Uncovering the Underrated Brilliance of ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’

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Being a die-hard enthusiast of the Jurassic Park saga since its inception, I firmly believe that “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” stands out as one of the series’ finest entries and yet, it often gets overlooked. Growing up, dinosaurs fascinated me, and that fascination hasn’t waned over time. Given my background, it’s no surprise that I was a prime candidate for the Jurassic Park films from their very beginning. It brings me immense pleasure to witness the franchise thriving in the 21st century with the Jurassic World movies, and watching children experience the thrill of dinosaurs and the series, just as I did back then. However, the controversial reputation that “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” from 1997 has always left me puzzled.

In Michael Crichton’s 1995 novel “The Lost World”, the film tells the story of Dr. Ian Malcolm (played by Jeff Goldblum) who is leading an expedition to a place called InGen’s “Site B”, on Isla Sorna. This island is where InGen, a company that creates dinosaurs through cloning, has its factory. Even without the safety measure known as the Lysine contingency, the dinosaur population continues to thrive on this island. Dr. Malcolm and his team are sent by John Hammond (Sir Richard Attenborough) with the mission to take pictures of dinosaurs on Isla Sorna to declare it a biological preserve and stop InGen from transporting these dinosaurs to San Diego for the creation of a new Jurassic Park. The film “The Lost World” remains divisive among fans due to its darker tone compared to the first movie, but this change, along with other factors, is why I believe it deserves a second look and re-evaluation.

The Lost World Ramps Up The Scope of Its Predecessor (& Has Way More Dinosaurs)

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In contrast to how the shark was kept hidden in Jaws, Steven Spielberg strategically delayed the appearance of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. This meant that the first sighting of the Brachiosaurus made a significant impact when the tour group encountered it. The iconic T-Rex escape scene and even the Velociraptors were not fully revealed until later in the movie, specifically during the third act. Overall, Jurassic Park had fewer on-screen dinosaurs compared to subsequent movies in the franchise, such as The Lost World, where there was an abundance of dinosaur scenes.

In “Jurassic Park,” Spielberg aimed to provide an abundance of dinosaur action, given that it was the box office leader at the time. As soon as humans arrive on Isla Sorna, dinosaurs appear swiftly on screen, and the film takes pains to greatly increase its dinosaur lineup. The familiar characters from “Jurassic Park,” such as the T-Rex and Velociraptors, make a return, but “The Lost World” introduces several new species of carnivores and herbivores, including the Stegosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus with its hammer-like head, and the seemingly harmless Compys, or Compsognathus. In terms of dinosaur quantity and their impact on the film’s narrative, “The Lost World” exemplifies a sequel that enhances and broadens the scope of its predecessor in every possible way.

The Lost World is The First Attempt to Make Dinosaurs Into Characters

The Jurassic World films, particularly, have gained recognition for the unique bond between Owen Grady (played by Chris Pratt) and his intelligent Velociraptor, Blue. This bond presents Blue not as a typical prehistoric monster, but as a dinosaur character with a distinct personality that audiences can relate to. Interestingly, it was “The Lost World” that pioneered this approach of turning the Jurassic franchise’s dinosaurs into fully-fledged characters. This is evident in the film’s T-Rex family, where the young T-Rex evokes empathy from viewers due to its portrayed pain and repeated captures. In contrast, its parents are depicted differently compared to the T-Rex seen in “Jurassic Park”. As Eddie Carr (played by Richard Schiff) puts it, they’re simply safeguarding their offspring.

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Indeed, in “The Lost World,” T-Rexes continue to play the role of the primary dinosaur adversaries. However, they become involved in the story only after their young is abducted by Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite) for a trap meant for the adult T-Rex. The attempts by Nick Van Owen (Vince Vaughn) and Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) to mend the infant’s fractured limb inadvertently lead the T-Rexes to misinterpret their actions, causing them to chase humans relentlessly throughout the film. Yet, this pursuit is more about protective parental instincts than typical dinosaur predators hunting for a meal.

The storyline involving the T-Rex family mirrors that of Roland Tembo, as he is brought along by InGen as their guide and hunting expert. Just like the T-Rex, Tembo harbors a deep desire to hunt a male T-Rex, viewing it as the pinnacle of his profession. However, after successfully tranquilizing the male T-Rex, he finds himself disillusioned with his quest following the death of his friend Ajay Sidhu at the hands of Velociraptors.

