Malcolm was an arrogant dick who was hated not just for his demeanor, but also, as stated in the original novel, for his proclivity for screwing the wives of his colleagues.

Yen Wenjie behaves nothing like Ian Malcolm. Yes, she is one of the world's preeminent astrophysicists, and clearly knows it. But this is acknowledged by her colleagues and not begrudgingly. Her hubris is displayed by the choices she makes in secret and their unforeseen consequences. And these choices are the driver for everything else that happens. So more Hammond than Malcolm, but with more understandable reasons for her actions.

Similarly as Jurassic Park was a showcase for chaos theory, 3 Body Problem is for Dark Forest Theory.