When I first heard that "JP3" was being made, I said Oh shit, why??? The first one was a classic..." /> FilmJerk.com - Reviews - Jurassic Park 3

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||| Sergio Leone |||
Sergio Leone

Leone’s career is remarkable in its unrelenting attention to both American culture and the American genre film, exploring the mythic America he created with each successive film examining the established characters in greater depth.

Only his second feature (a remake of Kurosawa’s Yojimbo), Leone's landmark "spaghetti western" caused a revolution and features Clint Eastwood in his breakthrough role as "The Man With No Name". This classic brutal drama of feuding families wasn’t the first spaghetti Western, but it was far and away the most successful up to that time.

Plot is of minimal interest, but character is everything to Leone, who places immense meaning in the slightest flick of an eyelid, extensively using the extreme close-up on the eyes to reveal any feeling, as demonstrated by Clint, who squints his way through this slam-bang sequel to A Fistful of Dollars as a wandering gunslinger that must combine forces with his nemesis to track down a wanted killer.

The final chapter in the groundbreaking trilogy follows Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach as they form an uneasy alliance to find a stash of hidden gold. Leone focuses on his central theme as they find themselves facing greed, treachery, and murder, showing that the desire for wealth and power turns men into ruthless creatures who violate land and family and believe that a man’s death is less important than how he faces it.

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Jurassic Park 3

By Curmudgeon

July 18th, 2001

NOW HEAR THIS: I HAVE SEEN "JURASSIC PARK 3"... AND IT KICKS ASS!

When I first heard that "JP3" was being made, I said Oh shit, why??? The first one was a classic. I think I damn near soiled my pantaloons during it on several occasions. Then along came "JP2." I like to think of the second installment as a reason to make toys. Thats all. It had no story... no interesting characters... the effects were something we've seen... I mean seriously... after a T-Rex eats 3 people, and the same dinos attack over and over... how much more exciting can it be????


"JP3" answers that question. Actually, "JP3" scares it into you. This film is scary. I shit you not, its frigging out and out SCARY. New director Joe Johnston has decided not to make this enjoyable, pop corn, kiddie summer fun, and thank Christ for small favors. Instead, he opts to pull out all the stops and jams the film with unrelenting action. ACTION. DINOSAURS. ATTACKS. This movie is not pussified. The camera does not cut away when a dino attacks, and we are left with only seeing water turning red. "JP3" does what "JP2" should have done. MAKE YOU AFRAID OF THE GODDAMN 8 TON DINOSAUR. I cannot stress it enough. I'm so pumped right now. The film is an utter rush. Its dark and gritty. It doesn't stop. The effects are top notch...perhaps better than the previous 2 films for one reason... more dinosaurs. The new bad ass, Spinosaurus stands out... and when I say new bad ass, I mean it. Wait till you see this fucker... and his fight with a T Rex.

The stars of the film, I must say, go to the Ptredons... flying dinos. They kick ass. Nasty bastards. Best action sequences in the film belong to the birds... who were greatly ignored in the first two.

Of course, the raptors are back... and, well, they're evolved. They're smarter... bigger... more menacing. Very cool stuff is done with them. I'm sure by now, everyone has seen the previews and know what the premise is, so I wont waste time with plot details. What I will say is that once the group is OVER (Notice I didn't say ON) the island, the action never stops. The group travels through JP, hoping to survive, all the while being stalked by the Spinosaurus (God, he is a BAD ASS).

The actors are top notch. Sam Neill is in top form as Dr. Grant, Bill Macy is terrific as always, playing a character your not sure to like... even Tea Leoni joins the fun and manages to out act her computer counterparts. I especially liked seeing Laura Dern return as Ellie Sattler... it kind of brought back alot of the first film... making "JP3" seem more like home. The thing I liked most though, was the tone. The first film, we got awe. Sure, we got intense suspense, but it mostly achieved by snagging our amazement. In "JP2," we got mindless, summer movie shit. The tone of "JP3" is dark. The dinosaurs take on the role a dinosaur should... a nasty bastard. Big, nasty bastards. They're unforgiving this time out.

Sure, "JP3" is a summer flick. But its a SMART summer flick. This is not mindless entertainment. I promise you, your eyes will be glued to the screen. Not because of what you see, but because of what your afraid to miss.

My rating: A