As a child, I viewed The Lost World as essentially three Jurassic Park stories in one: The primary tale centers on Ian Malcolm and his colleagues trying to thwart InGen’s plans, while another story follows a T-Rex couple protecting their newborn offspring. Lastly, there is the tragic saga of a hunter on an obsessive quest for a T-Rex head who eventually comes to terms with the fact that he has spent too much time in the presence of death.

Ultimately, The Lost World portrays the T-Rex clan as unlikely heroes, displaying parental instincts as they safeguard their young one despite being ferocious predators. When the lead T-Rex attacks Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), it’s clear that these dinosaur parents have embarked on a journey to protect and nurture their offspring. By the end, the heartwarming scene of the T-Rex family reuniting on Isla Sorna is the most genuine emotional moment for these creatures in the series, paving the way for dinosaurs to evolve into complex characters such as the Velociraptor family guarding their eggs in Jurassic Park III and the lovable Blue from Jurassic World.

The Lost World Is The Closest Thing We Have To An R-Rated Jurassic Park

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From my childhood fascination with dinosaurs, particularly the Jurassic Park series, I’ve often pondered (and I bet many others have too) what a Jurassic Park film would be like if it truly discarded its established role as a family-friendly, PG-13 blockbuster. In other words, imagine a movie that dared to earn an R-rating by shedding the series’ commitment to appeal to all audiences.

It’s clear that a major studio like Universal Pictures financing the project has made it highly improbable for an R-rated dinosaur movie to be anything less than what I’d expect, given a budget and special effects on par with Jurassic Park. While the Roger Corman-produced Carnosaur series successfully capture the R-rating, their low-budget dinosaur effects fall short of meeting the standard for an R-rated dinosaur movie. It appears that Steven Spielberg may have had similar thoughts, considering his emphasis on a PG-13 rating in The Lost World.

In contrast to the thrilling dinosaur action consistently found within the Jurassic Park series, The Lost World stands out for its grittier atmosphere and graphic content. Considered from a broader perspective of the Jurassic Park franchise, The Lost World can be described as a nearly R-rated dinosaur expedition. I recall being taken aback by scenes such as Eddie Carr being torn apart by T-Rex parents, or Carter (Thomas Rosales Jr.) being tragically crushed and carried off like a squashed insect by the vengeful male T-Rex. Furthermore, the sight of the male T-Rex consuming a family pet during its rampage in San Diego was both shocking and heartbreaking for any animal lover, to the point where I might have been tempted to call John Wick if his services were available then.

In “The Lost World”, Spielberg takes dinosaur terror to a new level, with even less gory deaths being filled with blood and dinosaur horror. The fear factor is significantly amplified compared to Jurassic Park, as the dinosaurs are made truly terrifying. Scenes such as the T-Rex chasing humans behind a waterfall or Velociraptors snatching InGen workers under long grass create an atmosphere reminiscent of a Predator movie. The male T-Rex’s attack on San Diego is particularly noteworthy, featuring a cameo by screenwriter David Koepp as a terrified man who is snatched and screams for his life before being devoured by the T-Rex.

In “Jurassic Park,” Steven Spielberg skillfully depicts dinosaurs as fearsome cinematic beasts, pushing the terror factor to unprecedented levels. I’ve long felt that Spielberg aimed to push the boundaries of what Universal Pictures would allow, making Jurassic Park as close to an R-rating as possible. This intense approach is a direction the franchise has seldom explored since then.

Among the Jurassic Park series, “The Lost World” stands out as a film that has sparked much debate due to its more somber atmosphere. Personally, this is what I’ve found compelling about it. The Jurassic Park franchise embodies the thrilling essence of an Indiana Jones adventure, and Universal Pictures aimed to make it appealing to a broad audience. In “The Lost World,” Spielberg chose to venture beyond the usual boundaries, infusing a significantly darker tone that approached the boundary of an R-rated film, while still preserving the series’ adventurous spirit and enhancing the dinosaurs’ presence, variety, and character development. To me, this makes “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” the most underappreciated Jurassic Park movie.

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2025-02-01 19:10