Die verlorene Welt

I knew this film was Canadian before I looked at the box. Stilted acting, really bad cameramen, terrible cut-away shots that just looked amateur, green screen usage that was just pure college-work and ridiculous over-emphasis on the 'savages' that capture the unconvincing female lead which, had I been totally sober, may have caused me to rip out my own eyes.

As it was, I was eating rum & raisin ice cream and so managed not to self-harm, and could only put the shambolic Hammer Horror wannabes that comprised the overly-long and not at all scary 'sacrifice' scene down to the producer and director both being off sick at the time and some gaffer being called in to shoot that scene on his mum's camera, having done a good job of it at his redneck cousin's wedding. Come to think of it, that scene probably WAS his redneck cousin's wedding.

Some of the things that upset me and caused my ulcers to pulse are listed below. I had to stop delineating them after a while because there were just so many, many terrible things about this film that it made me start to cry at my desk and rock to and fro, hugging myself. It's a wonder I managed to finish this review at all.

Fake blood spurting out of a dinosaurs'neck as it flew in the sky Vampire bats chewing off an arm that, once severed, looked like a piece of purple rubber Terrible accents - passing off Inuit as Mongolians while filming in Yellowknife - awful awful casting and dreadful filmography. Unconvincing acting - Favourite Dodgy camera-work Poor Green Screen technology Bad editing The production of this entire film is just bad, bad, bad. The actors were SO one-dimensional that a blank piece of paper would look full of charisma next to them. For example, woman spends 15 minutes squealing about being tied to a scaffold (some people pay for that privilege, lady) and then when she finally gets 'rescued', is asked: 'Are you okay?'. 'Yes, just get me down', she says, sounding like a mother returning from the school run and asking for a cup of tea.

I've seen better budget films done at the London School of Arts and Media by 19-year-olds. I've had more fun watching films of my cat walking round the flat with a Christmas hat on his head, taken on my mobile while drunk.

This is typical - Canadian film-makers trying to do a big budget film on a coca-cola budget.

Had to switch it off after 1/2 an hour which was far too long a time. I will never, ever ever be able to reclaim those lost 30 minutes of my life. Even my Haagen Daaz started to taste stale. Birds started to fall dead from the sky near my flat. The Christmas tree shed all its needled. Flooding happened in Cambodia as a direct result.

In the end, my DVD player started to make a horrible noise after 30 mins and caused the DVD to pixellate, which was the best part of the whole diabolical spectacle.

I'm not sure what the folks in charge of making this film were thinking. It's like they thought they should make a film based on the novel aimed more at adults, but then with most punches pulled, and with horrible (and I mean horrible) CGI thrown in for good measure.

You know the drill, scientist finds dinosaurs, sets out to prove it's true, yadda yadda natives, dinosaurs, lucky escape etc. Due to this film being made in the nineties, there's a strong environmental message about killing the land left by a native Al Gore.

There's a bit of gore here and there, but I can't help but feel there should have a been a bit more of the red stuff and bit less of people having punch ups and travelling (so much travelling).

Not the worst film ever, but nowhere near any good either.

The movie had the potential to be good. But, after about 20 minutes the viewer should give up. Granted I was not expecting great special effects, but good special effects would have been nice. The effects were BAD, they can't even be classified as special. The make-up, oh-so bad. The storyline BAD, BAD. The blond haired Diva, yea ok she looks this good after living alone for 11 years? The primitive tribes, I think they came from "Gilligan's Island". The costumes - where did the two Divas get those lace up shoes? This movie could have been good, if they never would have made it.

*1/2 out of *****.

I kind of agree with Matthew: "...I would probably buy it if I had the chance, but not because I thought it was a good movie, it would be because of the fact that there were two things I enjoyed: the unpredictability of the story, and how Malone deals with the T-Rex in the ending. " I have never read the original and I should before commenting on any of the movies, but this one was oh so dark, right from the beginning and all the way to the end. It's the only version I know of where everyone dies and the last person is marooned. NOTHING like any of the other versions. Now that's a courageous idea but unfortunately it was very badly executed. And what was Bergin thinking? He was so awesome in Mountains of the Moon.

This movie was nonsense. There are so many suspend belief and logic moments that I just started to laugh. How in the world did the actors put up with this script? Where they trying tell a story or just put something on film? Just bad. Make sure you don't watch too soon after eating.