SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: JURASSIC PARK III

"JURASSIC PARK III"
(2001) (Sam Neill, William H. Macy) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Minor	Heavy	Moderate	*Extreme	Mild

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Minor	Mild	Extreme	None	*Mild

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Minor	Minor	Mild	Mild	Extreme

QUICK TAKE:: Action/Adventure: After crash landing on a tropical island teaming with dinosaurs, a small group of people tries to rescue a boy and get off the island before being eaten by the genetically engineered creatures.

PLOT:

It's been eight years since Dr. Alan Grant (SAM NEILL) survived the mishaps and chaos that surrounded the now defunct Jurassic Park tourist attraction on Isla Nublar where scientifically cloned dinosaurs ran amok and killed many people. Still working as a low-paid paleontologist on various dinosaur dig sites in Montana with his assistant, Billy Brennan (ALESSANDRO NIVOLA), Grant has vowed that nothing could ever make him set foot on that island again.

Yet, when wealthy adventurers Paul (WILLIAM H. MACY) and Amanda Kirby (TÉA LEONI) offer to fund his work if he'll be their guide as they fly over Isla Sorna, an adjacent island also owned by the corporation, InGen, that ran the first, Grant reluctantly agrees.

Even so, he's shocked when the small plane carrying him, Billy, the Kirbys and their crew consisting of Udesky (MICHAEL JETER), Cooper (JOHN DIEHL) and Nash (BRUCE A. YOUNG) lands on the island. It turns out that Paul and Amanda aren't adventurers after all, but instead are the divorced parents of 12-year-old Eric (TREVOR MORGAN) who's now been missing for eight weeks after an accident left him and Amanda's boyfriend stranded on the isle.

Knowing full well what they're up against, Grant immediately sets out for the coast, hoping to find a way off the dangerous land. As he and the others set out to do so and hopefully find Eric in the process, they must not only contend with the usual dinosaurs, such as T-Rexes and raptors, but also the flying Pteranodons and the massive Spinosaurus, a huge carnivore that's adept both on land and in the water.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they liked or were/are interested in either of the original "Jurassic Park" films or are fans of someone in the cast, it's a good bet they will want to see it.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For intense sci-fi terror and violence.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: SAM NEILL plays a paleontologist who reluctantly travels with the Kirbys to the island where he then finds himself stuck with the others and must do what he can to survive.
WILLIAM H. MACY plays a concerned father who deceives Grant into helping him and his ex-wife rescue their son.
TÉA LEONI plays his ex-wife who goes along with the ruse so that they'll hopefully find and rescue Eric.
TREVOR MORGAN plays their resourceful son who's survived for eight weeks on his own in the dinosaur infested land.
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA plays Grant's assistant who accompanies them on their trip and shows bravery when rescuing Eric.
MICHAEL JETER plays one of the men hired by the Kirbys to assist them on the rescue mission.; WILLIAM H. MACY plays a concerned father who deceives Grant into helping him and his ex-wife rescue their son.
TÉA LEONI plays his ex-wife who goes along with the ruse so that they'll hopefully find and rescue Eric.
TREVOR MORGAN plays their resourceful son who's survived for eight weeks on his own in the dinosaur infested land.
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA plays Grant's assistant who accompanies them on their trip and shows bravery when rescuing Eric.
MICHAEL JETER plays one of the men hired by the Kirbys to assist them on the rescue mission.; TÉA LEONI plays his ex-wife who goes along with the ruse so that they'll hopefully find and rescue Eric.
TREVOR MORGAN plays their resourceful son who's survived for eight weeks on his own in the dinosaur infested land.
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA plays Grant's assistant who accompanies them on their trip and shows bravery when rescuing Eric.
MICHAEL JETER plays one of the men hired by the Kirbys to assist them on the rescue mission.; TREVOR MORGAN plays their resourceful son who's survived for eight weeks on his own in the dinosaur infested land.
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA plays Grant's assistant who accompanies them on their trip and shows bravery when rescuing Eric.
MICHAEL JETER plays one of the men hired by the Kirbys to assist them on the rescue mission.; ALESSANDRO NIVOLA plays Grant's assistant who accompanies them on their trip and shows bravery when rescuing Eric.
MICHAEL JETER plays one of the men hired by the Kirbys to assist them on the rescue mission.; MICHAEL JETER plays one of the men hired by the Kirbys to assist them on the rescue mission.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:: The following is a quick look at the content found in this action/adventure film that's been rated PG-13. Violence consists of various dinosaurs killing several people and trying to attack/kill others. Some of those scenes have bloody results (with various characters also sporting numerous bloody scrapes and cuts, and they dig through large, steaming piles of dinosaur dung in one scene). Those scenes and others may be unsettling, suspenseful and/or downright frightening to some viewers, particularly younger ones, although that all depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for/past exposure to such material.
Profanity consists of a possible "s" word, along with a handful of other expletives. A woman is briefly seen in her bra, some very brief drinking and smoking occurs, and a divorced couple reunites to find their missing son. Meanwhile, a few characters have bad attitudes for deceiving another. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for anyone in your home - particularly since this is the stuff of nightmares for younger kids - we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific examples of what occurs in the picture.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Grant, Billy, Paul and Amanda have drinks or beer in a bar.

