The passing of beloved actor Sam Neill has a lot of people reflecting on the over 150 film and TV credits that he’s had throughout his career. And whether you know him from Event Horizon or In the Mouth of Madness, we all know him from Jurassic Park.
His Dr. Alan Grant was grumpy, compassionate, a pain to work with sometimes, but always did the right thing. He was a different kind of hero. And we loved him for it. But… if I’m going to be totally honest with you, Jurassic Park III was wayyyy better than Jurassic Park. And here’s why!
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1. It was less young adult, and more horror
I love the OG film for the nostalgia factor of it all. This was an entry for a lot of people to fall in love with dinosaurs, science, and the adventure of discovery. But they turned a book about bio horror into a young adult adventure. The sequel instead leaned into the terror of it all.
Everything that happened in the aviary was spooky and full of so much tension. Then there was the cage in the river, the cockpit attack, and everything that happened with the raptors. It felt like there was real danger and if you didn’t watch out, you were going to die.
2. The generational trauma of that ringtone
How people feel about the spinosaurus satellite phone ringtone is the same way many feel about the log scene in Final Destination 2. It’s generational trauma grounded in something really simple. And yes, this is my ringtone and I have caught a couple people’s necks snapping to the side when they hear it because they’re triggered like a slipper agent when they hear it.
In the movie, our adventurers are reuniting and having this wholesome moment where everything feels like it’s going to be all right. That illusion is shattered when they hear the satellite ringtone. And when they turn around, it’s such a heart stopping moment. Because it isn’t their friends. It isn’t hope. It’s the spinosaurus. And for a moment you don’t know if they’ll survive.
3. Dr. Alan Grant but elevated
By the end of Jurassic Park, Dr. Alan Grant had helped save Tim and Lex alongside the help of Ellie and Malcolm. But I feel like his grumpiness had disappeared to instead form this father figure for Tim and Lex alongside Ellie. And I didn’t want that. I wanted more grump, more adventure, more dinosaurs. And Jurassic Park III delivered on that.
The sequel saw Alan being absolutely done with every single person around him. And as an introvert, I totally relate to that. But you know what I also relate to? Still doing your job while looking like a grump. It’s a universal feeling. But I will say, as much as I loved seeing this more elevated and nuanced version of Alan, I wish that Ellie was along for the adventure as well. Because their chemistry was undeniable and I wanted more time with them instead of her sidelined cuz mom.
4. Téa Leoni was chaotic glory
Téa Leoni’s Amanda Kirby was a mess. And I get it. Her son disappeared near an island with possible dinosaurs. Poor planning on her part. But she did what she had to do to get on that island and find her son. Unfortunately for all of us, I don’t think she truly realized she was on an island full of dinosaurs when she was yelling on that bullhorn. Or when flailing around and screaming.
Her Amanda was fun, obnoxious, brave, and the right level of unhinged that makes you stop and wonder if you too would lose your mind if your child ended up on an island of dinosaurs. Amanda was made all the better by William H. Macy’s Paul Kirby. Despite how put together he was, he was just as chaotic as Amanda. And they balanced each other out.
5. The dream scene
I don’t need to explain this. Those who get it, get it.
Jurassic Park III is available to watch on Prime Video and Apple TV.
