One of Spielberg's few disappointments...

Rating: 7/10 (31 August 2001)

First off, I loved Jurassic Park, as well as most Spielberg films, but felt that The Lost World should never have been made. Jurassic Park (both the book and the movie) are instant classics, whereas The Lost World (both the book and the movie) look to be quick cash-in rush jobs. Did Spielberg have to fulfill his commitment to Universal before he could focus his attention to Amistad, his feature directing debut for his own studio, DreamWorks? I don't know, but the resulting Jurassic Park sequel doesn't have any of the classic "Spielberg touches" to it.
The Lost World is a mish-mash of scenes thrown together without much coherent sense. The boring scenes were to long (most of the beginning), and the scenes that were exciting were cut way to short (the raptor attack in the brush would've been great if it was extended a few minute longer). And lets not get into the whole mainland sequences because those just made me wince. (The Godzilla homages, for example, border on camp.)
Spielberg has said that he made The Lost World for all the millions who wanted a second E.T., but never got it (he swore he'd never do a sequel). I for one wish that he'd made that promise with Jurassic Park because the "what if" of a sequel that is never produced is a far greater allure than an inferior one that is.
My grade: C