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"THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK"
(1997) (Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Minor Moderate Mild Extreme Mild
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor Mild Extreme None Mild
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
None Minor Minor Mild Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Action/Adventure: A group of people must survive on an island filled with genetically created dinosaurs.
PLOT:
Summoned to tycoon John Hammond's (RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH) home, mathematician and Jurassic Park survivor, Ian Malcolm (JEFF GOLDBLUM), discovers that another island full of genetically engineered dinosaurs exists. Furthermore, Ian learns that Hammond's nephew, Peter Ludlow (ARLISS HOWARD), has taken over InGen, Hammond's company, and plans to export the dinosaurs back to the mainland. Worse yet, he learns that his girlfriend, paleontologist Sarah Harding (JULIANNE MOORE), is already on the island studying the creatures. Reluctant to go if not for his girlfriend, Ian heads to the island with technician Eddie Carr (RICHARD SCHIFF) and photographer Nick Van Owen (VINCE VAUGHN). Little does he know that his daughter, Kelly (VANESSA LEE CHESTER) has come along, or that Ludlow's crew, headed by big game hunter, Roland Tembo (PETE POSTLETHWAITE), is also on their way to collect the dinosaurs. Arriving on the island, they find it to be rather peaceful, until a set of Tyrannosaurus Rex parents get mad at the group for interacting with their newborn. From that point on, the two crews must deal with avoiding the T-Rex's, the other hostile dinosaurs on the island, and later, a T-Rex that's on the loose in San Diego.
WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Nearly every child old enough to know what this is about will probably want to see this film.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
The reason was not available as of this review's posting, but we'd guess it was for intense, frightening dinosaur attack scenes.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JEFF GOLDBLUM plays a man who must once again deal with avoiding dangerous dinosaurs. His only bad trait appears to be not seeing/knowing enough about his daughter.
  • JULIANNE MOORE plays a paleontologist who often proceeds without exercising enough caution.
  • PETE POSTLETHWAITE plays a great game hunter who wishes to "bag" a T-Rex.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    OUR TAKE: 5.5 out of 10
    This film suffers terribly from the "second child" syndrome. Everyone was excited to see the first "Jurassic Park," after all, no one had ever seen dinosaurs portrayed so realistically on screen. While it wasn't a great movie, it was a wild, adventurous ride that was visually stunning. Then along comes "The Lost World," Jurassic Park's little brother. It's just as good looking as the original and has some very exciting scenes, but the main ingredient that's missing is the novelty. We've been there and seen all of this before. And like some second children, it appears that the "parent," Steven Spielberg, hasn't paid as much attention to number two as he did number one. Therefore this second film isn't as focused as the first.

    While it certainly wasn't given "hand me downs" to wear in the special effects department, the new visuals aren't different enough to generate that wonderful reaction the first film caused. Sure, they look neat and there's some new dinosaurs, but they alone can't carry a film. In addition, several long scenes of exposition seemingly drag on forever until we finally get back to the dinosaurs. Sensing this, Spielberg turned up the notch on the on-screen mayhem dial, and this film consequently comes off as much more violent with many more graphic deaths occurring. Even that, however, can't sustain a movie, and without any character development and not much depth to the story, this film looks good but often flounders about.

    Compounding the problems are plot inconsistencies, such as Ian's sudden loss of interest in getting his daughter off the island that moments before was his top priority. The crew of a freighter is inexplicably killed when the only dinosaur that's on the ship is a T-Rex trapped in the cargo hold. In addition, the movie liberally borrows its ending from a combination of both the Godzilla movies and the classic "King Kong" where a tropical beast is brought to the mainland. There it escapes and causes urban mayhem while searching for its loved one — in this case, its loved one, instead of Fay Wray. There are several long and very suspenseful scenes, however, that show that Spielberg hasn't lost his touch at creating tension, but it's amazing to think that this movie was directed by the same guy who helmed "Jaws," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," let alone "Schindler's List."

