Jurassic Park III (2001)

Following the dizzy heights of the first film, is Jurassic Park III worth getting your teeth in to?

When Erik, the child of a rich American family, goes missing near the original film’s Isla Nebular, Dr Grant returns to save the day. As a dinosaur that’s bigger than the feared T-Rex stalks the island, Grant and the boy’s family must find Erik, before they become the prey.

The increased importance on narrative is clearly indicated, with several stories happening at the same time. Mid-way through the film Grant teams up with the lost Erik Kirby, leaving the rest of the group to search for them; while the original film’s Ellie Sattler is married and has another baby due. Maintaining the dinosaurs as the villains, this multi-faceted story adds several levels of interest – something that Jurassic Park had to sacrifice to achieve the same level of villainy.

The introduction of a new predator is refreshing to the franchise, appearing early in the shape of the deadly Spinosaurus, snapping the neck of a T-Rex – this significant act of violence displays a new type of villain to the audience. Along with this uber dino, the ‘Raptors’ have a larger role to play, developing as an advanced species, ‘Smarter than whales, smarter than primates,’ they attempt to outsmart our heroes rather than resorting to brute force.

With Sam Neill’s Dr Grant once again the lead, his use of knowledge and passion becomes more captivating than Malcolm’s smart remarks from the previous films. His reserved character also becomes more engaging to the viewer with his new skill of interacting with children. This is only enhanced when he encounters Erik.