The Lost World: Jurassic Park

In "Jurassic Park," there are things that bother me, but I overlook them because the film is visually stunning. In "The Lost World," there are so many mistakes, plot holes, logical absurdities, and scenes just for the sake of effects that they cannot be overlooked anymore. It's a bad story with a crazy ending that should be cut out entirely. The film should be an hour and a half, end on the island, and that would be enough. This wannabe King Kong ending is a flop. (04/11/2015)

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)

The original Jurassic Park has matured into an absolute classic and even the sequel that I originally hated eventually blossomed into a tolerable adventure. Although I still dislike all the selfish-military actions and the final party with Godzilla bothers me greatly, the pleasant, nature-loving message stands out even more. I have finally made peace with The Lost World, but I could easily do without its existence. (07/02/2005)

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. (11/02/2003)

Sure, the magic of the first Jurassic Park is missing here, but it's important to remember that this is a completely different film. Thriller-ish, darker, blacker, even slightly self-parodic towards the end. But all the time it's a typically playful Spielberg movie, which I finish watching every time, wherever and whenever I see it. (09/19/2007)