Jurassic Park III didn’t achieve the same level of critical acclaim as its predecessors, but this Jurassic Park The sequel is one of the most fun entries in the franchise. Despite your Consistently strong action sequences and straightforward plot, the third installment suffered from the absence of Steven Spielberg after his work on the first two installments. In truth, Jurassic Park III it was better than The lost world for the way it shaped the series, but the last entry in the original trilogy ruined Alan Grant’s character arc (Sam Neill), which eventually cast a shadow over his reunion with Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) in Jurassic World Dominion.
The lost world and Jurassic Park III has some interesting parallels. The lost world focuses on Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and his rescue operation at Site B, but conclusively does not feature Alan Grant. Jurassic Park III it also focuses on Alan’s trip to Isla Sorna. However, although the second sequel includes Ellie, it does not provide Dern with substantial screen time. Audiences were excited to see the return of the original cast and Alan Grant in Jurassic World Dominionbut it’s hard to deny Alan and Ellie’s romantic reunion was disheartening after the events of Jurassic Park III.
Jurassic Park III’s biggest problem wasn’t the Spinosaurus, but Alan and Ellie’s failed relationship
Jurassic Park III totally reversed Alan Grant’s character development
Jurassic Park III was heavily criticized for the inclusion of a new dinosaur, which sparked numerous discussions about whether a Spinosaurus could actually beat a T. Rex. However, later installments in the franchise definitively prove that Jurassic Park IIIof the biggest problem was actually the strained relationship between Alan and Ellie. Jurassic Park subtly influences Alan to reconsider his perspective on raising a family with Ellie – which was the main conflict in their relationship. Jurassic Park III begins with a hopeful image of Alan and Ellie’s son, but quickly shatters the illusion by abruptly introducing her husband, Mark (Taylor Nichols).
What’s interesting is how the film does not explain why Alan and Ellie became separated between the events of Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. By ignoring the timeline of their relationship, the creators mostly alienate the film’s audience. Mark had a much smaller role in the third film, which only underlines the questionable choice to separate the main characters. Alan and Ellie’s relationship brought a lot of strength to the Jurassic Park timeline, and disregarding their connection hurt Alan’s character growth. Additionally, it diminished the future of their relationship later in the franchise when the characters reconnected in Jurassic World Dominion.
Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler’s reunion in Jurassic World Dominion wasn’t as intentional because of the choices in Jurassic Park III
The reunion of the main characters in Jurassic World Dominion was an arbitrary decision
Jurassic World Dominion takes place 20 years after the events of Jurassic Park III. The franchise’s legacy characters join forces again for the first time since 1993 to investigate a giant locust infestation in Texas, USA. It became clear that Ellie divorced her husband, Mark, sometime between those two decades. For the most part, this does Jurassic Park III narrative seems somewhat redundant. Domain ends rather predictably with Alan and Ellie rekindling their romantic relationship. It’s hard to argue that this reunion didn’t feel a little superficial because of the unnecessary separation in the third film.
That’s not to say the pair’s reunion isn’t welcome, as they’re two of the franchise’s most beloved characters – but it was a futile attempt to appease the lifelong audience. Arguably, the time separated into Jurassic Park III accentuated how their Domain the relationship came dangerously close to fan service. Previews of Jurassic World Dominion indicated their strong involvement in the Jurassic World franchise, but it was almost too predictable. A greater sacrifice in the pair’s relationship would have been more significant for their character arcsand would have recognized the history established in Jurassic Park III.