Although badly shaken by his previous encounters with the creatures, Dr Alan Grant (Neill) remains determined to study dinosaurs.

He is desperate to fund research for a new theory about velociraptor intelligence and, when the wealthy Kirbys approach him with an offer, he jumps at the chance...especially considering the payment involved.

They want him to take part in an aerial tour of Isla Sorna, adjacent to Isla Nublar - the site of Grant's previous nightmarish experiences.

It soon becomes clear that the whole thing was a scam concocted by the Kirbys to get an experienced guide to help them find their son, who vanished during a paragliding holiday.

Marooned on a savage land, they have to escape all sorts of new creatures, including a dinosaur bigger and more frightening than even Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Based on characters created by Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park III boasts a clever, witty and engrossing script.

Spielberg handed the directorial reins of this potentially phenomenally lucrative instalment to Joe Johnston.

The pair first collaborated in 1981 when Johnston was visual effects art director on Raiders Of The Lost Ark - a movie which won him an Academy Award.

Jurassic Park III broke free of the rumours of last-minute script revisions and behind-the-scenes tensions to enjoy enormous box office success.

The formula may be tried and tested but this above-average production creates a highly effective and enjoyable movie for kids and adults alike.

New cast members include the massive Spinosaurus, who goes head to head with the Tyrannosaurus Rex in a dramatic scrap.

The swooping Pteranodons provide several of the film's most hair-raising moments and are a well-balanced match for Grant and his team.