BLOOD/GORE: We see what look like some bloodstains (from a distance) on the deck of a now empty boat (thus suggesting that the two men on it were killed by dinosaurs).
A huge dinosaur grabs one of the men in its mouth and the latter's blood splatters onto and covers some of the windows in a passing plane.
Various characters have bloody scrapes, gashes and/or bruises on their faces and arms after various perilous encounters with the dinosaurs.
We see some blood on a T-Rex's mouth (and some bloody flesh in it) as it pokes its head up from feeding on a carcass.
A dead and partially decomposed human body swings down and runs into Amanda (and we see its meaty/bloody skull, etc.).
We see that Eric has a bottle of T-Rex urine.
We briefly see Paul turning around and zipping up his pants (after apparently relieving himself).
Grant finds some flying dinosaur droppings on a railing.
Scrambling to find a noisy satellite phone, Grant and others dig through large, steaming piles of dinosaur dung and pull out all sorts of items (including bones) from them.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Kirby and the others deceive Grant about the real reason they want him to escort them to Isla Sorna. They also attempt to leave one of their team members on the island as they plan to take off (albeit, they're doing so in haste to save their own skins).

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed here and under "Violence," along with the sight of some of the more dangerous/aggressive dinosaurs may be tense, unsettling and/or scary to younger viewers (much like the first two "Jurassic Park" films), but that all depends on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for/past exposure to such material.
While parasailing, a man and his girlfriend's son suddenly feel several jolts on their towline and then eventually see that their guide boat is now empty (and tattered) and heading toward a bunch of rocks. They then scramble to cut themselves loose from the line before the boat hits the rocks.
Grant and the others race to get on their small plane and lift off from the island once the gun-toting men with them race out of the jungle stating that they have to leave. A huge dinosaur then grabs a man on the runway, causing the plane to crash through the jungle foliage.
That dinosaur then tries to get at the people inside that plane, first knocking it to the jungle floor, then rolling the fuselage and biting through or stepping down onto and crushing it as the survivors inside try to get out of harm's way.
During that several minute sequence, the dinosaur pulls a man from the plane (by its mouth) and tosses him down to the ground. He tries to crawl away, but its huge foot steps down onto him and it then bites him (the latter not graphically seen).
The survivors run through a field with that large dinosaur chasing after them.
A T-Rex chases various people through the jungle before fighting with a Spinosaurus.
A dead and partially decomposed human body swings down and runs into Amanda, sending her running and screaming through the jungle.
A raptor suddenly surprises Amanda and then chases her and others through an abandoned building, including trying to get to some of them on the other side of a fenced gate/door (in a several minute sequence). Once out of that building, the people race through a herd of large dinosaurs - causing a stampede to form around them - as they try to elude the raptors.
Amanda falls through a tree and finds herself hanging from a branch as several raptors try to jump up from the ground and grab her.
Grant finds himself surrounded by raptors.
A large Spinosaurus suddenly appears and chases Grant and Eric alongside a high fence as they try to find an opening to the other side. Once they do, it breaks through the fence, causing them and others to race inside a building for safety.
While Grant descends some metal, cliff-side stairs, they suddenly give way beneath him (but he's okay). Moments later, he then slowly makes his way across a metal bridge of some sort, through the fog, unsure of what he may encounter. Amanda then follows him, as does Eric, but the latter then sees a Pteranodon - a flying creature - making its way down the walkway toward him. It then flies over and picks him up by the shoulders, flying away until it drops him atop some rocky formations where its hungry young await him. As he jumps from one formation to the next, the young, but still rather large dinosaurs chase after and finally attack him (until Billy rescues him). Meanwhile, one of the adult (and even larger) flying dinosaurs tries to get at Grant and Amanda.
More of those flying dinosaurs then try to attack Billy whose parachute is now caught on a cliff. He eventually frees himself by falling into some water, but the creatures repeatedly try to seize him from that.
As the survivors make their way down a river in a boat at night in the rain, a large Spinosaurus attacks them. They end up trying to hide in a metal cage atop the boat, but the dinosaur causes all of that to sink under the water (with them inside it) as it still tries to attack those still inside the submerged cage.
Paul tries to distract the dinosaur from atop a crane, but it then comes after him and repeatedly bangs into the crane, trying to knock him from it (as he hangs from it just above the dinosaur's mouth).
The group finds themselves surrounded by a pack of raptors that appear ready to attack/eat them, with one smelling and nudging Amanda's head.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Huge gun/cannon: Tested by Udesky and his men (to blow up an empty and old plane) and later carried onto the island (along a few other weapons that we hear being shot in the jungle in one scene).
Flare gun: Used by Grant to shoot and distract a large dinosaur.
Various weapons: Carried by military types who arrive on the scene.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "What the hell (is that)?"

