There’s more than a few spirals of DNA missing from the script of “Jurassic Park III,” 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. Pic has that unmistakable feeling of a franchise being severed from its creative roots.
There’s more than a few spirals of DNA missing from the script of “Jurassic Park III,” 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.
Showing all the signs of having been stripped back at a late stage into a lean, 91-minute chase machine — and to hell with pacing and character development — pic has that unmistakable feeling of a franchise being severed from its creative roots with considerable confusion about what to put in its place. Watch for a juicy opening, followed by a faster than usual falloff, for this latest seg of the dino saga which, if the series ever makes it to “IV,” will be seen as a pit stop for refueling rather than a full lap around the track.
Except for the visual effects, the movie has a hand-me-down feel. The first two installments used largely the same key talent behind the lens and two key actors (Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough) in front of it, giving them a homogeneous feel. With “JP III,” however, the script’s not based on a Michael Crichton novel, and — aside from Stan Winston and a few others on the dino side of things — there’s an all new crew on the tech side. Even with Steven Spielberg in the coach’s chair, there’s an unmistakable sense that the reserve team has gone in to bat.