The Lost World (2002)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Adrian Hodges and Tony Mulholland, based upon the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Directed by Stuart Orme
Starring Bob Hoskins, James Fox, Peter Falk, TomWard, Matthew Rhys, Elaine Cassidy

Features:

• “The Making of The Lost World” featurette
  
• “Dinosaur Secrets Revealed” featurette
  
• Cast Biographies and Bibliographies
  
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Biography and Bibliography
  

Rating: NR

Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1

My Advice: Buy it.

The Lost World, based upon the Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name, was one of the BBC’s most expensive productions ever. Luckily, there is a lot of quality to show for it, as the film itself is entertaining and solid.

Professor George Challenger is obsessed by the idea of a lost continent where dinosaurs still exist. Despite the derision of Victorian London’s scientific community, Challenger creates an expedition consisting of himself, the sharpshooter Lord John Roxton, the sceptic Professor Sumerlee, and a journalist, Edward Malone. Once in the area of the Amazon, the Challenger Expedition meets up with a missionary, Reverend Kerr, and his ward, Agnes Clooney, the latter of whom decides to serve as guide to the group. What follows as they wend their way through jungle and danger into lands unknown is part and parcel of the best of pulp adventure and Hollywood special effects filmmaking.

The acting is much better than you might expect, showing that this is not your average TV-movie. Peter Falk is amazing, if shown all too little, as the deranged Reverend Kerr. Bob Hoskins as the leader of the expedition, Challenger, is driven and by turns trustworthy and unlikable. Ward as the debonair Lord Roxton has perhaps one of the most challenging roles--turning the typical male lead into something deeper--and he does the role justice. Roxton may not be a good sensitive 90s man, but he is what he is, and he doesn’t apologize for it. Even the humanoid apes are wonderful, believable, and terrible.

As the dinosaurs are characters themselves, the special effects deserve a mention. The dinos are never over-exposed, due in part to Doyle’s quality original material, but the directors knew better than to overplay this aspect of the film. The dinosaurs provide menace and strange beauty to the film, but don’t take over from the human actors or the other aspects of the plot. The special effects were created by the award-winning team behind the phenomenal Walking with Dinosaurs, and their skill and love of craft shows here.

The features on this 2-disc set are excellent. Any dinosaur-loving child or adult will love the more than two hours of extra goodies. The making-of featurette goes to New Zealand, where the movie was filmed, as well as to the SFX studios where all the post-production work was done. In addition, there are lots of cast and crew interviews. The “Dinosaur Secrets Revealed” featurette is similarly interesting, but this one is a brand-new special from the History Channel and focuses upon the dinosaurs themselves. We get to see how fossils can be used to determine what dinosaurs looked like, how they lived, and other details of their real lives. We also gain some insight into the field of paleontology, where experts battle over the truth, and what we “know” changes daily. It’s also very nice to have the Doyle information, since anyone who enjoys this disc will want to investigate his other work.

Taken as a whole, fans of adventure, especially Indiana Jones-type cross-cultural action, will love The Lost World. It will also be a favorite of dino-loving kids and their parents, or people who enjoy Victorian costume dramas with a twist. Everything, from the costume designs of the Indians to the original music to the sweeping vistas and cinematics, is just wonderful.