JUMP SCENES: A raptor suddenly surprises Amanda, and then does the same to Grant in another scene.
While Grant descends some metal, cliff-side stairs, they suddenly give way beneath him (but he's okay).

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): An extreme amount of ominous, suspenseful and scary music plays during the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: There's 1 possible "s" word, along with at least 3 damns, 2 hells, 6 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "God," "My God" and "Oh God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: We briefly see part of Amanda in her bra (and a full view of her back while wearing that) as she changes clothes.

SMOKING: A few miscellaneous people smoke in a bar.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: We learn that Paul and Amanda have been divorced for around one year, but see that they've reunited in an attempt to rescue their son (about whom they worry until they find him). Some brief discussions about their problems occur.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Whether dinosaurs could ever be cloned and exist as they do on the islands in this and the previous two films.
Why the people don't always seem to be acting realistic in regards to being in the potential presence of dinosaurs that would eat them.
Paul and Amanda reuniting to find their missing son despite being divorced for a year or so.

VIOLENCE: We see what look like some bloodstains (from a distance) on the deck of a now empty boat (thus suggesting that the two men on it were killed by dinosaurs).
Udesky's men test fire a huge gun/cannon that shoots an empty and old plane, causing it to explode.
After Grant begins to protest about landing on the island, someone hits him over the head (we hear, but don't see the blow), knocking him out.
A huge dinosaur grabs one of the men in its mouth and the latter's blood splatters onto and covers some of the windows in a passing plane that then crashes in some jungle foliage.
That dinosaur then tries to get at the people inside that plane, first knocking it to the jungle floor, then rolling the fuselage and biting through or stepping down onto and crushing it as the survivors inside try to get out of harm's way.
During that several minute sequence, the dinosaur pulls a man from the plane (by its mouth) and tosses him down to the ground. He tries to crawl away, but its huge foot steps down onto him and it then bites him (the latter not graphically seen).
A T-Rex and Spinosaurus fight in the jungle, with each biting the other until the Spinosaurus breaks the T-Rex's neck (all while various people try to get out of their way).
Although we don't see it, Grant evidently punches Kirby who falls to the ground (due to Grant being mad at Kirby for deceiving him and landing on the island).
Billy kicks through the glass on the front of a vending machine to get to the food inside.
A raptor steps on a man's back and then drives its claw down into him (not graphically seen). Moments later, it then grabs him by the head and breaks his neck, killing him.
Some baby dinosaurs attack Eric (but he's ultimately okay), while Grant kicks one of the adults on its head/beak that then has a large metal cage fall on it in some water (presumably drowning it). Other flying dinosaurs try to attack Billy.
A large Spinosaurus attacks a small boat carrying the survivors and tries to eat/kill them. It then tries to attack a man atop a crane (repeatedly banging into it) and Grant then fires a flare that hits it and ignites some spilled fuel, eventually causing the dinosaur to leave the area.

Reviewed July 16, 2001 / Posted July 18, 2001

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