The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Steven Spielberg returned to the director’s chair for The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the 1997 sequel to his 1993 mega-hit Jurassic Park. Based loosely on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, the film expands the scope of the dino-franchise by introducing a second island, more human chaos, and of course—more teeth.

Detailed Summary

Prologue: A Vacation Gone Wrong

The film opens with a wealthy British family vacationing on the mysterious Isla Sorna, where their young daughter wanders off and is attacked by a pack of small dinosaurs called Compsognathus. This terrifying encounter kicks off the realization that the dinosaurs haven’t just survived—they’re thriving.

Ian Malcolm Recruited Again

Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), one of the survivors from the first film, is drawn back into the chaos when John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), now ousted from his own company InGen, reveals that Isla Sorna is the “Site B”, where dinosaurs were originally bred before being transported to Jurassic Park. Hammond wants Malcolm to join a small team to document the dinosaurs in their natural habitat in order to gain public sympathy and prevent InGen from exploiting them.

Malcolm refuses—until he learns that his girlfriend, Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore), is already on the island. Alongside tech expert Eddie Carr and his daughter Kelly, who stows away, Malcolm rushes to the island to rescue Sarah.

Two Teams, One Island

Once on Isla Sorna, they discover Sarah already embedded in the wild. Soon after, a second, less-friendly group arrives: InGen’s private capture team, led by Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite), who plan to bring dinosaurs back to the mainland for a new park in San Diego.

This sets up a central conflict between the scientific team (observers) and the corporate team (exploiters). As expected, it all goes sideways.

The Trailer Attack and Chaos

One of the film’s most famous sequences follows: Sarah and Malcolm’s trailer is pushed over a cliff by two angry Tyrannosaurs, leading to a terrifying set piece involving broken glass, roaring dinos, and a lot of yelling. Eddie tries to save them but is tragically ripped in half by the T-Rex pair.

Following the destruction of both groups’ communications and vehicles, the two teams are forced to work together to trek through the island to reach safety—all while being hunted by a variety of dinosaurs.

Raptors and Losses

The journey is perilous: multiple members of InGen’s crew are killed by Velociraptors in a tense, fog-drenched jungle and in a clever cornfield-style sequence. The raptors are fast, smart, and merciless—reminding audiences why they’re the franchise’s most feared predators.

Capturing the T-Rex

Tembo and his team succeed in tranquilizing a male T-Rex, which they transport—along with its infant—back to San Diego. Malcolm and Sarah, fearing the consequences, sneak aboard the ship in an effort to stop the madness.

Movie Ending

The climax takes place not on Isla Sorna, but in San Diego, where everything inevitably goes wrong. The ship carrying the T-Rex crashes into the dock—its crew mysteriously missing or dead. The T-Rex escapes into the city, rampaging through neighborhoods, drinking from a swimming pool, and attacking a Blockbuster Video store (yes, it was the 90s).

Sarah and Malcolm race to retrieve the infant T-Rex, using it as bait to lure the adult back to the ship. They succeed in containing both and sending them back to Isla Sorna.

The final scenes show a news broadcast as the dinosaurs roam freely again on Site B, with the world now fully aware of their existence. John Hammond appears in a televised message urging humanity to leave the island and its creatures in peace—a message echoing themes of environmental respect and scientific restraint.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

There is no post-credits scene in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The film ends traditionally, without any Marvel-style teases for future installments.

Type of Movie

The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a science fiction action-adventure film with strong elements of thriller and survival horror, especially in its darker, more intense tone compared to the original. It carries ecological and ethical undertones about genetic manipulation and corporate greed.

Cast

• Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm
• Julianne Moore as Dr. Sarah Harding
• Vince Vaughn as Nick Van Owen
• Pete Postlethwaite as Roland Tembo
• Richard Schiff as Eddie Carr
• Vanessa Lee Chester as Kelly Curtis Malcolm
• Arliss Howard as Peter Ludlow
• Richard Attenborough as John Hammond

Film Music and Composer

The score is composed by the legendary John Williams, who returns from the first film. While maintaining some of the original motifs, he introduces darker, more tribal and rhythmic compositions to reflect the raw and untamed nature of Site B. The soundtrack features heavier percussion, reflecting the chaos and primal danger of the setting.

