Evolution of adventure!
Desperate to find their missing son, Paul Kirby (William H Macy) and his wife Amanda (Téa Leoni) trick eminent palaeontologist Doctor Alan Grant (Sam Neill) into accompanying them to Isla Sorna, a second Ingen site, eight years after Doctor Grant swore never to return to the area of the would-be amusement park built by wealthy misguided visionary, John Hammond. Dinosaurs were smart and sophisticated - smarter than primates - as Doctor Grant knows, and his worst fears are realised as the small team embark on what seems an impossible and dangerous task, searching through a deserted island inhabited by ferocious dinosaurs.
Special Agent Matti
Jurassic Park 1½.
This sequel is a sequel to the first film, not the second, even though it is the third to be made. Thus, you get the interesting (and live) characters from the first film in some interesting although familiar situations. It's more of the same with the distinction that there are some new dinosaurs and less merchandising.
There also seems to be less money invested as the continuity between various parts of the jungle is atrocious and the familiar cloudy wide shot/sunny close-up error pokes its head in a few times. And given the state of CGI there is no excuse for the paragliders looking fake; digital composition is perfect if you have patience but the foreground action and background just don't go together. There are evidently times when a couple of stunt actors doing it live still come out better than star actors in a studio.
If you like dinosaur films, Jurassic Park 3 will give you a good hit, but as an action story it's occasionally too lightweight. It's your choice.
M (Medium level violence)
93 minutes (1:33 hours)
Film: 30 August 2001
DVD rental: 9 January 2002
VHS rental: 9 January 2002
DVD retail: 27 March 2002
VHS retail: 27 March 2002