    Like a big roller coaster at a summer amusement park, this film is thrilling at times, and when it's done you might be a little shaky coming out of the theater. Afterwards, though, you'll realize there wasn't much to it and you'll wonder whether it was worth the wait in line. It's depressing to think that the current trend in big budget films is to forgo interesting, three-dimensional characters and/or logical and coherent plot lines while serving up stunning visual after visual. Big budget, complex films with novel characters can be made, and have been in the past ("Jaws," the first two "Alien" movies, etc...), and we can only hope that audiences will soon tire of experiencing just the big bang, and will want something more.

    As the box office figures continue to skyrocket from films such as this, though, it looks like it might be some time before we return to that kind of film making. This certainly isn't a horrible movie, and many people will enjoy the visuals and the scenes that deservedly make them squirm in their seats. It's a shame, though, because this film, like its big brother, could have been so much better had more attention been focused on the soul of the movie, instead of on how pretty it is. We hate to think how the "third child" will turn out if they decide to have this family grow. Accordingly, we give Jurassic Park Jr. a 5.5 out of 10.

    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    While this movie is relatively free of objectionable material in most categories, many suspenseful and frightening scenes give this film its PG-13 rating. Several long sequences are very intense. In our opinion those scenes are probably just too much for younger children and there are many more of them than in the original "Jurassic Park." This film is also much more violent than the first, with many more deaths, several of them occurring on screen (including one where a man is pulled apart by two T-Rex's). With its heavy use of scary and/or suspenseful music, this is the stuff of nightmares for younger kids and we strongly suggest that you read through the listings to determine if this film is appropriate for your children.

