JURASSIC PARK III

If you enjoy dinosaur thrillers, this is the installment that most successfully combines fast-paced action with a strong emotional hook. The characters are more likeable, Dr. Alan Grant is more sympathetic, and the Kirby family's situation gives the familiar survival story added weight.

The movie also has a redemptive quality. People help one another survive, sacrifice themselves for others, and see the Kirby family's situation resolved in a satisfying way. But the dinosaurs attack and try to kill or eat people, sometimes with blood, and the intensity may overwhelm younger children and some older viewers. The film's mixture of macro-evolution and belief in God may also confuse many people.

For teenagers and adults who can handle scary action, this is worth seeing; younger children should sit this one out.

Dr. Alan Grant is struggling to fund his theory about the intelligence of velociraptors when wealthy adventurers Paul Kirby and Amanda Kirby offer him a well-paid aerial tour of a dinosaur island.

The trip quickly goes wrong. Grant, his young protégé Billy, the Kirbys and a pilot become stranded in a dangerous place filled with people-eating dinosaurs. To escape, they must survive the island long enough to uncover why they were brought there.

Four stars means this is a completely thrilling, highly entertaining action film. Director Joe Johnston brings fast-paced action and creative storytelling to a familiar monster-movie setup. The acting is good, and the characters feel stronger and more likeable than those in the earlier films.

The family drama behind the Kirbys' motives gives the story a strong emotional center. The film also gains satisfaction from its many moments of rescue, sacrifice and mutual help. Even viewers who have seen many dinosaur-attack movies may find this blend of jeopardy and family feeling effective.

JURASSIC PARK III has a moral worldview with redemptive elements. People help one another survive, some are willing to sacrifice themselves for others, and the Kirby family's situation is resolved in a redemptive fashion.

The film presents a confusing mixture of evolution and belief in God. Dr. Grant supports macro-evolution and believes velociraptors are social animals capable of evolving into sentient beings. He also condemns the genetic engineering company for trying to “play God” and says “God bless” about one character. The movie therefore acknowledges God positively while presenting evolutionary concepts that may confuse many viewers.

The film also ends with a romantic notion regarding animals. Dinosaurs that previously tried to eat humans are ultimately shown as majestic creatures seeking a new place to nest. That image sits uneasily beside the danger they have represented throughout the story.

The film's redemptive acts point toward the value of laying down one's life for others: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

JURASSIC PARK III delivers thrilling action, stronger characters and a redemptive emotional center. Its scary violence makes it unsuitable for younger children, and its mixture of evolution and belief in God requires discernment. For teenagers and adults, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND UP.