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Bigger isn't always Better
by Stephen Wong
In promising to provide more seat-jumping
action, Steven Spielberg has
conquered in giving summer action-hungry audiences their ultimate popcorn
munching thrill ride. But as far as focus goes, The Lost World
falls way short of it’s ancestor, Jurassic Park.
Chaos theory revisited
How do you go about besting not only one of the highest grossing movies of
all time, but also one of the most endearing? Spielberg’s answer is
pretty simple: Annihilate all memories of the past. And that’s exactly
what The Lost World boldly attempts to do. But in creating an
all-out oooh-aaah, gore-fest, jaw-dropping special effects extravaganza,
he misses out on the element that made Jurassic so special,
substance. It’s not that The Lost World doesn’t start off
promising; in fact, the first hour-and a half is Spielberg at his best.
Heart-jumping sequences, and jaw-dropping visuals are fused together
cleverly with fascinating camera work, and a solid storyline. In
addition, both Jeff Goldblum and Pete Postlewaithe provide captivating
performances as mathematician and game hunter. And for this, I recommend
all who enjoy fun, action-loaded films to witness.
But in the last half hour (as the action moves to lovely San Diego), what
is exhilarating beforehand becomes ludicrous. If it lasted any longer, I
had already prepared myself for twisters, and volcanoes to
come hurling down upon the poor San Diego natives. As summer movies go,
The Lost World is perfect, mindless amusement-park fun. But sadly,
there’s a feeling as you walk out of the theater, knowing for certain that
Steven Spielberg is capable of much, much better.
First hour and a half:  Last half hour: 
On a final note
If you’re quick enough, you’ll see a poster of Arnold Schwarzenegger as
King Leer hanging down from the video store in San Diego, as well as
Steven Spielberg sitting on the couch with Goldblum and Moore, seen
through the reflection from the TV as CNN is playing.
Stephen Wong, 1997
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