The original JP, and even the flawed Lost World, seemed to be trying to make some kind of broader point.
This movie doesn't. It's just people going to an island and being chased around by dinosaurs.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I expect more from this series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z55W6ihUY-c
Moderators are terrorists.
That is one of my biggest issues (among a many, many, MANY others) with the film.
The themes of the first film are obvious, sure. But they are delivered with ease, charisma and aren't bogged down by preachy crap or hammer blows to the head.
The Lost World unfortunately, gets a little too preachy for it's own good. But what lessons the pain is charismatic performances and genuinely fantastic film-making. The plot feels like an organic extension of the original and it just feels earned, legitimate.
JP3 on the other hand is just what you said. It's a b-monster film. There is nothing wrong with b-monster films. I grew up on them. I love them. But JP is NOT a b-monster franchise. Don't make it into one.
Every single aspect of the film feels like a total rush job. Grant gets suckered into going to the island by money AGAIN. They throw Ellie in there for no other reason except fan service...but the two of them aren't together thus killing the ending of the first film. Macy and Leoni are absolutely insufferable. They slop through their parts with about as much passion as rock. Their dialogue and family drama is about as compelling and believable as the trying to pass the moon off as cheese. Billy is about the blandest character ever written. Eric was decent, but they made him an improbable MacGuyver with ZERO backstory or set-up. At least the Kelly gymnastics scene in TLW had a REASON to exist. The Mercs, the films one chance to give us some colorful characters, get slaughtered within 5 minutes.
The CGI and animatronics, while good in spots, is not anywhere NEAR as good as the first two films. The Spino animatronic is particular is a bulky, stiff machine and looks exactly like that on film. The blending of animatronics and CGI is not done with the expertise displayed in the first two-the only real highlight of the whole film being the Pterodactyl scene.
The pacing is rushed without any grasp on build-up or suspense. It's literally just one chase after another with an abrupt as all hell ending. The film feels forced in every way. It tries to capture the magic, the mystery, the fear of the first two. But it's nto executed with any sense of passion or care. It's like "Well, this worked in the first two-lets do it again!"
There is a tiny moment in JP3 when it feels like it MIGHT try and carry on the themes of the first two, and that's the "this is where you play god" scene. That scene has some great atmosphere and great set design. They are all walking around the abandoned facility looking at the dead clones etc, you think they may uncover some crazy conspiracy-some evil science shenanigans...but nope. They drop it as soon as it's mentioned. They even say the Spino isn't on the Ingen list. OK! COOL! Tell us WHY! Give us so something to chew on!
And then here come the Raptors, straight out of a James Bond film. Of all the idiotic things in the film, the Mega Villain Raptors have to be the dumbest. By god was their role retarded beyond anything and everything you could imagine. They took intelligent animals, ANIMALS-and made them Bond villains. I swear, all they needed was some dialogue and they would be right at home in a Bond film. Hiding behind a water tank to fool the humans into thinking they are dead experiments? Stopping to have Raptor talk instead of killing their prey (TWICE!). Snapping a guys neck and running away? Not eating him!? Or dragging him off to a nest for later!? Urgh!
F--k JP3.
You hit the nail on the head, friend. I still liked the movie but you just said it right. I never really thought about the bit where they're exploring that facility before. It really could have been used for some subplot regarding corporate intrigue or a conspiracy of some sort;to further expand the JP mythology (if that's the right word).
We just met but have 2 things in common. 1) We're opinionated and 2) yet we do not know everything.
I completely agree with you. I enjoy the movie, but it feels a bit insubstantial when compared to the first two.
shareI agree, JP3 comes across as just an excuse to show off more CGI Dino's and they didn't bother to try to come up with a plausible story. It has some sequences taken from the original book, like the Aviary and the river scenes but it just seems to fall into the long list of 3rd movies that feel like they were thrown together based on the name:
T3, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Ninja Turtles 3, Robocop 3, I'm sure there others I have forgotten about.
Why must a movie have to have a big lofty theme to be worthwhile?
Can it just be entertaining for its own sake as long as it is well-plotted and has developed characters?
When the stars are the only things we share
Will you be there?
-Benjamin Francis Leftwich
I liked it better than the Lost World...Lost World is just so all over the place and its one of Spielbergs most disappointing flicks for me...right behind War of the Worlds and Indianna Jones KOTCS
Sorry Brother.
Why must a movie have to have a big lofty theme to be worthwhile?
Yea, why should a movie have a plot, worthwhile characters and follow the story of the first two movies.
Can it just be entertaining for its own sake as long as it is well-plotted and has developed characters?
It's fine if you disagree but don't mix that up with having a resonant theme.
When the stars are the only things we share
Will you be there?
-Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Did you even read my post? Read it and you'll see that the film not having a "big lofty theme" isn't the issue in and of itself. The issue is the film doesn't even try to be about anything other than being a mindless chase film. The two films before it (and now the one after it) are about more than that. JP3 being a simple monster movie wouldn't be an issue if it was a stand alone film, but it's not. It's part of a series that has things to say.
shareDid you even read my post?
The issue is the film doesn't even try to be about anything other than being a mindless chase film.
JP3 being a simple monster movie wouldn't be an issue if it was a stand alone film, but it's not. It's part of a series that has things to say.
So, instead of reading the replies in the thread, you post a question already explained by multiple people. Ok...
And instead of being a dismissive jerk, actually make an argument of your own.
So, instead of reading the replies in the thread, you post a question already explained by multiple people. Ok...