Filming Locations

• Redwood National and State Parks, California – doubled as Isla Sorna with its dense, prehistoric-looking forests.
• Universal Studios, California – for interior shots and the San Diego port.
• Hawaii – some aerial shots were reused from the first film.

The redwood forests played a key role in grounding the movie’s visual identity, emphasizing that the dinosaurs were part of a living, breathing ecosystem rather than a theme park.

Awards and Nominations

• Nominated: Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
• Won: Saturn Award for Best Special Effects
• Won: BMI Film Music Award for John Williams
• While not as critically acclaimed as its predecessor, it was still recognized for its groundbreaking VFX and intense action sequences.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Spielberg reportedly directed this film while also editing Schindler’s List, giving the two projects an emotionally jarring contrast.
• The infamous “San Diego sequence” was added late in production at Spielberg’s request—it wasn’t in the book.
• Jeff Goldblum’s character was made the lead due to his popularity in the original.
• The production used life-sized animatronics and early CGI blending, pushing 1990s tech to its limits.
• Spielberg later admitted it’s not his favorite film, citing that he felt creatively “exhausted” during production.

Inspirations and References

• Based on Michael Crichton’s novel, but deviates heavily, especially in the second half.
• Spielberg wanted to create a story with more suspense and horror, inspired in part by King Kong (especially the city rampage ending).
• Environmental conservation and the hubris of man remain central themes drawn from the book and amplified in the film.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

• Deleted scenes include more in-depth looks at the InGen team’s internal conflicts and additional raptor attacks.
• Early drafts featured more scenes on the mainland and a longer ending with government involvement, but they were scrapped for pacing and tone.

Book Adaptations and Differences

• In Crichton’s novel, Malcolm is presumed dead after Jurassic Park, but revived for the sequel.
• The book never features a T-Rex rampaging through San Diego.
• The character of Sarah Harding is more subdued in the novel, and Roland Tembo does not exist.
• The plotlines diverge almost completely after the initial setup, with Spielberg favoring spectacle over the book’s more introspective tone.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• The double T-Rex trailer attack sequence over the cliff.
• The raptor ambush in the tall grass.
• The San Diego city rampage.
• The compy attack at the beginning and later in the river scene.
• Kelly’s gymnastic takedown of a Velociraptor (yep, that happened).

Iconic Quotes

• “Life will find a way.” – Ian Malcolm (callback from the first film)
• “Mommy’s very angry.” – Sarah Harding
• “Don’t go into the long grass!” – Ajay Sidhu
• “You brought them here? That’s chaos.” – Ian Malcolm

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The T-Rex smashing through a Blockbuster includes posters for fake movies like King Lear starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• One of the InGen vehicles is labeled “04”, a nod to the first Jurassic Park’s Jeep numbers.
• A copy of Malcolm’s book, God Creates Dinosaurs, can be seen early in the movie.

Trivia

• Steven Spielberg’s fastest pre-to-post production schedule: less than a year.
• It was the first film to be released on DVD in the United States.
• Despite being the sequel, the words “Jurassic Park” are technically not in the opening title.
• Jeff Goldblum is the only actor from the first movie with a major role in the sequel.
• The baby T-Rex animatronic was so lifelike that it creeped out cast members between takes.

Why Watch?

Watch The Lost World: Jurassic Park if you’re a fan of intense dinosaur action, high-stakes survival, and classic Spielberg set pieces. While not as philosophically rich as the original, it compensates with bigger thrills, deeper danger, and a darker, more unhinged tone.

Director’s Other Movies

• Jurassic Park (1993)
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Jaws (1975)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
• Schindler’s List (1993)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• Minority Report (2002)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Jurassic World (2015)
• King Kong (2005)
• Congo (1995)
• Godzilla (1998)
• Pitch Black (2000)
• The Relic (1997)