Movie Info
Movie Name: The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Studio: Amblin Entertainment
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): May 23, 1997
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Who wants a snack?
Jurassic Park has been shut down but the experiments still continue on another island known only as Site B. When Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) learns his girlfriend and paleontologist Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) has gone to Site B to research the animals, he’s forced to attempt a rescue. Little does Malcolm know that he is being caught in the crossfire of two corporations trying to lay claim to the dinosaurs. When Nick Van Owen (Vince Vaughn) tries to fight the industrialists led by a hunter named Roland Tembo (Pete Postlewaite), a tyrannosaurus finds its way headed toward San Diego.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (or Jurassic Park: The Lost World or simply Jurassic Park II) is the hit sequel to his original movie. While the first Jurassic Park was liked by critics, The Lost World wasn’t as well received, but of course still made a ton of money, but not quite as much as the original.
Aw crap!
First there are a few good parts to The Lost World. The scene in which the trailer is being pushed off the cliff is great. The tension as Julianne Moore tries to get off the cracking glass is very well shot and is better than a lot of the first movie. The scene with the little girl on the beach (which was actually taken from Jurassic Park the novel rather than The Lost World) also feels more real and dangerous. Another great scene is when the characters try to get through the “long grass” as they are picked off by velociraptors, well shot and planned if the movie had contained more scenes like these, Lost World would have been great.
What doesn’t work about Lost World far outweighs these great scenes. Goldblum’s acrobatic daughter is one fault. In Michael Crichton’s book (which was no great novel either), two kids essentially make up Kelly (Vanessa Lee Chester) but here, they are merged into one. The big “I’ve been practicing my acrobatics” stands out as a red herring that she’s going to use it later…fortunately, a set of uneven bars magically appear so she can kick a raptor out a window…it is lazy and trite writing that is much below the first, fun movie.
Really? Who thought this would be a good ending to this movie?
Another problem is the whole last act of the movie in San Diego where Jurassic Park becomes King Kong. As the tyrannosaurus rex leaves the boat (how he got free is never explained), he just wanders around San Diego killing in search of its baby. It is amazing to watch this scene and to realize how much Jurassic Park devolved by this movie.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a big disappointment. The movie is everything that is bad about blockbuster movies but even makes it worst by reminding viewers that it could be good with scenes like the trailer and tall grass. The movie also doesn’t bring enough new dinosaurs into the mix and the reveal of the pteranodon at the end of the movie doesn’t help, it just makes you wish you had seen them in the movie.
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