MovieChat Forums > The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) Discussion > The most fun in the franchise...

The most fun in the franchise...

posted 9 years ago by ActionJunkie007
12 replies | jump to latest

...maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's because I live in San Diego and my theater experience was downtown, about a few blocks away from where the T-rex was supposedly at. Add that Im a huge fan of the original and Spielberg and I feel The Lost World hit the exact notes in needed to at the time.

Spielberg really wanted to deliver to those like me that wanted ALOT more dino action. I will forever love the original but it takes forever to even see a dinosaur, and we have a few sequences here and there with one or two threats. Lost World was able to take us to an island without fences where anyone on the ground could encounter any kind of dinosaur! It was the best way to go and has some fantastic action sequences because of it!

Also, I felt it a fitting continuation. The park/company is taken away from Hammond, and his nephew believes the issue with the park was about location! So he plans to bring the dinos to the mainland?? I could see some corporate tool douchebag thinking it to be a great idea!

The film has a lot of fun with it's characters and I really enjoyed Ian being the main guy this time around! Goldblum is hilarious and makes it a breeze to sit through! Spielberg's direction, the score, and the overall tone just make this one ridiculously entertaining, and it's a film I actually like to re-visit the most!

TLW, IMO, deserves a lot more credit, especially since we are still having Jurassic Park movies because it kept the franchise going! What say you??

Who's strangling the cat?

[–] Electrical1 9 years ago

It's the most boring of the franchise. Goldblum was a poor lead, he worked better as a quirky supporting character in short bursts, the kid was annoying and that gymnastic kick on the Raptor was laughably bad, the villains were dull, and the other characters were either boring or unlikable, sometimes both. The last act is stupid as hell and further hurts the already flat pacing. The only positives are the FX, and the long grass scene where the Raptors were picking everyone off from no where.

[–] ActionJunkie007 8 years ago

Goldblum was a poor lead

I disagree, I feel he livened up things and had some of the best dialog. Cheesetastic dialog at that!

the kid was annoying

I do agree with this one and I feel like she was almost tacked on at the end for no reason.

the villains were dull

I enjoyed the dynamic and the dinosaur capturing scene is still exciting and fun to watch.

The last act is stupid as hell

I have to disagree, as I feel it only benefits the overall story arc of Hammond and his Nephew. I mean, hey, the park was xxxx miles away and didn't work, so let's bring them to the mainland! We can make it work! Greedy corporations do stuff like that all the time, and it was a nice added layer.

Who's strangling the cat?

[–] actionviolenceman 8 years ago

I pretty much agree. Pete Postlethwaite's character hearkened back to Robert Shaw in the Jawster and was a blast to watch.

What made me buy it as a plausible continuation so well is the excellent scene where Malcolm and Hammond's nephew "argue" in the hallway about the moral ambiguity of the aftermath of the events of the first film. The dialogue and the way the camera stays back from Malcolm but is right in the nephew's face has Steven's signature all over it.

Mediocre Spielberg is still 10 times better than 90% of movies.

[–] benman46 8 years ago

I felt it was a step down from the original. It was a case of too much too soon. The reason the first JP worked so well and even more so in the case of Jaws, is that you don't see the dinos or shark until late in the proceedings, it's a sure way of upping the tension and the fear of the unseen. The series was bought back on track with JP3, a much better film. Then ruined catastrophically by the dire Jurassic World, with more dinosaurs than you can shake a stick at. I thought the San Diego section was a mistake as it was too reminiscent of King Kong. Average Spielberg but still a lot better than many other films.

[–] ActionJunkie007 8 years ago

The reason the first JP worked so well and even more so in the case of Jaws, is that you don't see the dinos or shark until late in the proceedings, it's a sure way of upping the tension and the fear of the unseen

This is the benefit most "firsts" in a franchise get to start off with. JP series isn't the only one that starts of a bit more in the "horror" aspect and by film 2, it becomes more about the "action/adventure" aspect. The Purge series is a great example of this too, as the first is pretty much a straight up horror film, and Anarchy, it's all out action mixed with some political satire. While I agree that JP3 brings the horror aspect back, I don't think JP2 should be judged simply because it decided to go a different way.

The film is all about protecting the dinos and letting them flourish without human interference, so it's a bit understandable why Spielberg would want to show as many dinos as possible with the "horror" scenes being what the humans are doing to them. Ya know?

Who's strangling the cat?

[–] benman46 8 years ago

Actually Spielberg himself has said that there aren't that many more dinosaurs in the this film than in the first. Actually most of the "horror" scenes are still what the dinos can do to humans. I didn't judge the film because it went a different way, it just wasn't that good. The ending was a mistake. JP3 was actually much better. On the other hand Jurassic World........

[–] ActionJunkie007 8 years ago

Actually most of the "horror" scenes are still what the dinos can do to humans.

But why though? The first film, every act of horror is because dinosaurs are deadly creatures that we don't know what they are going to do. In the second film, almost every act of violence is more about what the humans did to the dinos first. (Took the baby trex, pumped the trex full of adrenaline, Zapped the poor lil curious chompy, etc)

I didn't judge the film because it went a different way

I didn't say you did, was just making a general statement but from what you appear to like about JP and JP3, that might subconsciously play a role in your enjoyment factor. Clearly you dig the horror aspect and I can respect that. JP will always be my all time favorite because it is the best balance between action and horror. The later sequels all tipped the scales one way or another IMO.

Who's strangling the cat?

[–] benman46 8 years ago

I based my opinion solely because I didn't think it was as good as the first. A generally run of the mill sequel. As for horror, those sequences weren't really horror, as I've come to know the subject. The film was granted a PG certificate after all

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

"JP will always be my all time favorite because it is the best balance between action and horror."

Don't forget the bits of well-placed comedy. My favorite was when Goldblum was in the back of the jeep while T-rex was chasing them, cut to shot of rearview mirror with "object may appear to be closer than they are" printed on the bottom.

[–] foxhound-37781 8 years ago

When you look at The Lost World in retrospect it is quite an average sequel because it hardly follows the book at all... The action sequences are fun as hell though I must admit I absolutely love all the T-Rex scenes and we see alot of new species that aren't in the original. The Lost World for me is kind of like a release valve... All the action that couldn't be put in the first film was put into this one.

[–] ActionJunkie007 8 years ago

The Lost World for me is kind of like a release valve... All the action that couldn't be put in the first film was put into this one.

That's exactly how I see it too! Spielberg clearly wanted this one to be all about the action and it really delivers some great sequences!

Who's strangling the cat?

[–] paulkersey-31019 8 years ago

I'm always shocked when pple trash and\or prefer the third to this. This film is similar to the first in that it has suspense, good plot and decent writing unlike most would argue. Wen the third is quite literally a far more obvious cash grab schlock monster movie. For this movies faults they are far outweighed for me while third can make no such claim.