What’s Worth Watching: A Defense of Jurassic Park 3

Jurassic Park III (Friday, Feb. 20, 8/7c, AMC)

Don’t roll your eyes: There’s a lot to love about 2001’s Park entry, even if it does lack the initial awe and ominous undertones of the original’s God-versus-genetics theme. First off, it doesn’t include a T-Rex chase through San Diego or an acrobat-infused raptor battle (see The Lost World for those). Secondly, as directed by Captain America‘s Joe Johnston, JP3 has more of a joyride pace than the previous sequel, slowing down only for worst parents ever, William H. Macy and Tea Leoni, to make horrible choices while running around Isla Sorna looking for their stranded son. And finally, there’s Sam Neill, back in his Indiana Jones hat as curmudgeonly paleontologist Alan Grant, our guide through the Costa Rican jungle and its spectacular set pieces—including a high-tech bird cage where some serious pterodactyl action goes down. Yes, it can be silly at times (Macy as action hero?) and again, we have to endure an annoying kid subplot, but for anyone who is counting down the days until Jurassic World‘s June 12th opening, this is still an entertaining way to pass the time.