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The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
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  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ian Nathan
    80
    There was no way, no matter how much Spielberg flounce was imbued in this sprightly sequel, that it was going to be as good as the original. It isn't. By a long shot. But even two thirds of the way toward Jurassic Park is about a third better than your average buster of blocks.
  2. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    78
    The Lost World (unlike Spielberg's original film) leaps head first into the action, rushing, it seems, to get the film's real stars -- the dinosaurs -- to the screen as quickly as possible, and it does so with considerable verve.
  3. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    Much of this movie seems like a retread of Jurassic Park (with a little King Kong thrown in at the end), not because director Steven Spielberg is intentionally copying himself, but because there's really not much more that he can do with the premise.
  4. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    70
    The Lost World is a smoother, scarier ride than its predecessor, with twice as many dinosaurs twice as well designed eating twice as many people...But he's not particularly playful with his terrors here, and that's a disappointment coming from a filmmaker who can mix scares and laughs the way no one else ever has.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    70
    It's not just that we've been there before but also that Steven Spielberg and his associates simply haven't been able to imagine as many flat-out scary moments this time around.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    70
    The story (adapted by Spielberg and David Koepp from Michael Chrichton's "Lost World") isn't much better than "Jurassic Park." And the predictability factor is high.
  7. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Stephen Hunter
    70
    For the first half-hour, the movie is pretty crummy. Even Spielberg appears bored with the script's lame setup, its quick evocation of the first movie and its wan establishment of human villains and heroes. Like any 50-year-old adolescent, he can't wait for the dinosaurs. And when he gets to them, the movie ceases to bear any relationship to conceits of narrative and becomes a sheer adrenalin spike to the brain stem.
  8. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Tom Meek
    60
    It's technologically more advanced, far more thrilling and there's infinitely more dinos per minute.
  9. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    60
    Although the digital dinos look great, especially the clumsy stegosaurs, Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp have failed to absorb the single most important lesson from the movies they've looted: If your people aren't interesting, at least make your monsters memorable.
  10. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    60
    Where the original film was a cut-and-dried Pop-Art-flavored allegory pitting scientific hubris against the unpredictable, ungovernable forces of nature, the sequel is an all-stops-pulled, edge-of-your-seat adventure film whose messages are not so neatly packaged.
  11. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: Jack Kroll
    60
    For all the enhanced ingenuity of the special effects in The Lost World, the element of surprise and originality (the idea of cloning dinosaurs from fossilized DNA) is no longer present. And screenwriter David Koepp (the movie is very loosely based on Michael Crichton's sequel to his novel "Jurassic Park") has come up with a pretty conventional story line.
  12. Slate
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    60
    It would be imprecise to say that the thrill is gone, because The Lost World recovers from its turgid opening and comes to life, or does so in spasms.
  13. Variety
    Reviewed by: Leonard Klady
    60
    David Koepp's script, from the Michael Crichton novel, is schematic and largely predictable. There's an obvious threat and not too many ways to quell it. Underneath the technical virtuosity is a standard chase film, and director Steven Spielberg does little to elevate it dramatically.
  14. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    50
    Steven Spielberg, a gifted filmmaker, should have reimagined the material, should have seen it through the eyes of someone looking at dinosaurs, rather than through the eyes of someone looking at a box-office sequel.
  15. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    50
    Steven Spielberg's blockbuster whips up superficial sorts of excitement, and unlike the original "Jurassic Park," the picture looks tacky around the edges.
  16. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    50
    The biggest sequel of the summer has more dinosaurs, better special effects and more action than the original... But the inspiration is gone, and with it most of the fun.
  17. San Francisco Examiner
    Reviewed by: Barbara Shulgasser
    50
    The thrill is most certainly not in the script by David Koepp, written from Michael Crichton's novel....Most of the writing is the blandest sort of twaddle, jokes you can practically recite along with actors.
  18. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Bill Stamets
    40
    Among the movie's many flaws are lackluster cinematography and leaden sound design. The Lost World also includes irritating little missteps in the plot.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Halfwelshman
    5
    The highest praise I can give The Lost World: Jurassic Park is that it's by no means the worst sequel I've ever seen (that honour goes to Aliens vs. Predator Requiem). It's got some nice effects and set pieces, and for the most part it's a story you actually care about. The film suffers from the same problem that the first did - an extreme lack of characterisation, but all actors are competent. The only standout performance comes from Pete Postlethwaite, who plays an unexpectedly rounded and well developed secondary antagonist. The stand out scene in The Lost World is a tense chase scene where the characters attempt to avoid stealthy raptors hiding in tall grass. All that is good in the Lost World however (and it must be said, it is an entertaining ride) is nearly ruined by the last half hour of the film. It is at this point that Spielberg thought it would be a good idea to subject his audience to a truly chronic scene in San Diego full of plot holes and unintentionally hilarious moments. The Lost World starts promisingly enough, but I'd strongly advise you to turn off the film before the final act, before your patience for extreme silliness wears out.… Full Review »
  2. hoops2448
    5
    Much like the original The Lost World has to work with a incomplete script and therefore suffers some terrible characters because of it but with this instalment the tension is ratcheted up, as well as the fun factor making set pieces including a camper van and a cliff side being incredibly tense. The addition of Julianne Moore could have added something to the film if it wasn't bogged down by the script and the film is 30 minutes too long with the scenes in San Diego being downright ludicrous. Overall the film improves upon the first in making it much more tense and in some instances terrifying but with that ending and the script to boot, it doesn't cut it as a serious monster film.… Full Review »
  3. TheQuietGamer
    7
    While it's no where near as good as the first it is still a good movie, the story is interesting but it would have been nice if they added more dinosaurs, if you like dinosaurs and the first movie you'll like this.… Full Review »
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