    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Champagne is poured as a family has lunch on the shore of an island.
  • Ludlow drinks from a flask.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • A baby T-Rex is seen feeding on the remains of an animal and pulls at the slightly bloody carcass.
  • A baby T-Rex's broken leg is a little bloody.
  • A man is grabbed by two T-Rex's who then pull his body apart in a tug of war.
  • A man is attacked by small dinosaurs and one bites into his lip, causing blood to flow. They eventually kill him (off screen) and a nearby creek turns a shade of red as his blood mixes with the water.
  • Sarah has blood stains on her shirt from an injured T-Rex baby.
  • A man is stepped on by a T-Rex and his body gets stuck on its foot for several more steps.
  • A T-Rex grabs a man and kills him off screen, but more bloody water is seen as a result.
  • A raptor falls from a building and impales itself on something, causing a slightly bloody wound.
  • A torn off hand is seen still gripping the steering wheel of the freighter.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Ludlow has snobby attitude toward Ian and tells him, "My suit cost more than your education."
  • Ludow, like his uncle before him, defies nature and will do what he can to turn a profit.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • A little girl at the beach encounters several small dinosaurs that hop and jump around her. At first they seem cute, but soon she panics and screams. Her parents rush to her aide, and we then see her mother screaming at what she sees (that we don't).
  • Sarah gets too close to a baby Stegosaurus and the parents come after her. As she tries to run away, they swing their huge spiked tails at her, causing her to duck, and nearly impale her at one moment.
  • Nick and the others let lose a group of captured dinosaurs that then run amok through the second team's camp, knocking over vehicles (one explodes) and uprooting tents.
  • A long sequence involves Sarah, Nick and Ian inside a two-car camper that is surrounded by two T-Rex's. They stand outside the campers and growl and look menacing and then attack the campers, nearly causing them to roll over a cliff's edge. One of the cars slips over the side and the three inside find themselves hanging on for dear life with Sarah lying on a cracked glass window — the only thing keeping her from falling to her death. As they try to rescue her, Eddie arrives up top and lowers a rope down to them, but the other half of the camper begins to slide toward the edge and he must scramble to tie it off. The T-Rex's then appear and attack his truck and pull him from it, killing him. The camper goes over the edge and the three are left hanging by the rope, but finally climb to safety. The scene is much more intense then described.
  • Hordes of small dinosaurs attack one man, jumping on him and biting him all over. He repeatedly tries to get away from them, but they continue their pursuit until they kill him (heard, but not seen).
  • A T-Rex pokes its head into a tent where Sarah and Kelly are trying to remain still. It sniffs around and comes close to finding them, but a crew member outside the tent wakes up and sees the beast. He screams, everyone wakes up, and the T-Rex then chases and bites at them as they run for cover.
  • Nick, Sarah and others are chased under a waterfall by the T-Rex that corners them against the rock wall. A snake then slithers down into another man's shirt and he panics and moves out into striking distance of the T-Rex that grabs and yanks him away, killing him.
  • Other crew members race through a field of head-high plants and several velociraptors are seen racing through the foliage and many team members are attacked and killed (with lots of screaming and mass panicking).
  • Another long segment has several velociraptors chasing after Ian, Sarah, and Kelly. One of them lands on Sarah and rips the backpack from her back. The women make it into a building where the creatures try to dig under the walls to get to them while the ladies simultaneously try to dig their way under the opposite wall. Outside, Ian must contend with a velociraptor that tries to get into the truck to attack him. Ian and the creatures finally get in, and the humans must escape. That includes a scene where Sarah hangs from a roof while one creature tries to jump up at her, while another tries to get her from the roof.
  • A young boy awakens to find a T-Rex outside of his bedroom window and sees that it's eaten the family dog.
  • A long sequence has the T-Rex roaring down the streets of San Diego as it chases Ian and Sarah, attacks a bus, and kills another man. Its baby then kills a man.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Tranquilizer Rifle: Used to shoot and sedate many of the dinosaurs.
  • Shotgun: To be used by Roland to hunt a T-Rex, but when he gets the chance, he finds that his shells are missing.
  • Rifles: Carried by crew members and fired back into the air when they're chased by a T-Rex.
  • Handguns: Aimed by security guards at Ian and Sarah as they take the baby T-Rex.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Bastard," and "Shut up."
  • Kelly hides in the team's camper and ends up on the island, much to Ian's dismay and surprise.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • The huge spiked tailed of an angry stegosaurus suddenly crashes down into a hollow log in which Sarah is hiding.
  • Kelly starts to slide through a hole dug underneath a wall when a velociraptor suddenly jumps at her.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • There is an extreme amount of suspenseful music throughout much of the production.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • 8 hells, 3 damns, 1 S.O.B., 5 uses of "Oh my God," 2 uses each of "My God," "God," and "God damn," and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "By God," and "Oh God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • None.
  • SMOKING
  • Nick prepares to smoke a cigarette, but Sarah tells him not to.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Kelly tells her dad (Ian) that "you can't just abandon me when you want." He replies, "Is that what your mother said?" She replies, "You like to have kids, but you don't like to be with them, do you?"
  • Kelly is upset that Ian didn't know she was cut from the gymnastics squad.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Whether man should tamper with nature (in this case, genetically recreating dinosaurs).
  • VIOLENCE
  • A dinosaur rams a team member, and then strikes and smashes in the side of a jeep.
  • Sarah gets too close to a baby Stegosaurus and the parents come after her. As she tries to run away, they swing their huge spiked tails at her, causing her to duck, and nearly impale her at one moment.
  • A crew member shocks a small dinosaur with an electric prod.
  • Nick and the others let lose a group of captured dinosaurs that then run amok through the second team's camp, knocking over vehicles (one explodes) and uprooting tents.
  • A man is torn in two by several T-Rex's.
  • Nick and a member from the other crew get into a shoving match that's quickly stopped.
  • A man is attacked (seen) by hordes of small dinosaurs that finally kill him (not seen).
  • A man is stepped on by a T-Rex and his body gets stuck on its foot for several more steps.
  • A man is grabbed by the T-Rex and killed (off screen, but heard).
  • Other crew members race through a field of head-high plants and several velociraptors are seen racing through the foliage and many crew members (more than five) are killed.
  • Kelly knocks a raptor out through a window and it lands on the ground impaling itself on something.
  • A large freighter ship crashes into a San Diego dock, injuring and perhaps killing some people.
  • A torn off hand is seen still gripping the steering wheel of a ship and we hear someone asks, "Where's the crew?" which is answered, "All over the place."
  • It's implied that a T-Rex eats a family dog.
  • As the T-Rex makes its way through San Diego, mass panic ensues and many cars crash into each other. The T-Rex attacks a bus (causing it to crash into and through a video store) and kills another man.
  • The T-Rex grabs another man, wounding him. The baby T-Rex then attacks and kills the man (off screen).



  • Reviewed May 21, 1997

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