Jurassic Park Series

[Sharp Sticks]

Yeah. Basically any good that Winston does is unravelled by that kid 'gymnastisizing' a raptor though a window. Postlethwaite's amazing, though - the deleted scene of him at the bar is more captivating and thought-provoking than 80% of the finished film.

[Xenomrph]

Not surprising since ever movie takes liberties with novels they may be based off of. What would you say the message behind TLW was? Never got the impression it had one akin to JP.

Well you might notice that the protagonists really aren't the "good guys". Sure the InGen guys are shown to be doing morally questionable stuff by capturing dinosaurs (that they legally created and own) in order to move them to a stateside park (in order to save their company that's about to go bankrupt), but if you pay attention every bad decision in the entire movie is made by the protagonists.
Sarah interferes with the stegosaurus baby and it turns into amateur hour, and she almost gets herself killed. Sarah and Nick sabotage the InGen camp, which up to that point had been safe and secure, and get a bunch of hunters killed. Sarah brings the wounded baby T-Rex back to the trailer, which gets their trailer destroyed and gets Eddie killed. Sarah and Nick swap out Roland's ammo for tranquilizer darts, which leads to the T-rex not getting killed and instead running amok in California.

Compare that with all the "bad guys", who never actually hurt any of the dinosaurs and never endanger anybody (well, unless you count the deleted scene where they intentionally injure the baby T-rex).

Also I much prefer the Lost World movie to the book; in the book nothing happens, the "bad guys" never even interact with the protagonists, there's very little actual dinosaur action, and the whole book is basically just a soapbox for Crichton to use Malcolm and Levine as his mouthpiece to talk about whatever topics he felt like rambling about. There's a reason why the movie only borrows 1 scene from the book (the trailer getting trashed and going over the cliff) and that's because a movie based on the book would have been boring and would have sucked out loud.

Having said that, the book had a few things going for it - Thorne and Levine were interesting characters, and the chameleon Carnotauruses were awesome.

[Keg]

Agreed. But even then, Postlethwaite is completely wasted in the film, whilst Winston's effects never quite dazzle like they did in the first.

I mean they're still convincing enough, but there was never a shot that made me think 'Wow...'

For me one shot springs automatically to mind for both JP and TLW. In JP its the T-Rex when you see its whole body for the first time after it breaks through the fence and in TLW its the T-Rex again. This time its when it appears behind the truck that the guy is trying to reverese and then the other T-Rex appears beside it. I love those two shots from both movies. There isnt a shot that springs to mind when I think of JPIII though.

[TJ Doc]

But weren't the full-body (CGI) shots handled by ILM?

Although if that is the case, then what about the Pteranodons? It's been a while since I watched III, but that shot of one emerging from the mist on the walkway has always stuck with me. 

[Nightmare Asylum]

But weren't the full-body (CGI) shots handled by ILM?

Although if that is the case, then what about the Pteranodons? It's been a while since I watched III, but that shot of one emerging from the mist on the walkway has always stuck with me. 

That one was cool, as was the Spino with the fire behind it.

I enjoyed JP///, but felt it was kind of rushed and choppy. I think my biggest problem with it is that the plot wasn't so much about science as it was about simply getting off the island.

I need to rewatch the trilogy, its been a while, with the exception of the first. Actually scratch that, I need to update my VHSs. When do the Blu Rays come out?

[Bad Replicant]

Compare that with all the "bad guys", who never actually hurt any of the dinosaurs and never endanger anybody (well, unless you count the deleted scene where they intentionally injure the baby T-rex).

Actually, the scene had a drunken Ludlow tripping over the rex's leg after he's startled by the sound of another dinosaur nearby.


I think the juvenile rex is one of the great achievements by Winston's team in the film. The way it had such complete movement with no visible wires or cables as the actors carried it around was really impresseive, eye em oh.

[First Blood]

In terms of "wow" moments in TLW I really enjoyed the T-Rexes/Camper/Cliff of death scene.

[Remonster]

Not surprising since ever movie takes liberties with novels they may be based off of. What would you say the message behind TLW was? Never got the impression it had one akin to JP.

Well you might notice that the protagonists really aren't the "good guys". Sure the InGen guys are shown to be doing morally questionable stuff by capturing dinosaurs (that they legally created and own) in order to move them to a stateside park (in order to save their company that's about to go bankrupt), but if you pay attention every bad decision in the entire movie is made by the protagonists.
Sarah interferes with the stegosaurus baby and it turns into amateur hour, and she almost gets herself killed. Sarah and Nick sabotage the InGen camp, which up to that point had been safe and secure, and get a bunch of hunters killed. Sarah brings the wounded baby T-Rex back to the trailer, which gets their trailer destroyed and gets Eddie killed. Sarah and Nick swap out Roland's ammo for tranquilizer darts, which leads to the T-rex not getting killed and instead running amok in California.

Compare that with all the "bad guys", who never actually hurt any of the dinosaurs and never endanger anybody (well, unless you count the deleted scene where they intentionally injure the baby T-rex).

Also I much prefer the Lost World movie to the book; in the book nothing happens, the "bad guys" never even interact with the protagonists, there's very little actual dinosaur action, and the whole book is basically just a soapbox for Crichton to use Malcolm and Levine as his mouthpiece to talk about whatever topics he felt like rambling about. There's a reason why the movie only borrows 1 scene from the book (the trailer getting trashed and going over the cliff) and that's because a movie based on the book would have been boring and would have sucked out loud.

Having said that, the book had a few things going for it - Thorne and Levine were interesting characters, and the chameleon Carnotauruses were awesome.

