Jurassic Park III is a 2001 film that is the third film as part of the Jurassic Park franchise. Jurassic Park III is the sequel to The Lost World: Jurassic Park. It is the first in the series not to be based on a book by Michael Crichton or directed by Steven Spielberg. It takes place on Isla Sorna, the island from the second film, after a couple hires Dr. Grant to help them find their son.
After the success of the first Jurassic Park, Joe Johnston asked Steven Spielberg if he could direct the sequel. While Spielberg wanted to do the first sequel, he promised to give the second sequel to Johnston. Three years after the release of The Lost World, production began in late August of 2000.
The film earned $181 million domestic and $369 million worldwide, the 8th highest grossing film of the year worldwide, but still less than either of its predecessors. As with the other films in the franchise, there was a large marketing push, including seven video games and a novelization aimed at young children.
Jurassic Park III is ranked as rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with a 49% positive rating, with 72 out of 148 critics giving it positive reviews. It also has a 42% on Metacritic. Critics were split over whether the third installment of the series was better or worse than the second. Jeffrey Westhoff of the Northwest Herald felt that it was worse, remarking that "Johnston inherits the series one film too late." However, Ben Varkontine called it "not as good a ride as the first", but "better than the second." Much of the criticism was leveled at the plot as simply a chase movie with no character development, some even going so far as to say it was "almost the same as the first movie" with "no need for new ideas or even a script."
The movie was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Special Effects. For its short comings, it was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Re-Make or Sequel. The soundtrack was released on July 10, 2001.
The film made its VHS and DVD debut on December 11, 2001. The DVD has also been re-released with both sequels on December 11, 2001 and as the Jurassic Park Adventure Pack on November 29, 2005.Wikipedia
