Oh What Could Have Been

Rating: 4/10 (6 June 2016)

You will struggle to find a film that is more synonymous with what could have been than The Lost World. The original Jurassic Park was a massive success which prompted Michael Crichton to write a sequel (even if little of the novel is used here). Spielberg was back on board, much of the same technical team was back and a host of talented actors filled the cast. Even with all of that the film is nowhere near as good as it should have been, yet it's not the disaster many make it out to be. The film looks too good, the music too immersive and the supporting cast too solid for it to be a failure. It is simply too well made for that. Instead we're left with a film that happens to be a bizarre mixture, brilliant on a technical level but infuriating on a writing one.
The biggest issue lies with the main characters. Jeff Goldblum as edgy mathematician Ian Malcolm was a fan favourite from the first film, so making him the lead makes sense from a logical point but it simply doesn't work. Malcolm was at his best commenting on the situation and interjecting pieces of humour, but once you have him as the main character you lose all of that. His edginess is awkward, his humour wears thin quick and he becomes irritating. Goldblum looks bored throughout and his habit of whispering important lines is maddening. Julianne Moore (who is usually solid) looks lost here, though it's hard to fault her as Sarah Harding is just a typically plucky scientist. I don't think Vince Vaughn is funny, but going by this film he needs to steer clear of anything resembling drama. The film actually managed to make me miss Sam Neill.
I like the way in which the story builds and I also like the way all of the characters are involved. Even the idea for there to be a Site B fits the plot fine. Yet the more things move along, the more inflexible and confused the film seems to get. Characters do things that are downright foolish (Harding not getting rid of her shirt soaked with T-Rex blood) or events happen just so a dinosaur can go on a rampage. All taking place while Goldblum delivers some painful lines. I don't even want to begin to discuss Malcolm's daughter defeating a Velociraptor with a gymnast move, it really is that absurd. And yes Malcolm's daughter Kelly sneaks on to the island, playing a mildly important role. Luckily she isn't needlessly taking over scenes and as a result doesn't become as annoying as her father.
The dinosaurs look just as good as before, impressive considering we see much more of them than we did in the original film. The blend of the humans and dinosaurs is seamless, with the hunting scene presenting this the best. Seeing the hunters tussling with the dinosaurs just looks wonderful, holding up perfectly. The lead hunter Roland Tembo is played by Pete Postlethwaite in what is superb casting. Postlethwaite is the type of actor who could make the phonebook sound interesting and he's gripping every time he's on screen. Similarly is Arliss Howard as the slimy businessman Ludlow who is the closest thing to a villain. In a very different role than we're used to seeing him in, Howard manages to make a person you enjoy hating. John Williams' score carries the same feel as the original film and fits the scenery well. His sound fits Spielberg's work so well that by this point it would just feel wrong to not have his music here.
There were countless images that impressed me from a visual viewpoint. There are plenty of uses of blue filter and silhouette throughout that really add atmosphere to the film, whilst Spielberg's use of spotlights continues in the same vein. The action sequences are very elaborate both in scope and scale. Yet you do have to question the 'point' of this action however. Both the trailer hanging off the side of the cliff and the T-Rex's climatic rampage through San Diego are visually impressive as well as entertaining, but they don't lead to anything or add to the characters. It is like they're there simply because an action sequence was needed and that doesn't fit this type of film. The editing is troublesome too. Certain scenes will end too quickly or before anything was properly developed. The slow zoom doesn't create tension if it's not used right. I agree that the film is darker than the original, but I certainly would have enjoyed it to go further and cut out some of the sillier moments.
Once we get our coda in San Diego the film ends on something of a jovial note. I cannot deny that it is a frequently entertaining film, but it is also one that is unsatisfying because you know that something really good could have come out of this. It almost feels like for every step forward the film made, it took one back. I'm not sure what the answer would have been. Certainly having Ian Malcolm (with an irritating Goldblum) lead was a terrible decision, but the potential was still here in for something special and the pieces were in place even if the right script wasn't. You can kind of tell Spielberg's heart wasn't fully in this one and that he probably did it because of the demand, the majority of his technical expertise is on display but the film lacks the heart and energy that we are used to seeing him deliver.