As a kid things were simple. If I saw dinosaurs I was happy. I may still be twelve in my head, but thirty-eight year old me does know better. So whilst I wouldn’t say I’ve been a defender of The Lost World, I’ve definitely never had an issue with it. I knew it wasn’t as good as the original (nothing is), but in recent years I’ve believed it firmly holds the number two position in my Jurassic rankings. A future piece perhaps.
Recently I’ve watched it again with my daughter (also a big fan of JP), and it got me thinking. She was happy to see dinosaurs! Whilst it’s wonderful to share the experience with her, I couldn’t help but think “hmm, this has problems”.
There are aspects of Spielberg’s sequel that feel well thought-out. But there’s plenty that feels rushed, badly edited, or just non-sensical. Spielberg has been open in how he struggles with sequels; that because the first was a hit, his approach shifts. I appreciate the honesty! But I do wish he’d either not caved to pressure, or only committed if everything else was in place.
More dinosaurs! New dinosaurs! Returning characters! Two T-rexes! Sadly, The Lost World feels less than the sum of it’s parts.
The good bits are great. I love Goldblum, and he does an excellent job as the reluctant hero; the speaker of sense. He knows how this plays out! Then there’s Pete Postlethwaite’s Roland Tembo, who is amazing and needed more screen time. He gets involved, see’s the shit-show for what it is, and peaces out. Two characters showing full awareness of the situation. I also enjoy some of the set pieces, such as the Rex at the campsite and the Raptors in the long grass. Tiger stripe Raptors are so cool, and it’s always awesome to see the creations of Stan Winston’s studio.
Everyone else is either meh, or outright annoying. And by that I mainly mean Sarah Harding, an apparent expert who immediately ignores her own advice and nearly gets killed by some rightly pissed off Stegosaurs. I can understand opposites attracting, but I’m not seeing the relationship here. Malcolm and Sarah are at different stages of their lives, and have very different experiences. It just doesn’t jive as a partnership. More an exasperated parent admonishing his child. Also, justice for Eddie Carr! Such a shame.
Two things I find particularly lacking are links to the events of the previous film, and solid introductions. Watch these deleted scenes…
I understand that the board meeting would slow things down when “we want to get to the dinos”, but it lends far more weight to the situation Malcolm has found himself in. It also makes the villain larger than just Hammond’s nephew. It’s a business. The impact of the original park incident should be not minimised.
The other scene completely negates the questions around Ajay. Namely “who is he” and “why should we care”. It also introduces Tembo’s honour, and really ties into his feelings on the situation later. He’s a hunter, but he has a code.
Essentially, the film focuses on its weaker areas whilst cutting down the good stuff. JP actually had very little dino time. TLW rushes to get to it, but without that same care taken with the characters, even the tertiary ones, we just don’t care the same way. This is extra frustrating with characters like Tembo and Ajay, who clearly could have carried more of the story.
And I haven’t even mentioned San Diego. Moving onto the mainland years before Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, and managing it only marginally better. You could have easily have killed whoever you wanted, and learnt whatever lessons were needed, without leaving Isla Sorna.
Is The Lost World the second best Jurassic film? It has spectacle, decent set pieces, and some great character turns. But it also has gymnasts and stupid decisions and a silly second ending. I’d have to watch Jurassic World again but that second spot is definitely up for grabs now.
Be the first to comment