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The Lost World - Jurassic Park [1997]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £2.37 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

In the low tradition of knockoff horror flicks best seen (or not seen) on a drive-in movie screen, Steven Spielberg's sequel to Jurassic Park is a poorly conceived, ill-organised film that lacks story and logic. Screenwriter David Koepp strings along a number of loose ideas while Jeff Goldblum returns as Ian Malcolm, the quirky chaos theoretician who now reluctantly agrees to go to another island where cloned dinosaurs are roaming freely. Along with his girlfriend (Julianne Moore) and daughter, Malcolm has to deal with hunters, environmentalists, and corporate swine who stupidly bring back a big dino to Southern California, where it runs amok, of course. Spielberg doesn't seem to care that the pieces of this project don't add up to a real movie, so he hams it up with big, scary moments (with none of the artfulness of those in Jurassic Park) and smart-aleck visual gags (a yapping dog in a suburb mysteriously disappears when a hungry T-rex stomps by). A complete bust.--Tom Keogh


The weak link in an otherwise outstanding trilogy.
Review date: 2008-11-18 Rating: 4 out of 10

After the original Jurassic Park, this is something of a disappointment. The storyline involves Ian Malcolm returning to the land of genetically-created dinosaurs to find scientists and a big game hunter taking an unhealthy interest in the place.

It has to be said that the dinosaurs look great, and that there are several gripping moments. But unfortunately the wonder and the awe of the original film have gone. This is just a big-budget no-brainer. There are gaping plot-holes, the characters do things for no better reason than to move the film on to the next set-piece, Malcolm is now just a parody of his former character and far too much of the film is played for laughs. The 'disappearance' of the boat crew is just ridiculous and the 'rampage' at the end is a tame, predictable shadow of what it could have been. Considering the wafer-thin plot, the movie is far too long. I found myself wishing it would hurry up and finish, something I never would have thought of doing in the far superior original. Though this film is a way to pass an evening and worth seeing for the effects, you'd be better off with either the original film or Jurassic Park 3.


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Reviews


Fantastic Sequel. Fantastic Film
Review date: 2008-03-10 Rating: 8 out of 10

Once again, Spielberg shows he is a master. Like the Matrix, Jaws and Halloween, Jurassic Park was a ground breaking tour de force that shook the cnematic world, set new standards overnight, and thus would be nigh on impossible to replicate in a sequal.

More to the point, the very elements that made those films groundbreaking and stylistic would not be as impacting a second time around and leaves the director in No Man's Land. If you include another bullet time sequence, or a musical motif then you're gonna be accused of aping the original. If you don't, you lose an integral facet of what made the original so special.

And that is what Spielberg had to contend with, 5 years after the brilliance of seeing realistic dinosaurs, and with expectations raised, how to make another impact.

First off, the effects are truly superb and the lack of quality CGI in movies (even now) only serves to distinguish TLW from its contempories. Secondly, the best character from JP is brought back as the cynical anti hero Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) displaying him mucho dry, sardonic wit: "Oh, yeah. 'Oooh, ahhh', that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming."

The film is set on a second island and featurs a larger cast who are split into two factions and so the themes of the plot are far more diverse than the original.

Spielberg maintains an excellent balance between developing the characters and the need for excitement and action. In his capable hands, nothing suffers.

What sets Spielberg apart from his peers is his ability to use a multitude of tactics to achieve great effect. Especially sinister ones. Be it special effects filled Poltergeist or the bare bones approach of Duel, Spielberg shows he is a Master throughout. In TLW, he displays this diversity to stunning effect to ensure that the audience never becomes dulled nor second guesses what is to come. Characters die on screen, in a grisly manner whilst others perish off screen. Similarly, we often see the dinosaurs in full view as they attack, yet at other times, like in Jaws, they are hidden and we only *know* they are there by their effects on their surroundings. A classic example is when the humans are running through a field with grass 5ft high. From an aerial shot we see multiple paths being created as somethings crumple the grass as they approach the humans. At speed.

Added to quick bursts of sheer chaotic energy, emphasising the panic and terror the characters are experiencing, there are long, expertly crafted sequences that build the tension slowly but surely, including an awesome encounter with not one but two Tyrannosaurs.

Even the dinosaurs are explored and expanded, just like the human counterparts. We get to see the T Rex is more than just a predator and this helps build empathy for these magnificent creatures. There is even a baby T Rex that is, oddly enough, very cute.

A stroke of genius is added by shifting the action to San Diego, thus providing a fresh hunting ground (sic) for all: film maker, audience and dinosaurs.

The only real downside for me is Spielberg's tendency to include small children. And annoying children at that. for absolutely *NO* good reason, Ian's daughter, Kelly, is included. And for even more bizarre reasons she is black (reasons which are never explained). It just looks like a really stupid attempt at some form of political correctness. Where she half caste, or it was explained she was adopted then that would be fine and we'd just be left with the question of why she is there in the first place. But neither happens and so everyone is left thinking "WTF?!"

This is NOT as ground breaking as the original. But then what film possibly could be? Like The Empire Strikes Back, TLW build ON the platform created by its predecessor without ever retreading old ground. Is it better? That is debateable. Much like The Empire Strikes Back, TLW benefits from being able to jump right into the action without requiring to set the scene - something which slowed down the first hour of Jurassic Park and brought criticism.

But it is a great film, nonetheless. And when you see the tripe that is JP3, then the quality of The Lost World is clear for all to see.


Average follow up
Review date: 2006-08-08 Rating: 6 out of 10

The sequel to the Oscar winning Jurassic Park provides high tension and suspense for the audience, but only frequently as this follow up fails to capture the brilliance of the first.

The ideas are there but are executed in all the wrong ways as the producers and directors try to go for a graphic winning tactic rather than an effective plot. The film is visually stunning with computer animations brilliantly used to great effect for the different species of dinosaurs.

However the story fails to capture the audience's interest as it drags and there are always questions of realism. The story focuses upon Ian Malcolm as he travels to Site B with a determination to rescue his girlfriend. The team of researchers are more determined to stay on and investigate further into the prehistoric creatures lives.

It's hardly interesting when they discover the other researchers on the island. Temptations may have been raised as to what are they going to do but it is never captivating as it could have been with predictable elements always there.

The main problem is that it tries to use the same ideas from the first film but never pulls them off. We have the very effect tense scenes when the people are being chased by the dinosaurs but this technique is often over used. It is extremely tense however and the audiences will be on the edge of their seats.

Even the T-rex and velocoraptors seem less fierce in this sequel with similar elements used from in the first film.

The acting by everyone is terrible with Goldblum in particular hardly convincing as the would be hero. He tries to be demanding and in control over everyone but can never convince his onlookers. The actors all have unhealthy chemistry infront of the camera which leads audiences to believe the story is weak and sloppy.

The ending to seems over exaggerated and to most people predictable. There is always a question of could that really have happened and again diminishes audience's expectations.

Not worth it because of similar ideas are used in the first film.

Watch the first but i wouldn't bother with the two follow ups and if rumours are true about a forth we all know that spells disaster

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Arliss Howard
Jeff Goldblum
Richard Attenborough
Julianne Moore
Pete Postlethwaite

Creators:
Jeff Goldblum (Primary Contributor)
Pete Postlethwaite (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582401356
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2005-11-28
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 123 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1997
Language: English (Original Language)

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