Episode

Jurassic Park 3 (2001) - Are You an Astronomer or an Astronaut? - The Desert of the Reel #123

Podcast
The Desert of the Reel: A Movie Podcast
Published
May 30, 2026
Duration seconds
4783
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not_requested
Canonical source
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/desert-of-the-reel/episodes/Jurassic-Park-3-2001---Are-You-an-Astronomer-or-an-Astronaut----The-Desert-of-the-Reel-123-e3k3qtj
Audio
https://anchor.fm/s/ef374714/podcast/play/120760691/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-30%2F425181982-44100-2-88ab53a65e1f7.m4a
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/the-desert-of-the-reel-a-movie-podcast-6745471/episodes/jurassic-park-3-2001-are-you-an-astronomer-or-an-astronaut-the-desert-of-the-reel-123
Markdown
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Summary

Jurassic Park III (2001) has Alan Grant going back to the dinos. This week on The Desert of the Reel, Ryan and Jason revisit the often-overlooked third installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and ask a simple question: Is it actually better than The Lost World? This may be remembered as the "Spinosaurus movie," but beneath the dinosaur chases and early-2000s blockbuster spectacle lies a surprisingly interesting exploration of motivation, identity, and human character. We talk about our pros and cons, and then explore, among many topics: Jurassic Park III shifts away from corporate greed and instead focuses on a rescue mission driven by family, desperation, and hidden motives. Life finds a way. Sometimes so does self-discovery. We examine whether intentions matter less than the motivations behind them, why some of history's worst actions have been committed with seemingly good intentions, and what it means to critically examine the reasons behind our choices. We also discuss the film's recurring theme of appearances and explore a little Reader-Response with the JP movies. Plus: Spinosaurus memes and Mr. Noodles. Email us at [email protected]