The Lost World

i just finished watching this two-parter on channel 2, Australian TV, and WOW! that was exhilarating from start to finish. the characters are introduced and fleshed out in their own time throughout part one (rather than rushing thru introductions like a lot of movies) and i really came to care for every single one of them, from the derided & laughed at Professor Challenger who first proposed the expedition (Bob Hoskins) to the arrogant world-wise hunter Lord Roxton (Tom Ward), and the ever-so-cute white-girl-growing-up-in-a-jungle-world Agnes (Elaine Cassidy).

it was interesting to see how each of the characters imposed their own set of values on each situation they encountered; from the theatre where all the other scientists poo-pooed Professor Challenger's theories and proposed expedition, to the flesh-hungry ape-men who surprised me with their compassion and ingenuity when the (t-rex?) stormed the village.

two hours and forty minutes was enough time to tell the tale, but left me wanting for much more due to the superior story-telling skill of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

i intend on buying the DVD as soon as i can, and i fully recommend this story to anyone with a passion for prehistoric adventure overlaid with modern (well, early 20th century modern) values.

I watched this as a two-parter on A&E over the last two nights. Interestingly, the first part which is largely an exploration of the main characters is more interesting than the second part where the dinosaurs actually appear. Not that the special effects aren't convincing--they're superb. And the final scene, where the explorers return to London where Professor Challenger (Bob Hoskins) is about to reveal his prize possession, is one of the highlights of the film. But the buildup of tension is nicely done in the first part, as well as the introduction of the interesting characters.

All of the performances are first rate with two standouts--Matthew Rhys and Elaine Cassidy who supply the main love interest. These fresh-faced newcomers make their roles entirely believable. Seasoned actor James Fox is excellent as the skeptical Professor Leo Summerlee, especially when reacting to the blustery remarks and behavior of the overly enthusiastic Challenger. Peter Falk seems to have a grand time hamming it up as Rev. Kerr who is vehemently opposed to Darwin's theory of evolution and pulls a surprising stunt on the explorers.

All of this is done in a handsomely produced, tasteful manner (except for one brief scene of cannibalism which is too intense). It has the feel of a well produced British film, one that approaches the style of a Merchant Ivory production at times.

All technical aspects are fine and the costumes and settings enrich the story. Well worth watching, it maintains a good pace even though its running time is lengthy. The location photography in New Zealand is stunning.

The DVD of the miniseries brings it into better focus, minus commercial interruptions, and it is definitely one of the better adaptations of this old warhorse. But beware the DVD copy! It claims the movie runs 200 minutes. It doesn't (160 mins.). It claims to be an "exclusive widescreen version" (1:78 to 1). It isn't. It's full screen. The second disc claims 125 minutes of material. Actually it's less than 120 with a 90 minute documentary and a 20 minute "behind the scenes feature. Nevertheless, what you DO get is quite enjoyable. One wonders why they had to promise so much more.

This was easily the best version of The Lost World ever made, leaving all of the others trailing in the dust. Though the story was changed, the essence of the original story was strong throughout the movie. But they did have scenes from the book that were not shown in any of the other movies that I have seen (all but the black and white version), like when Malone climbs the tree to get a look at the layout of the plateau, and his encounter with the ape/men during it. They also had the chase scene involving Malone and the Carnivore (in this case, it was an Allosaur), though they changed the time and reason for that occurrance, and they added Agnes Clooney (Elaine Cassidy), a character that never existed in the book. The Movie had a great cast, Including Bob Hoskins and Peter Faulke, but some of the humor in the beginning was very cliche, and so was some of the cinematography, but being a made for TV movie, that is to be expected. All in all, I would have to say that this was a very decent adaptation of the novel.

At a London lecture, an eccentric professor (Bob Hoskins) encounters skepticism when he claims to have discovered a land of living prehistoric creatures. To prove his point, he heads an expedition to the Amazon region of South America. Here, the group of explorers finds ape-men, dinosaurs, prehistoric birds, and other exotic creatures.

The source novel by Arthur Conan Doyle led to the original 1925 silent film. Several remakes followed. This 2001 remake is worth watching, especially for the excellent visual and special effects, and for the cinematography. The CGI effects make the dinosaurs and birds look genuine. And the overall story is reasonably entertaining, though it does drag on for a tad too long.

The filmmakers are attentive to detail in both production design and costumes. The acting is acceptable. Dialogue is variable; uninspired at times; charming at other times. And I liked the pointed sarcasm directed at the snobbery of the academic mindset. The film's ending is unexpected and quite satisfying.

My main complaint is the film's tendency to expand into epic-dom. The plot goes on and on and on, and the cast eventually swells to what seems like thousands. I could have done without the ape-men, who seem slightly hokey, and who distract from the dinosaurs and birds.

Overall, "The Lost World" (2001) is well worth a look, especially for kids, but also for adults who enjoy exploration and high adventure.