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Rating: 2.5 out of 5
If you don’t know it, Jurassic Park is one of my all-time favorite movies. It is definitely in my top 3 favorite movies of all time. I can recite the film word for word. That is how many times I have watched Jurassic Park. Obviously, with the success of the first Jurassic Park, a sequel was bound to be made. I remember the sequel not being as great as the first one. It was entertaining, but I was wowed by it. Recently, I decided to watch The Lost World: Jurassic Park and remember my past happiness. Well, I can honestly say that I remember why I didn’t care too much for the film. It didn’t have anything to do with the visuals or even the action scenes. It mostly had to do with the story, which was utterly blah, and I really didn’t care about any of the characters. This time the film series takes up to a second island where the dinosaurs roam free.
Four years after the disaster at the original park in Jurassic Park, the once known entrepreneur and one who spared no expense, John Hammond (Attenborough), has been humbled by the past experience. He has called upon Dr. Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) to study the progress of the prehistoric living relics that roam free on the secluded island of Isla Sorna: InGen’s dino-engineering Site B. Dr. Malcolm reluctantly decides to join the expedition after learning that his paleontologist girlfriend, Sarah Harding (Moore) and a few others have made it to the island and are already doing the fieldwork. Fearing for his girlfriend’s safety, Dr. Malcolm runs off to save his girlfriend but unknown to him that Hammond’s greedy nephew, Peter, is hell-bent on capturing a wide array of primeval species for his San Diego prehistoric zoo. As everyone arrives on the island safely, they soon learn that some beasts are not meant to be captured. They will quickly learn that the mighty T-Rex is not meant to be on display for the world to see.
I want to say that this film is a tad bit darker than the original. It seems like many sequels turn out a little darker than the original. Think about The Empire Strikes Back or even The Godfather Part 2, those movies went straight up dark mode, and this one tries to go a tad bit darker but fails at it.
First, let us talk about the story. Like I said before, it is darker than the original, but it also felt very rushed. Rather than going back to the original island, we find out that there is a second island where the dinosaurs roam free and in their natural habitat. The first 75% of the story the request that Hammond asks Ian to join a team who will document the dinosaurs in their natural habitat in order to encourage a policy of non-interference. Hammond wants to stop his greedy nephew, who has gained control of the company and exploit the dinosaurs to fend off bankruptcy. That is a common theme, I think is in sequels. When you don’t have a story or need something to talk about, you just put a greedy relative who is an absolute dick and wants to do their own thing. No originality. In this first half, we see Ian’s team and the greedy dude’s teams battle it out. The main thing that one of the poachers want to do is capture the biggest beast of all time, a wonderful and deadly T-Rex. The evil dude takes a baby T-Rex that causes all types of crazy s**t to happen. Why does everyone have to take a baby dinosaur? Just leave them be.
Suddenly, after the craziness on the island, we end up in San Diego. Were you planning on taking the T-Rex to the San Diego Zoo or something? Have him chilling next to the lions or tigers. I don’t think that would’ve worked. I want to talk about this really quickly because it makes no sense. How the freak did everyone die on the ship. If the T-Rex is in the cargo hold and stuck in the cargo hold, how the hell did people get eaten all over the boat? There was a man’s arm in the ship head, and there is no way a T-Rex could’ve gotten his big ass head in there. Then the whole scene in San Diego was pointless. At least the movie rental scene was fantastic.
The second area that was blah was character development. If you watched the first film, you know and became invested in Ian Malcolm because he is the only one to come back. Yet, he seems a little off the wall in this film. He repeatedly complained because he knew the dangers and didn’t want to go over to the island in the first place. After that, you really don’t care about anybody. It seems like no one cares about the dangers, and they think the dinosaurs are big dogs. Case in point, Sarah. She was a pain in the ass, and annoying thinking nothing would happen. Then there is Ian’s adopted daughter, a spoiled brat, and when shit gets really real, she wants to be on the first boat out. The film was all over the place with the characters. I wanted to know more about the hunter and what he did, but in the end, once he caught his prize, he was out. You never know what happened to the rest of the cast once they were back in San Diego.
Where the movie exceeds is the CGI and showing the dinosaurs. This film went full blast on the CGI and made sure to show all the dinosaurs possible. You got to see a Stegosaurus, Pteranodon, Pachycephalosaurus that just rammed the hell out of a dude, and many others. The animatronics were on par with the first film, especially the baby Stegosaurus. I never have any doubts when Spielberg uses CGI.
Now the action sequences actually made this movie entertaining. When the IGN team arrive at the island, it brought the movie up because we got to see the dinosaurs up close, along with them capturing the creatures. Where the film goes into high gear was when the baby T-Rex needs to be helped. When both parents wreck the truck for their baby, it was heart pounding. Things keep high when everyone needed to find a way off the island. First, one of the T-Rex was on a killing path. When the Velociraptors showed up, you knew everyone was about to die. I love the scene where the humans are running through the tall grass, and the Raptors swarm on them in all directions from behind. It is an amazing dinosaur scene.
Jeff Goldblum took a step back as Ian Malcolm in my eyes. He went from the cool doctor to whining and complaining throughout the whole film. I understand your girl went out to the island, but you could’ve left her ass out there. She is a big girl and if she thinks she cool, let her ass get eaten up by a dinosaur. Julianne Moore, as Dr. Sarah Harding, was also annoying. I know the thrill of seeing a dinosaur must be high, but you don’t need to touch one. You don’t know how they behave at all. YO! This film had a young Vince Vaughn. I completely forgot that he was in this film. The best person was Pete Postlethwaite, as Roland Temb. He knew what was up. He just wanted to capture the T-Rex and be out. I think he was the most level-headed person of them all.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a decent sequel. If you like to see dinosaurs and people getting eaten, then this is the film. The dinosaur scenes are well done, and the action scenes are heart pumping and will keep you entertained. Besides that, the story could’ve been far better and could’ve done without many of the characters. Still watch the original.
