Lost World (1992)

Good and Enjoyable as Old-School Adventure Film (But Don't Expect Great Special Effects)

Conan Doyle's famous adventure story has been filmed many times before. The most notable version is, of course, the silent version made in 1925 and its stop-motion animation of dinosaurs (by Willis H. O'Brien). Now if you're looking for something like a huge dinosaur walking in the jungle, you should avoid this one. Though this was released only one year before "Jurassic Park," the best special effects of this low-budget film is rubber puppets someone holding from under.

That does not mean `The Lost World" (1992) is a joyless ride. Actually this is a pretty good, old-fashioned adventure film that you might have seen in the 1960s and thanks to the capable cast who knows what they are doing and the beautiful scenery, this film is a pretty enjoyable one. Prolific Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies is cast as Professor Challenger, and his credible portrait of the delightfully boisterous and pompous professor virtually carries the film.

David Warner is proud Professor Summerlee who is equally believable and amusing, and so is Eric McCormack (later known as Will of the popular TV series "Will and Grace") as Edward Malone. The original book's Lord John Roxton is replaced by American millionaire Jenny Nielson (Tamara Gorski), but sadly she has little to do in this tightly-written story which is fairly faithful to Doyle's book except they changed the location to Africa (the film is shot on location in Zimbabwe).

Again I say you should not expect the eye-popping special effects of Spielberg (or Stuart Orme-directed `The Lost World' made in 2001 f or that matter). This is an old-fashioned adventure film, and it works as such. February 5, 2007

GREAT MOVIE !

this is a great movie!loved it.i like the t.rex just like in the sequel.(see my review)there were no negative reviewers but there was a 3-star reviewer. i dont know what his problem was with the ''proper remake'' because it was,is a proper remake. somepeople go to a some place,meet dinos, and aren't proud of it.just like the sequel. well thats my review,like it or not. March 14, 2006

Pretty Close to the Book

Several attempts have been made to adapt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, THE LOST WORLD, to the silver screen. The first was back in the days of silent film. A later rendition was so short of funding that iguanas were used for all the dinosaurs (I hadn't known that tyrannosaurs walked on all fours or that a brontosaurus had a short neck). The latest rendition stars John Rhys-Davies, as Professor Challenger, and David Warner, as Professor Summerlee. I found this particular adaptation to be amusing and well done. The script was close to the novel but had a number of interesting changes.

A young reporter is out to make a name for himself and his publisher points him in the direction of Professor Challenger. After some fighting the two become friends. Challenger then challenges the Royal Zoological Society to mount an expedition to verify or disprove his claims regarding the Lost World. A team is put together and the expedition sets out.

After experiencing the treachery of a guide, the group find themselves atop a plateau inhabited by prehistoric animals and two tribes of natives. One tribe worships the plant-eating dinosaurs and the other the carnivorous ones. Unfortunately the plant-eaters are all getting sick while the carnivores are healthy. Professor Summerlee deduces that a certain plant has medicinal qualities and is necessary for the dinosaurs' health. This would explain why they still exist on the plateau. Then the tribes are united and the intrepid explorers are guided through some caves that lead off of the plateau. Just before leaving the adventurers vow to return to the Lost World.

John Rhys-Davies does an excellent job as the gruff and pompous Challenger. The rest of the cast has been changed a little from the book to appeal to a greater audience. The tribesmen on the plateau have also been changed. No longer are they the equivalent of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon but more resemble contemporary African tribes. The dinosaur illness that was added as a thin explanation for the dinosaurs' survival was a little more in keeping with current thought than the original idea in the novel. But other than these changes the movie really does capture the spirit of Doyle's novel if not the actual plot. Dinosaur fans may find this movie a little lacking in that little was spent on the special effects. The few dinosaurs seen are limited to feet and heads. This does not detract from the movie but it is a major change from movies such as Jurassic Park.

So, all in all, this is a very enjoyable movie and one of the best movie adaptations of Professor Challenger that I have seen. There is, of course, the excellent audio portrayal from Alien Voices. So if you are looking for a bit of fun then The Lost World just might be your cup of tea. June 16, 2004

Very nice, but can't they do a proper re-make?

It's unbelievable that, in this age of CGI and other such special effects and technology, th 1925 silent black-and-white version of Conan Doyle's masterpiece is still the best version. That said, this version starts off very promisingly and there is some excellent acting, though Challenger comes across as far too soft and nothing like the fearsome figure he was in the book. And whre is Roxton? Presumably a big-game hunter wouldn't be very nice. Everything in this film is 'nice'. What realy lets the film down, however, are the cheap, unconvincing dinosaurs. There's on good sequence near a lake but otherwise it's all pretty pathetic. There are hardly any dinosaurs actualy in it, the tyrannosaur only ever visible from the waist upwards and seemingly frozen on the spot. This film has its good moments, but it's really just another might-have-been. It only gets three stars because it's better than that dire 1960 version. April 10, 1999

More reviews at Amazon.com ...