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-organized film that lacks story and logic. Screenwrit... more »er 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« less
Solid follow-up with many of the same actors from the first. A must watch if you are a Jurassic fan!
Movie Reviews
Sound vs Extras
philibs | Argentina | 06/22/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just when you'd think that scientists had realized dinosaurs and humans don't mix, along comes The Lost World: Jurassic Park to prove you wrong. In this sequel, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) summons chaos theorist and onetime colleague Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to his home with some startling information - while nearly everything at his Jurassic Park had been destroyed, his engineers happened to have a second site, where other dinosaurs, resurrected through DNA cloning technology, were kept in hiding. It seems the dinosaurs on the second island are alive and well and even breeding; and Hammond wants Malcolm to observe and document the reptiles before Hammond's financiers can get to them. Malcolm had enough of the dinosaurs the first time out, but he decides to make the trip when he finds out that his girlfriend, paleontologist Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore), is already there. However, Ian and Sarah aren't the only visitors arriving on the island; a camera crew led by ecological activist Nick Van Owen (Vince Vaughn) is on the way, as is Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite), a world-class wild game hunter who is supposed to round up the dinosaurs and who hopes to bag a prehistoric trophy for himself in the process. This sequel to Jurassic Park boasted even more impressive special effects than the first film, though the acting and screenplay aren't always at the same level.This DTS version has less extras (Deleted Scenes, Illustrations and Conceptual drawings, Storyboards, Models, The World of Jurassic Park, Industrial Light and Magic), but the sound is sure going to compensate that. The French Surround is not available too. Thats why it is on you to decide whats more valuable."
Not as good as the first, but still a lot of fun. . .
John A. Kuczma | Marietta, GA USA | 12/09/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Lost World - Jurassic Park has gotten a lot of criticism since its release. Much of it is justified, but equally as much is based on a very unfair comparison to the blockbuster original. Only a handful of movies can justifiably claim the title of "classic", and none that I know of are sequels.The biggest problem for The Lost World is that it is impossible to recreate the sense of awe and wonder that was inspired by Jurassic Park's groundbreaking effects work. Instead, too much emphasis was placed on the savagery of the carnivorous dinosaurs and the incredible stupidity of the humans invading their territory.However, it must be pointed out that the T-Rex's, raptors and other sauripods in this film are equally as impressive as they were in Jurassic Park. There are some very good, shuddery action sequences. When the location shifts to San Diego, there is a good deal of very legitimate comedy. The total absurdity of an Animal Control truck's headlong response to a rampaging Tyrannosaur could only be countered by its equally headlong departure from the area.No, The Lost World is not as good as Jurassic Park. Yes, it's a little too violent and yes, Jeff Goldblum's moralizing gets to be just about sickening. But for all of these minor distractions, this is a very entertaining movie that is well worth your investment of viewing time and maybe a few dollars. And after all, this time the critters win!"
Okay, but........
09/08/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I see reviews here that give this film one star, and in a way, it does deserve just that. However, there are certain parts that must make you think this movie is better than most people say it is. For one, the special effects are better than the original, and the way the film is shot makes them seem much more realistic. However, great special effects are no match for a good story.Jurassic Park, the original, had a wonderful plot. Two dinosaur experts visit a park, not knowing what to expect. And the scary part is this....something like that could actually happen. Now, tell me this....why would Dr. Malcolm, Jeff Goldblum, go back to an island just to save his girlfriend? Yeah, he loves her and all, but I'm pretty sure that Mr. Hammond could get her back safely without making him go all the way there. Also, there are several inconsistantcies in the film. Look at the original: There's a raptor expert with a gun hunting down what he knows best. What happens? He gets killed. Now look at JP2: A young girl that knows nothing about the animals, and might I add that she doesn't have a gun, takes out three of them using gymnastics. Maybe is she was Jackie Chan......I'm not gonna even get into that.Jurassic Park 2 needed to have a plot that would make you think, "Oh yeah, that could happen." Not, "They must want pictures of those cute, innocent dinosaurs!" And they all know that they're dangerous, but yet, they want the pictures. I'd be like, "Forget that! I can live without 'em!" Spielberg, in my opinion, is the greatest director of all time. He scored big with the original, Saving Private Ryan, Jaws, and several others...but when it comes to JP2, it just didn't work out. I prey that Jurassic Park 3 will be something worth the money I'm paying, not a plot where the film doesn't develope right, so they go back to get more pictures! (I only hope they don't read that and go, "Great idea.") If you liked Jurassic Park, you'll be disappointed with its sequel. But if you really loved Godzilla, and you thought that was the best movie ever, you might like this one. But go ahead and see it anyway.....some of the action scenes may be funnier than a comedy....."
Evidence against the need for sequels
John A. Kuczma | 08/02/2001
(1 out of 5 stars)
"OK, everyone's mentioned how wonderful and truly groundbreaking Jurassic Park is and I agree. But this movie was horrible. Julianne Moore needs to stop taking roles in sequels (hannibal) Anyway, I would have given this movie 3 stars but it lost one star because scenes were ridiculously long and the scene where the Malcolm's daughter does her olympic bar routine to fight the dinosaur--talk about corny."
"Nothing" has survived from the novel by Michael Crichton.
Fabio Ornelas | Brazil | 11/29/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I don't know why The Lost World producers insist in telling that this motion picture is based on the novel by Michael Crichton if almost nothing has survived from his remarkable story in this motion picture. "If I hadn't found a story I was interested in, Jurassic Park would have remained just a nice memory for me," says Steven Spielberg. However, the bestseller novel The Lost World, by Michael Crichton, which is really a great story and the perfect sequel to Jurassic Park, seems to be "ignored" by this motion picture producers and the cinematographic adaptation of the original story became a running and screaming breathtaking adventure with amazing visual and sound effects, and an spectacular soundtrack, but with a little convincing story, completely different from the proposal of Michael Crichton for The Lost World, disappointing everybody who had read his novel. A lost story concerning a Lost World!"