The Lost World: Jurassic Park

The description of the film on the DVD says that the sequel to Jurassic Park features a lot more action and the visual effects are on a higher level. And I can only agree with that. As far as the effects (visual and sound) are concerned, they did not disappoint again and managed to create perfect and believable creatures with all kinds of "voice" expressions, which can be rivalled only by BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs. And it is true that The Lost World is more action-packed, one of the best scenes of the film, for me, was with the tyrannosaurus parents attacking the main characters in the trailer ... and then, of course, the carnage in San Diego. Of the original cast, only Jeff Goldblum shows up again, and he didn't joke as much as he did in the first film. My favorite among the newcomers was Julianne Moore, so I was satisfied. I like the ending in the city, though it also kind of spoils the whole thing for me. The T-Rex belongs in the wilderness, not in the city, that’s for Godzilla or King Kong. On the other hand, like I said, those were some of the most action-packed scenes. All in all, a great sequel to the perfect Jurassic Park, and while it lacks the grandeur and novelty of the first film, it's still a quality spectacle. (08/28/2010)

A blockbuster attraction, where digital effects were meant to play the main role, a breathtaking one at that. However, it was films like this one or Emmerich's Godzilla that made some people squirm and wonder if filmmaking might not also be about adapting to some limits. With them, the crew has to work with some pacing, shooting angles, editing; in short, things that are supposed to convince the viewer that the man in the piece of rubber is supposed to arouse some kind of experience in them. With CGI that can depict everything, you just, uh... depict everything. A tyrannosaurus eats a car on a street full of people? Here you go. A tanker has to drive full speed into a harbor? Here you go, head-on frontal view. Schwarzenegger playing King Lear? No problem. All straight-faced, no hiding, and you kind of watch it and wonder if they were truly serious when they made Jeff Goldblum the main character and gave him a daughter whose only active role in the film is to swing from a pole. (01/13/2022)

Unfortunately, it is nowhere near as harmonious, likeable, and pleasantly adventurous as the first film. Technically, it’s flawless, but that's not enough. Spielberg seems to be floundering and doesn't know where to go, which is a rather shameful deficiency for a director of his caliber. There is an abundance of clichés, and to make matters worse, we have another downpour in key scenes, as if by coincidence. Jeff Goldblum is a fine and sober hero, with a few original lines, but undoubtedly the second greatest beast is the amazing Pete Postlethwaite. There is humour at every turn and sometimes it seems a bit inconsistent in relation to the action on the screen, which the filmmakers obviously didn't worry too much about. Spielberg's most lucrative film, impressive pretty much only thanks to its technical flair and bombast. Unfortunately, these two attributes are so abundant that I cannot rate it higher than 4*. (06/16/2006)

Spielberg does what he can, but even that is too little for the dumbness of the screenplay. The main thing here is a herd of dinosaurs made of ones and zeros. It’s almost as if this picture has nothing else to offer; and, in fact, that’s true. Apart from three memorable scenes and a herd of unlikeable characters whose slow and painful death is your heart’s desire. Which is a bit too little when compared to episode one. And while the part on the island is at least of watchable quality, the pastiche wannabe Godzilla sequence is unbearable; even in spite of the elephant dose of tongue in cheek. (04/30/2005)

It’s necessary to taken into account that Steven Spielberg didn’t want to repeat the first Jurassic Park, but instead wanted to film a signficantly darker subject from Arthur Conan Doyle. The sequel’s 130-minute runtime is densely packed with action and adventure, and serves up a Whopper in the last quarter. And the scene with the truck over the chasm takes my breath away every time. With its technically perfect execution and humor, The Lost World is Hollywood entertainment that won’t insult your intelligence. (11/03/2003)