Solid Entertainment Despite not Matching the Original

Rating: 7/10 (2 November 2008)

With the serious inflation of movie ticket prices this decade, it can be easy to lose historical perspective on the popularity of older movies. "Jurassic Park" shattered the box-office money record by over 150 million dollars. It has since been passed nine times, but truly was one of the great cinematic events in history. Director Steven Spielberg's movie employed more realistic and intricate animatronics than any previously seen. Its Computer Generated Images (CGI) revolutionized special effects. The T-1000 from the second Terminator film had been the crowing achievement in visual effects to that point; "Jurassic Park" showed humans and technological illusions interacting in ways far exceeding anything that came before. If it were released as is, those images might earn Oscar Nominations today. A sequel to such a groundbreaking and competently made film comes with titanic expectations. When "The Lost World" is judged by its own merits, a lot of good comes to the surface. It does not match its predecessor, nor does it need to for satisfying entertainment.
Sam Neill and Laura Dern do not return for the sequel. Thankfully, Jeff Goldblum does. Golblum's Dr. Malcolm lightened "Jurassic Park" with his pithy summaries of the various situations. Some were sarcastic; others told the truth in an amusing way. Goldblum knows the correct approach for a man completely unaware the humor inherent in his words. The sequel misses the characters who do not return, but Malcolm is indispensable. "Jurassic Park 3" proves how mundane Neill's Dr. Grant is without Goldblum around.
Richard Attenborough is the only other actor to return. Again he plays John Hammond, the mastermind behind the dinosaur amusement park. Attenborough has the same exuberance and ready smile as before. He is more reserved since Hammond is older and not as healthy. He was 73 when the movie was filmed, but his performance makes Hammond seem ten years younger.
Hammond grew Jurassic Park's dinosaurs on another island. One day, a wealthy couple stops on the island and some small dinosaurs injure their daughter (Camilla Belle, who has had some lead roles since). Hammond's nephew Peter (Arliss Howard) uses the incident to dissolve his uncle's power. Hammond knows that Peter will "pillage" the park, so he summons Malcolm to request his presence on an observation team. Ian bluntly refuses, but a new development changes his mind. Meanwhile, Peter prepares his own team for a trip with less noble aims.
Since all but three characters know what creatures are on the island, the wonder and amazement factor is mostly absent. Instead, the movie generates pathos for the dinosaurs. A cruel hunter (Pete Postlethwaite) breaks an infant T-Rex' leg and ties him to the ground. The animal's wails of pain and cries for his parents tug on the heartstrings of anybody who has a four-legged pet. The movie includes an extended scene of people mistreating frightened animals who wish them no harm. Even Dr. Malcolm, who plans to kill any dinosaur at the first sign of trouble, has moral issues with that behavior. When two other members of the observation team (Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn) make a critical error, the situation becomes far more dangerous.
I will not comment on the ending except to say that it is a puzzling decision by the writers. It left many people scratching their heads. "The Lost World" did not approach the box office total of its predecessor as sequels to popular movies typically do. The final half hour may have generated some poor word of mouth or discouraged repeat business. In any case, it is unnecessary.
It would have been better to prolong the main portion, which contains more carnage than the first movie. The two best scenes are the "cliffhanger" problem and the final confrontation with the raptors. The quality of the raptor scene meets Steven Spielberg standards. It is the cliffhanger, however, that equals anything the first movie offers. Young directors should observe how Spielberg films them. He uses many extended shots to best demonstrate the relative locations and actions of the characters. He prefers long, moving shots to quick editing. Goldblum provides the lightness with his comments. He has the most fun during Malcolm's radio conversation with an unpleasant lady. Spielberg and Goldblum elevate a movie that could have been a major disappointment. With them, "The Lost World" earns seven marks from a possible ten. Without them, it would be a disaster.