Review of The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) by Berc — 31 May 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "The Lost World: Jurassic Park":

The Stegosaurus, my favorite dinosaur when growing up, hits the big screen in a believable form with a prominent role early on in the film. In addition, anyone who can make the cute little Compsognathus seem like a credible threat is all right in my book. Another big highlight for me was the presence of Julianne Moore. From the very first time I saw her (in 1993's "Body of Evidence"), she has been one of my favorite actresses. It doesn't matter if it's a classic piece of cinematic gold or a turgid pile of malodorous garbage, Moore always gives her best and seems to genuinely enjoy being a part of the production. The return of Ian Malcolm is another wonderful addition in my eyes. So many people wanted Sam Neill's character to return, but I preferred the neurotic energy and bug-eyed terror Jeff Goldblum managed to imbue into the role.

What I Personally Disliked About "The Lost World: Jurassic Park":

Let's get the biggest of all blunders out of the way, shall we? Moving the action in the finale of the film off of Isla Sorna. Michael Crichton's novel took the right approach by keeping the action squarely located on the island. Seriously, as if escaping the dangerous island wasn't exciting enough? The Tyrannosaurus seems woefully out of place on our mainland and the pacing of the film is completely destroyed once that happens. It merely becomes another monster-delivers-carnage cookie cutter presentation and the entire film suffers for the foolish maneuver. Another thing I absolutely detest is pointless twenty second cameo appearances. Ariana Richards (as Lex Murphy) and Joseph Mazzello (as Tim Murphy) were big parts of the original movie while they are relegated to nothing more than meaningless shadows here. They're not here for comic relief. They're not here to deliver crucial information. They're utterly pointless and that's an insult to fans of the first movie. I can understand bringing Richard Attenborough's John Hammond back as it furthers the plot of the film, but his grandchildren should have been left behind where they belonged. Last on the list in the major complaints department is the direction of Steven Spielberg. It simply seems derivative of the effort he turned in for the first film. Over the course of the "Indiana Jones" series, he bestowed each entrant with a slightly different personality while retaining the overall tone of the franchise. Here, he seems to be cruising on autopilot and has no personal investment whatsoever with the telling of the tale.

My Overall Impression of "The Lost World: Jurassic Park":

This is a case of the bad elements outweighing the good elements. It might be a passable time waster, but it's certainly below the average mark Spielberg usually sets for his blockbusters. The original was a classic that could withstand multiple viewings, however I found it hard to sit through this lackluster sequel.