The Lost World

With the enormous sucess of "Jurassic Park", it was basically set in stone that a sequel was soon to follow. Based LOOSELY from Michael C.'s second book, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" takes place 4 years after the events in JP1. Unfortunately, this installment of JP is far too convulted and boring to have the classic effect that the original film did.

In "The Lost World", 4 years have passed since the disaster at Jurassic Park. On a nearby island, dinosaurs have secretly been bread and allowed to roam free in their own, self created habitat. Unfortunately a group of hunters want to capture the dinos and bring them back to the mainland. The group of hunters are the renegade group from InGen Company (John Hammonds (Jurassic Park creator) group). John has lost control of his company, and wants a chance to redeem himself from his previous mistakes with tehe park. So, he sends a team of explorers led by Ian Malcolm of JP1 to reach the island before the mercenary team gets there.

This film is to the Jurassic Park franchise, what "Phantom Menace" was to Star Wars....terribly average. The first JP took time to explain in detail characters and plot, and then laced us with some of the most frigtening scenes in cinematic history. Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp promised they wouldn't make the same mistake (I didn't feel it was a mistake) they did last time, when a long chunk of exposition preceded the real action. Unfortunately, they do the EXACT same thing here. Instead, they don't use an entire hour to explain everything...they use 30 minutes. Which would be fine and dandy if the time used for Exposition actually explained and fleshed out characters. Instead, the entire first half hour/hour just re-introduces us to the only bright spot in this film (Malcom from JP1 played by Jeff Goldblum), and then throws in 4 more team members PLUS a good 20 man team of dino hunters. None of which have any premise other than to increase the number of people available to kill.

The whole premise of "By the way..we had another island with dinos all along" is a little too weak for me. This could have been hinted at in the original, but instead it seems like they just reached into their crevices of their ass and pulled out this "wonderful" idea. Like JP 1, this film has yet another annoying ass f'n kid in it. But unlike the kids in the first one...this one is just plain untolerable. She should be shot in the head the second she jumps her ass onto the screen.

Fortunately, the film does pick up after about an hour in. I personally feel that the beginning of this film is not good enough to sit through many times to get to the action pay off at the end...but if you have the patience. "The Lost World" actually becomes a pretty decent film. The sight of two T-rex's reaking havoc for their child is simply breathtaking...it would be even better if you gave a damn about any of the characters. The whole concept of the hunters is lame, and whoever thought it would be cool for one of the T-rex's to go "Godzilla" on American soil needs to be executed....twice.

To tell you how much "The Lost World" means to me, listen up. I watched this film ONCE in the theatre, and until this review...never watched it again. Its not a horrible film, but it is certainly not on the same pedestal of its predecessor. In fact, I find it quite hard to sit through. Its a very good thing that the third one is being directed by someone different, as reaction shot upon reaction shot is only watchable the first few hundred times. Perhaps there can be some new life and energy put back into this franchise that still has so much to offer.

Oh, and a word to the wise. Anyone who sees a baby T-rex with a broken leg...leave that fucker there!!!!
Rating: out of four.

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