Jurassic Park IIIis a 2001 American science fiction thriller film and the third of the Jurassic Park franchise . It is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg (though produced by his production company, Amblin Entertainment ) nor based on a book by Michael Crichton , though numerous scenes in the movie were taken from Crichton's two books,Jurassic ParkandThe Lost World. The film takes place on Isla Sorna in the Central American Pacific coast, the island from the second film, after a divorced couple tricks Dr. Alan Grant into helping them find their son.

After the success ofJurassic Park, Joe Johnston asked Steven Spielberg if he could direct the film adaptation ofThe Lost World, the sequel toJurassic Park. While Spielberg wanted to do the project, he promised to give the helm any future sequels to Johnston. Spielberg stayed involved with the film by becoming the executive producer . Three years after the release ofThe Lost World, production of the third film began in August 2000. Although a commercial success, the film was released to mixed reviews.

Eric Kirby ( Trevor Morgan ) and his mother's boyfriend, Ben Hildebrand ( Mark Harelik ), go on a parasailing trip off the coast of Isla Sorna. After passing through a mist off the coast, it is discovered that the two men piloting the boat have gone missing, causing the boat to collide with rocks on the shoreline. The parasailers unhook their line from the boat and try to control their descent to the uninhabited island, which has been declared a restricted area for quite some time.

The film then transitions to another scene with Alan Grant explaining to Ellie Satler's son Charlie (in his sandbox) that carnivorous dinosaurs like fighting with each other rather than with herbivores, while Charlie continues to make his toy Triceratops and Brontosaurus bite each other. It is then revealed that Satler and Grant were never married, and that she is in fact married to a lawyer named Mark.

Back at Grant's dig site in Snake Water, Grant's assistant Billy Brennan is shown digging up a velociraptor skeleton (similar to that in the start of the first film), whilst flirting with one of the student paleontologists. Later in one of the research tents, Billy reveals the replica of a Velociraptor 's resonating chamber he created after scanning a raptor skull. Grant is then approached by Paul ( William H. Macy ) and Amanda Kirby ( Téa Leoni ), an allegedly wealthy couple who ask Dr. Grant to escort them on an aerial tour of Isla Sorna. Grant initially turns them down, but changes his mind after the Kirbys offer to fund his dig.

The plane carrying Grant, Billy, the Kirbys and three mercenaries arrives at Isla Sorna. Dr. Grant is surprised when the pilots tell the group that they will be landing, and starts to revolt before being knocked unconscious by one of the mercenaries, Cooper ( John Diehl ). Grant later regains consciousness when Amanda uses a megaphone to call out to somebody in the jungle, and a roar is heard followed by several gunshots. Grant determines that the roar is not that of a Tyrannosaurus , but of something bigger. The mercenaries Nash ( Bruce A. Young ) and Udesky ( Michael Jeter ) emerge shouting that they have to leave. As the plane starts down the runway, Cooper appears. Suddenly, a Spinosaurus dashes in front of the plane, killing Cooper and grazing the leaving airplane, which then crashes into the jungle. The Spinosaurus attacks the plane and kills Nash before the remains fall to the ground. Grant, Billy, Paul, Amanda and Udesky flee the scene as the Spinosaurus inspects the fuselage. They then run into a young male Tyrannosaurus, which pursues them back into the Spinosaurus. The two predators proceed to battle each other and the Spinosaurus kills the Tyrannosaurus by snapping its neck as the group escapes.

After finding some peace, Grant learns that the Kirbys are actually a divorced couple of small businessmen in search of their son Eric, who was stranded on the island along with Amanda's fiancé Ben eight weeks prior. The group decides to follow Grant's decision of heading towards the coast in hopes of being rescued. As they travel through the jungle, they discover a tangled parasail with Ben's skeleton and a video camera containing footage of his last moments with Eric.

The group comes across a derelict InGen laboratory. After exploring the compound, they are attacked by a Velociraptor. The group traps the raptor, which calls for help as the group leaves the buildling. Outside, they are pursued by the Velociraptor's pack, and Udesky is left behind. The alpha male raptor snaps his spinal cord, killing him. Grant is also separated, but is rescued from the raptors by Eric, who uses gas grenades to disperse the pack. The group reunites, but is separated by a spiked barrier fence. During this time, Eric hears the ringtone of his father's satellite phone . It is then revealed that sound is emanating from within the very Spinosaurus that attacked them at the landing strip . On the verge of being eaten, Grant and Eric manage to escape through a hole in the fence and the pursuit ends as they escape into a building.

Inside, it is discovered that Billy stole two eggs from the raptor nest in hopes of using them to fund their digging. Grant and berates Billy as being "no better than the people who built this place." Grant decides to dispose of the eggs into the river, but changes his mind and decides to store them in his bag instead. The group then sets out for a boat docked at a nearby river. They pass through a massive aviary dome, and are attacked by Pteranodons . Billy is presumed to be killed when he rescues Eric from a nest of hungry dinosaur chicks, leaving Grant in a state of remorse. The group escapes onto the boat, but while navigating down the river, a phone ring is heard. They find some Spinosaurus dung, on which the satellite phone is recovered.

As the survivors travel down the river, the Spinosaurus emerges from the water and attacks them. Grant attempts to call Dr. Ellie Sattler ( Laura Dern ), but can only yell "The river! Site B!" as the boat submerges. Paul distracts the Spinosaurus by climbing a construction crane, while Grant shoots a flare which ignites the boat's spilled oil, driving away the dinosaur.

The next morning, the group is close to shore when the Velociraptor pack reappears. Grant delivers the eggs and uses Billy's raptor resonating chamber to confuse the pack. The sound of an approaching helicopter causes the raptors to leave peacefully with the eggs. On the beach, Marine helicopters and infantry arrive. The party boards the helicopter where they are reunited with Billy, who is seriously injured but still alive. As the helicopter departs, three Pteranodons are seen flying off in the distance to which Grant suggests that they are searching for new nesting grounds. The film ends with the pteranodons soaring majestically into the clouds.