A sequel easily dismissed, but worth reevaluation.

Rating: 7/10 (2 April 2009)

Nine times out of ten, a bad Spielberg film is usually better than most. This film has a bad reputation and is usually dismissed as a less than perfect sequel, but it deserves another look, if only to show how good it really is. Sure, there are plot holes and some bad choices, but those shouldn't tarnish the overall film.
So what's the good? The dialogue for one thing is well written and well delivered. Early exchanges between field equipment expert Eddie and lead Ian Malcolm are snappy and amusing ("violence and technology - not good bedfellows!" "I would have squeezed a little tighter..."), while Pete Postlethwaite's character is magnificently arrogant and snide. Even Vince Vaughan, deprived of his usual schtick, is not given short thrift. Part of Spielberg's genius is his eye for situational character beats and his way of dealing with actors. If you notice, almost none of his films short change the characters. Hook, for example, is strongest in it's first half hour, in which we witness Banning's family problems and inability to let go of his work. Notice also Poltergeist. If anyone had any doubts as to the answer to the question of who really directed that film, compare the family scenes with Close Encounters or Jaws. Here too, Spielberg shoe horns in those moments.
Aside from the actors, the dinos are still breathtaking four years on. Why are these creatures so awesome and more recent CGI (including Spielberg's own War of the Worlds and Indy 4) are so underwhelming? The action sequences still have the punch of the original: Sarah Harding desperately trying not to move on the cracking glass that is the only thing between her and the abyss below. The velociraptor attack. The T-Rex sniffing out our heroes behind a waterfall. All wonderfully crafted sequences. Now have a look at Jurassic Park 3 and see the difference. An entertaining film, sure, but lacking the sheen and quality of a Spielberg film.
While the missing Raptor sequence that explains the deaths on the boat near the end provides the film's biggest plot hole and the King Kong homage is a little too much, the film still doesn't lose it's sense of excitement and fun, driving it to a rousing finale.
Like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (which is much maligned, but I think it's the second best of the series) The Lost World is frequently dismissed, but to my mind worthy of another go.