I agree that The Lost World novel was slow, but I love how horribly vicious Crichton portrayed the raptors. Even deadlier than in the first book. I think the book is pretty slow for a long while, but I found the last quarter of the book to be intense, what with so many things going on in a row. I.e, T-rexes attacking the trailers, Raptors assaulting the High Hide, Sarah and Kelly chasing a Raptor through the fields, Levine and Thorne trying to rescue Arby and getting in an insane car chase against the Raptors, then Thorne finds the Carnotaurus.

I found it ended pretty abruptly though. I liked the original ending for the movie, where they were going to have Pteranodons attacking everybody in the village.

And I gotta agree with Keg, those two shots are just so amazing. I think my favorite shot in the original movie is when Malcolm distracts the Rex so Grant can save the kids. I feel that shot sets up the size of the Tyrannosaur so well, and when It roars at Malcolm its a wonder he didn't mess himself 

[Elliott]

That would have been slightly anti-climactic.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRWWWWWWWWWWWWW

And after that all you hear is a slight pbbbbbt noise.

[OmegaZilla]

What would you say the message behind TLW was?

Don't force Nature into your slimy hands perhaps. As usual, the novel explores a lot more the subject.

Well you might notice that the protagonists really aren't the "good guys".

Yes they are. They don't want the Dinosaurs to get on the Continent - and that's the whole point. Their errors had a base on them - photographing the Stegosaurus was just an accident, Ingen Camp was completely intentional since they wanted to free the Dinosaurs and get them back to the environment, hardly a bad decision at all (and I don't remember 'a lot of hunters killed', that was when the T.Rex followed them down to the camp and started the chase-to-waterfall thing). The wounded Tyrannosaurus in the trailer was in the novel too - only for different reasons, and the action just wanted to show the environmentalist nature of the character; I'd not define the last one you mentioned a bad decision at all, as it was to InGen taking it to the continent. Nick didn't want the Tyrannosaurus to be killed.

(well, unless you count the deleted scene where they intentionally injure the baby T-rex).

Deleted scene that is implied in the final cut - as the Baby Tyrannosaurus is still wounded. Their purpose was to make the baby call for help - and that's the best way to inspire him to do so.

Wholeheartedly disagree on the novel as well - I love the film with all myself but a less-liberties-taken transposition, with the proper cuts, would've worked too. There's the Rexes-trailer-cliff as you said, but then there's the Raptor attack, the various Tyrannosaurus appearences, especially the Thorne-on-motorcycle chase, the Carnotaur attack, Dodgson's demise... there's a lot to take from.
But I don't say the actual film sucks because of the liberties it took - I love it.

[Shasvre]

Yes they are.

Then they're the worst heroes I've ever seen.

Ingen Camp was completely intentional since they wanted to free the Dinosaurs and get them back to the environment, hardly a bad decision at all.

It was a terrible decision. First of all, they had no right to do it. InGen owned those dinosaurs, they should have the right to do as they please with them. Second, by destroying their camp they made sure the humans there were without means to contact the main land and so had to hike across the island at foot instead, thereby dooming many of them.

The wounded Tyrannosaurus in the trailer was in the novel too - only for different reasons, and the action just wanted to show the environmentalist nature of the character;

But as we can see, it proved to be a stupid choice.

I'd not define the last one you mentioned a bad decision at all, as it was to InGen taking it to the continent. Nick didn't want the Tyrannosaurus to be killed.

Nick had no idea when Roland needed to use that gun or against what. He was more or less trying to kill him by destroying the man's means of defending himself. Hell, if it hadn't been for Nick, Roland would have just killed the T-Rex and that would have been it. They wouldn't have had a chance to take it to the main land if that would have happened.

[OmegaZilla]

It was a terrible decision. First of all, they had no right to do it. InGen owned those dinosaurs, they should have the right to do as they please with them.

But it was the point of the film! That they were there to mantain John Hammond's true decisions about the Island, and help to not accomplish what Ludlow was trying to achieve, despite the fact that he was 'legally right'.

But as we can see, it proved to be a stupid choice.

It wasn't without discussion, too. Sarah tries to convince Nick, you know - and Ian was terribly in disagreement with that. They sorta knew that Mommy would be very angry.

He was more or less trying to kill him by destroying the man's means of defending himself.

Always thought he wanted the animals not to be hurt.

They wouldn't have had a chance to take it to the main land if that would have happened.

Would've taken Mommy.

[Shasvre]

But it was the point of the film! That they were there to mantain John Hammond's true decisions about the Island, and help to not accomplish what Ludlow was trying to achieve, despite the fact that he was 'legally right'.

Perhaps, but it isn't a point I agree with. I think Ludlow was morally right as well.

Always thought he wanted the animals not to be hurt.

Yeah, that was probably what he was thinking too. But seeing as how they are on an island filled with dangerous carnivores, perhaps he should have considered the consequences of his actions.

[OmegaZilla]

Perhaps, but it isn't a point I agree with. I think Ludlow was morally right as well.

As shown in the climax of the film, I'd think maybe.

Yeah, that was probably what he was thinking too. But seeing as how they are on an island filled with dangerous carnivores, perhaps he should have considered the consequences of his actions.

He didn't really care for Roland, you know. All he cared for were the animals. He's the 'love him and hate him' kind of character. Roland's badasseness assured him survival though.

[Keg]

But weren't the full-body (CGI) shots handled by ILM?

Although if that is the case, then what about the Pteranodons? It's been a while since I watched III, but that shot of one emerging from the mist on the walkway has always stuck with me.

Ah sorry I forgot you were talking about Winstons practical effects and not the SFX as a whole. Yeah both those shots i referred to where CGI of course.