7 Things in ‘Jurassic Park 3’ That Make Absolutely No Sense

It’s no stretch to say that the original Jurassic Park (1993), directed by Steven Spielberg, is a thought-provoking science-fiction thriller that deals with the ethics of meddling with Mother Nature for personal and profitable gain.

Its sequels, on the other hand, not so much. While these themes are present throughout the entire franchise, many of the subsequent installments still leave a lot to be desired where good, solid writing is concerned.

While Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) appears to be the least favored of the Jurassic Park series so far (let’s hope the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth doesn’t claim that title), Jurassic Park III (2001) is still widely recognized as the one with the most issues.

A deeply troubled production saw the film start shooting without a script, which might explain why there are many things throughout the 2001 sequel that make no sense.

7 Things That Make No Sense in Jurassic Park III

7. The Mysterious Boat Attack

Jurassic Park III opens with young Eric Kirby (Trevor Morgan) parasailing with his stepfather Ben Hildebrand (Mark Harelik) near Isla Sorna/Site B. However, since the events of The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), the island has been declared a “no-fly” zone. But when the pair becomes shrouded in thick fog, they lose sight of the boat and its crew below.

When the fog clears, the boatmen are nowhere to be seen, and all that remains is a lot of blood on deck. Just as the boat is about to hit some rocks, Eric and Ben manage to free themselves from the line and drift towards Isla Sorna. While it’s clear that a dinosaur is to blame, the deaths of the boatmen are still puzzling because no explanation is offered.

And the fact that there isn’t any build-up is a clear indicator of that non-existent script we mentioned. The likely answer is that it’s the Spinosaurus, which can indeed swim, as seen during the film’s third act. Eric also later mentions that the bigger dinosaurs live near the coast. But can we please get the Jurassic Park III “Whodunnit Cut”, just to be sure?

6. The Bizarre Island Layout

The most obvious inconsistency with Jurassic Park III is the island itself. In the film, the jungle is depicted as lush, grungy, and dense. In the 1997 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park, however, it’s far more open, with towering trees that give the impression its human inhabitants are like insects, unlike the claustrophobic nature of the third film.

But this was no accident. In one of Jurassic Park III’s behind-the-scenes documentaries, it’s revealed that the filmmakers wanted to go for something that was more “lush”, “grungy” and “primordial”. While the 2001 film was partially filmed in Hawaii, The Lost World’s jungle scenes were actually filmed in California’s Redwood State Park.

There are other inconsistencies along these lines, too. As they make for the coast, Eric tells Alan Grant (Sam Neill), “The closer you get to the water, the bigger things get”, despite the fact that, in the previous film, it’s established that the carnivores are more common in the island’s interior. It feels like the direction-less Star Wars sequel trilogy all over again.

5. The Neglected Raptor Nest

After discovering the body of Ben Hildebrand, Amanda Kirby (Téa Leoni) and ex-husband Paul Kirby (William H Macy) discover a raptor nest in the jungle. The team wisely decides to not hang around and pushes forward with their journey, but Billy Brennan (Alessandro Nivola) falls behind, and is later seen suspiciously adjusting his backpack.

When the team learns that they’re being hunted by raptors, it’s revealed that Billy stole some of the eggs with the intention of selling them on the black market. We’re no dinosaur experts, but we’re sure the highly-intelligent raptors wouldn’t leave their nests abandoned.

What’s particularly baffling about this is the fact that the entire pack gives chase to the humans. We get that the filmmakers needed a way for Billy to steal these eggs in the first place, but perhaps those super-smart raptors could have come up with some better writing.

Related: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’: Second Trailer Arrives, With “Lost” Scene From 1993 Film

4. The Ridiculously Weak Electrified Fence

Our heroes can’t seem to catch a break in this movie, because no sooner after Eric is finally reunited with his parents, the team is reunited with the Spinosaurus, whose arrival is heralded by that annoyingly infectious satellite phone jingle. Of course, the dinosaur isn’t interested in a teary-eyed hug, so it chases Eric and Alan along a large, reinforced fence.

Fortunately, the two are able to escape through a small, super-convenient opening and join the others to catch their breath on the safer side of the fence. But moments later, the Spinosaurus obliterates the entire metal structure. The humans quickly take shelter inside an abandoned building, whose wooden door is miraculously impenetrable to the powerful dinosaur.

But that’s not the only problem with this scene – it’s the fact the Spinosaurus is able to smash through the fence in the first place. While, of course, the power has long been out, with InGen having abandoned Site B several years ago, it’s unclear how this dinosaur is able to shatter something that was previously designed to keep it in.

3. The Pteranodon Escape Time-Loop

When our characters accidentally stumble into a giant aviary, which obviously houses flying prehistoric reptiles, they end up having to battle a family of Pteranodons – and their nest of equally-dangerous younglings, too. And there appears to be no way out – the aviary is a giant dome-like structure that fills the gaps between two opposing cliff walls.

Eventually, the others – Alan, Paul, Amanda, and Eric – find a way out of the giant birdcage. After swimming beneath the barrier, they discover a small gate and manage to make it to the other side, leaving the Pteranodons right where they found them. However, Amanda forgets to pull the gate behind her (these people are terrible).

At the end of the film, we see the now-free adult Pteranodons flying off into the sunset (the dinosaurs on this island really don’t care about their young all that much, do they?). The problem with this scene is that flying reptiles were already loose on this island – there’s one in the final frame of the film’s predecessor The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

2. Billy’s Death Makes No Sense

During the sequence with the Pteranodons, after using a recovered parachute to rescue Eric from a nest, Billy is attacked in the air and ends up falling into the river, where two Pteranodons peck at him violently as he heads downstream. In other words, it’s pretty obvious that these giant birds are actually killing him.

When the film’s troubled production became common knowledge, it was revealed that the actor who plays Billy wasn’t happy with being killed off, and ended up persuading director Joe Johnston to keep him in the movie (probably in the hope of being used in a future sequel). So, Billy survives the attack, despite the fact he clearly dies in that scene.

But it’s not the only baffling part about this entire sequence. Billy is later recovered by the Navy and the Marines off-screen. So, does this suggest that there was always a way out of the aviary, and that the Pteranodons just happened not to notice it all these years?

1. The Resonating Chamber Is a Lie

We’ve already established that we’re not dinosaur experts, although we do know that Jurassic Park III’s biggest (and literal) plot device was created entirely for the purpose of the film. In other words, the Velociraptors’ “resonating chamber” simply did not exist in real life (at least not how it’s portrayed in the film).

But that’s not our problem with it, as we’re always happy to suspend our disbelief. After all, this is a film filled about genetically-engineered prehistoric dinosaurs. Nevertheless, Alan and Billy print a 3D version of the resonating chamber and end up taking it with them on their journey to Isla Sorna. So, it all makes enough sense so far.

What doesn’t make sense, though, is how Alan is able to use it when they’re finally confronted by the raptors at the end. While he’s simply trying his luck with the chamber, the fact that Paul corrects him by saying, “No, call for help,” is what really gets our eyes rolling. This character’s sudden knowledge of raptor communication is nothing short of baffling.

When Is Jurassic World Rebirth Out?

Jurassic World Rebirth will be released in theaters on July 2.

It stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dead Boy Detectives), Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez), Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).

Did you notice anything in Jurassic Park III that didn’t make any sense? Let us know in the comments down below!