And instead of being a dismissive jerk, actually make an argument of your own.
It has nothing to do with me thinking I have "enlightening affirmations." The thread isn't that long. Usually people read a thread before commenting to, you know, look at all the opinions and figure what they want to say.
How in the holy hell is my argument ludicrous? It's ludicrous for someone to want the third film in the franchise to try and reach for the same quality as the others? Whoa, the irony of your argument is hilarious.
The film is fine on "normal critical standards"...What does that mean? Are you suggesting the only reason it's hated is because of bias?
Guess what? It's not up to snuff in either direction. As a "stand alone film" it has annoying characters with forced dialogue and no chemistry, terrible attempts at drama. It's just not fun watching these people as they are either drop-dead boring or bloody annoying as sin.
It's also not up to snuff as a JP film because it doesn't have a story, they assassinated the character of Grant, the dinosaurs are either mindless monsters or super smart Bond villains-not animals, it has no sense of pacing and worst of all....it doesn't try to be anything more than a cynical cash grab.
Nobody is talking about "lofty themes." Again, if you read my post you would see I said that that themes in the series have always been obvious and blunt. So you're smarmy accusations are failed attempts at undermining me and my opinion.
So yes, as obvious as the themes in the first two films are, they were delivered with care and charisma. The scripts found a way to have the characters expound exposition and wax philosophical in a way that fit the characters and felt organic. It feels natural because you believe that is what these people would say in this particular situation.
Because of this, the first film and to a lesser extent the second film have meat on their bones and elevate themselves above being mere action films. They give fans and audiences something to chew on, to discuss and appreciate besides the spectacle.
So that's the thing, buddy. We aren't asking for arthouse cinema about dinosaurs. We are merely asking for the third film to care enough to try and give what the other films do. It couldn't bother. Instead it slapped a bunch of senseless action chases on the screen and passed it off as JP.
Go ahead, enjoy the film for what it is-a mindless monster movie. I don't begrudge anybody that right. I myself love b-movies. I grew up on b-movies. But don't take a franchise that is ABOVE b-movie material and suddenly make it that material for a quick buck. And don't YOU act like fans who hate this movie don't have a leg to stand on, because there is enough reasoning here and elsewhere to amply explain why we hate the film.
It has nothing to do with me thinking I have "enlightening affirmations." The thread isn't that long. Usually people read a thread before commenting to, you know, look at all the opinions and figure what they want to say.
How in the holy hell is my argument ludicrous? It's ludicrous for someone to want the third film in the franchise to try and reach for the same quality as the others? Whoa, the irony of your argument is hilarious.
The film is fine on "normal critical standards"...What does that mean? Are you suggesting the only reason it's hated is because of bias?
Guess what? It's not up to snuff in either direction. As a "stand alone film" it has annoying characters with forced dialogue and no chemistry, terrible attempts at drama. It's just not fun watching these people as they are either drop-dead boring or bloody annoying as sin.
It's also not up to snuff as a JP film because it doesn't have a story, they assassinated the character of Grant, the dinosaurs are either mindless monsters or super smart Bond villains-not animals, it has no sense of pacing and worst of all.... it doesn't try to be anything more than a cynical cash grab.
Nobody is talking about "lofty themes." Again, if you read my post you would see I said that that themes in the series have always been obvious and blunt. So you're smarmy accusations are failed attempts at undermining me and my opinion.
So yes, as obvious as the themes in the first two films are, they were delivered with care and charisma. The scripts found a way to have the characters expound exposition and wax philosophical in a way that fit the characters and felt organic. It feels natural because you believe that is what these people would say in this particular situation.
Because of this, the first film and to a lesser extent the second film have meat on their bones and elevate themselves above being mere action films. They give fans and audiences something to chew on, to discuss and appreciate besides the spectacle.
So that's the thing, buddy. We aren't asking for arthouse cinema about dinosaurs. We are merely asking for the third film to care enough to try and give what the other films do. It couldn't bother. Instead it slapped a bunch of senseless action chases on the screen and passed it off as JP.
Go ahead, enjoy the film for what it is-a mindless monster movie. I don't begrudge anybody that right. I myself love b-movies. I grew up on b-movies. But don't take a franchise that is ABOVE b-movie material and suddenly make it that material for a quick buck. And don't YOU act like fans who hate this movie don't have a leg to stand on, because there is enough reasoning here and elsewhere to amply explain why we hate the film.
I would take your criticisms more seriously if you criticized what was on the screen rather than what was off of it like some imagined goal you feel it should have achieved.
No, mostly what you WANTED to see on the screen.
We are listening and were not blind
This is your life, this is your time
-Snow Patrol
Well it's a very simple plot, and amazingly they executed it well! Which is why there's less to complain about and more to enjoy. I mean it follows it's plot and objectives very smoothly, Dr. Grant would never go back to the island voluntarily. The Dino-Soar idea comes from TLW book where planes gave tours over the islands, though I believe they actually went over empty islands because they were a scam. The kid was low-key and less irritating than most. Billy represented the temptation that the island held for capitalists without getting too complex. Scenes like the airplane roll and skeleton tangle are both funny and terrifying at the same time. The raptor intelligence progression is interesting and the FX are great throughout!
Perfectly said!
When the stars are the only things we share
Will you be there?
-Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Just why I liked it. Moves smoothly from point to pint without shoehorning big world Ideas but keeps their eyes on the characters. Only wish Mrs Kirby had died of had a self revelation of why how trying she was.