The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

2.5 out of 4

Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard, Richard Schiff, Peter Stormare, Vanessa Lee Chester, Richard Attenborough

Director: Steven Spielberg

Time: 129 mins

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (yes, a needlessly long title, but necessary, I suppose, to make sure audiences know which blockbuster it's related to) is Steven Spielberg's only true sequel to one of his films. Sure, he directed the second and third Indiana Jones adventures, but those were more like serials, with each individual film being the next chapter or instalment. Millions of people were amazed and captivated by the spectacular original, which married stunning computer generated dinosaurs with Spielberg's magic director's touch, and most of them eagerly awaited The Lost World. Personally, I can't begin to tell you how highly anticipated this film was for me, and I was lucky enough to be in Canada to watch it when the film premiered in May 1997. The fact that Spielberg was directing a sequel to the then highest grossing film of all time was exciting news, especially since his reason for doing so was to make sure it was done right, unlike the pale follow-ups to his other creature classic, Jaws. The Lost World still holds the record for the highest opening weekend gross in history (approximately $92.7m over its first five days of release, something even Star Wars: The Phantom Menace couldn't accomplish), and though it ultimately failed to live up to critical and box office expectations (not that a $600m worldwide gross is something to be sneezed at!), it still remains a fun but flawed flick, with numerous Spielberg suspense trademarks and even more of those dinosaur special effects.

With the success of Jurassic Park the book and movie, it was inevitable a sequel would be made. Author Michael Crichton penned The Lost World almost as an obligation, and though the book itself was quite good, with a non-stop, action-packed second half, Spielberg and writer David Koepp pretty much jettisoned the entire plot save for a couple of major setpieces. A problem with the book was the fact that John Hammond, the millionaire entrepreneur (played by Richard Attenborough) who conceived the idea for a dinosaur theme park, was killed in the original novel, but survived in the movie. So Hammond had to be written back into The Lost World, the movie, even though he was dead in The Lost World, the book. Another fault that Spielberg wanted to address was a child's complaint that it took too long to get to the island in Jurassic Park, and so we see our main characters on the island in The Lost World by about the twenty minute mark (still not quick enough, in my opinion). This requires some patchwork exposition which doesn't come across convincingly, and could probably have been left out altogether. But, of course, once we see the dinos, any filler is quickly forgotten.

One of the main criticisms of Jurassic Park was its lack of characterisation. The Lost World continues the tradition, though the inclusion of Ian Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum with sarcastic glee), a survivor from the first adventure, helps in the transition. The story itself is fairly thin, existing mainly to provide the reason for several action and suspense setpieces. It's now revealed that there is a second island where the genetically engineered dinosaurs were bred and nurtured. This island has now become a "lost world", where the dinos roam free and live without human interference. Until now. Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), his girlfriend, paleontologist Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore), photographer Nick van Owen (Vince Vaughan), field technician Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff), and Malcolm's daughter Kelly (Vanessa Lee Chester) are on a research mission on Isla Sorna, hoping to study and photograph the dinosaurs. When John Hammond's nephew Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard) turns up with a bunch of hunters trying to capture some dinos for a San Diego theme park, frictions fly and the carnivores come out to play. And, boy, are they a sight to behold, epecially during the nighttime scenes (the daytime scenes are not as seamless or as lifelike, in my opinion). The tyrannosaurus rex is again the main star, with the ferocious velociraptors not far behind. The normally placid stegosaurus and the chicken-sized compsognathus also join in the fun.

Though there's a lot more dinosaur CGI in this film (compared to only six minutes in Jurassic Park), the action doesn't really heat up until about fifty minutes in. Here Spielberg unleashes one of his signature suspense scenes, with the main ingredients a research vehicle hanging off a cliff, a T-rex or two, and a pane of glass with slowly spreading web-like fissures. From then on the action is non-stop, with the next piece of Spielberg ingenuity being the way he shows a group of velociraptors stalking their prey through a field of tall grass. The final segment, unfortunately, is almost a parody, with lots of visual jokes, but not much excitement. One gets the feeling that Spielberg didn't have his whole heart in the project, and wanted to treat the film as a bit of fun. But, hey, Raiders of the Lost Ark was also supposed to be a bit of fun (for him and George Lucas), yet showed a lot more passion than The Lost World. Don't get me wrong - The Lost World is not bad, but doesn't quite live up to the original.

The cast is a mixture of well-known faces (Goldblum, Moore) and international actors (Postlethwaite, Stormare). Goldblum is at his understated sarcastic best, while Moore is an annoyance as the scientist who should know better. Even more annoying is Vince Vaughan's character, who does several things with potentially fatal consequences during the movie. Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father, The Usual Suspects) holds his own as a big game hunter who wants to bag a male T-rex for his trophy board, but ultimately decides that all the death and destruction is not worth it. Vanessa Lee Chester as Goldblum's daughter is unnecessary, but, hey, if we've got to have a kid, then a kid we will have.

I must also mention John Williams' score. Though not as instantly memorable or as hummable as his score for Jurassic Park, its much darker tone is in keeping with some of the more grisly aspects of the film. Gone are the soaring tunes and melodies, to be replaced by several adventurous and, at times, thunderous, themes. It's not one of Williams' great scores, but effective nonetheless.

In a resume studded with some of the greatest blockbusters of all time, The Lost World only turns out to be one of Spielberg's average works. Its box office success, however, was pretty much assured from day one. The cliffhanger sequence and the raptor attacks are highlights, as are the dinosaur visuals, but the rest of the film, and the climax in particular, don't hold up as well. Still, if you like a monster adventure film with plenty of monsters, The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a reasonable ride.

(c) Joe Wong (10 November 2000)