 at Center Bay Studios". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ "Jurassic Park III production notes: Dinos Everywhere". CinemaReview.com. Retrieved 2014-11-10.
- ^ Elley, Derek (2001-07-17). "Jurassic Park III". Variety. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ a b "Production Notes". Cinema Review. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ The Sounds of Jurassic Park III. Jurassic Park III Blu-Ray: Universal Home Video.
- ^ Plume, Kenneth (July 25, 2001). "Composer Don Davis Talks Jurassic Park III and the Matrix Sequels". IGN. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
- ^ "Jurassic Park Licensees". Moby Games. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ Scott Ciencin (2001). Jurassic Park III. Random House Books for Young Readers. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-375-81318-4.
- ^ "Jurassic Park III". IGN. 2001-12-12. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ "Jurassic Park Trilogy". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Jurassic Park Adventure Pack". IGN. 2005-11-17. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Jurassic Park III released with Hulk". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
- ^ "Jurassic Park III soundtrack valued at $12.99". Soundtrack.net. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ Scott Ciencin (June 2001). Survivor. Boxtree. p. 116. ISBN 0-7522-1978-2.
- ^ Scott Ciencin (October 2001). Prey. Boxtree. p. 123. ISBN 0-375-81290-3.
- ^ Scott Ciencin (March 2002). Flyers. Boxtree. p. 128. ISBN 0-375-81291-1.
- ^ "Jurassic Park III". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Jurassic Park III: Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
- ^ "News Review: Jurassic Park III". Entertainment Weekly. 2006-08-09.
- ^ Elley, Derek (2001-07-17). "Jurassic Park III". Variety.
- ^ Ben Varkontine. "Jurassic Park III". PopMatters. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ Brian Webster. "Jurassic Park III". Apollo Movie Guide. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ Review of Jurassic Park 3 -EmpireOnline
- ^ "Ebert and Roeper Jurassic Park III". Buena Vista Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-09-11. [dead link ]
- ^ "Ebert and Roeper Planet of the Apes". Buena Vista Entertainment. Retrieved 2010-09-11. [dead link ]
- ^ Ebert, Roger (July 18, 2001). "Jurassic Park 3 review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Bakker, R. 2004. “Dinosaurs Acting Like Birds, and Vice Versa – An Homage to the Reverend Edward Hitchcock, First Director of the Massachusetts Geological Survey” in Feathered Dragons. Currie, P.; Koppelhus, E.; Shugar, M.; Wright J. eds. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 1-11.
- ^ "2001 24th Hastings Bad Cinema Society Stinkers Awards". Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
External links
- Official website ( Page will play audio when loaded)
- Jurassic Park III at IMDb
- Template:Amg movie
- Jurassic Park III at Rotten Tomatoes
- Jurassic Park III at Box Office Mojo