ONE of the biggest criticisms of “The Lost World” was that it didn’t feature any new dinosaurs – just the same old beasties from the first film.

But armchair paleontologists can rejoice over all the prehistoric critters in “Jurassic Park III.”

The Pterodactyl, barely seen in the second film, will feature prominently in action scenes, as will the ever-popular Raptor.

We’ll also see the Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Compsognathus, Pachycephalosaurus and – director Joe Johnston’s personal favorite – the Ankylosaurus, an armor-plated beast the size of a small bus, with a spiked club tail.

“I think it’s one of the most beautiful dinosaurs,” Johnston says. “It’s been one of my all-time favorites since I was a kid, so I wanted to get it in.”

Then there’s the Spinosaurus, whose epic battle with the bad-tempered behemoth that ruled the first two films is already one of the most buzzed-about scenes.

“Spinosaurus is a bigger, badder predator than T. Rex,” Johnston says. “We knew that if we were going to bring back T. Rex and there was a new heavy kid on the block, we were going to have to have them fight.”