A Day In The Life Of A Dog

Some links before getting started today. Norma reviewed Jurassic World. Parsnip had photos.Tributes to the late great actor Christopher Lee were made by Maria and Lorelei. 

Now then, today it's time to hear from the point of view of the dog and the cat, starting as always with the dog's point of view.

7:36 AM. Waking up at home. Well rested. Dreamed of chasing squirrels. I had one cornered just where I wanted him... and then I woke up. Isn’t that always just the way?

7:47 AM. Good morning, human! Fine day, isn’t it? Say, how about some breakfast?

7:50 AM. Wolfing down a bowl of kibbles. Yum yum yum!

7:51 AM. Well human, that was delicious, and I thank you for that, but how about letting me out so I can have a good run?

7:55 AM. Running through the back fields, barking my head off. Woof woof woof!

8:14 AM. Chasing a rabbit for no reason. He gets away. 

8:21 AM. Stopping in to see Spike the Magnificent, Tormentor of Squirrels. We greet each other in the customary sniffing of hindquarters and begin to compare notes on sightings of the enemy.

8:24 AM. I relate to Spike my dream of nearly catching that squirrel. He says it is a very common dream for dogs. 

8:31 AM. Spike and I go our separate ways. Much to do, and much mischief to get into before the day is done. We haven’t had rain in the last few days, so a good mud puddle is unlikely in my immediate future, but hey, you never know.

9:03 AM. Barking when I arrive home. Human! It is I, Loki, Scourge of Mailmen, Moocher of Dinner Rolls, and Sniffer of Roadkill!

9:05 AM. Back inside the house. I think I’ll have a nap. Maybe this time in my dreams I’ll catch that squirrel.

11:49 AM. Waking up. Oh, good, lunch hasn’t happened yet. 

12:02 PM. The human’s not making lunch. Instead she’s picking up the keys and asks if I want to go for a ride. Oh boy! Car ride! I call shotgun! Do we get to go for takeout?

12:17 PM. Watching the countryside fly by as we drive. Boy, do I love takeout for lunch!

12:34 PM. The human’s stopping in a parking lot. Wait, this isn’t a burger joint. She hooks up my leash to my collar. Human, are we getting burgers?

12:35 PM. The human takes me through a door. I sniff the air and stop. Wait a minute. Human! 

You brought me to the vet!!!!

12:48 PM. We’re called in. I feel like a condemned man about to be led to his execution. The vile demonic vet sees us into one of her offices. Oh, she might pretend to be nice, but she’s really an expert in torture and punishment. I swear, if I get a chance, I’m biting her.

1:06 PM. Betrayed by my human. At the mercy of that horrible monster. And my human’s chatting away as if nothing’s wrong, while holding me down. That despicable vet is poking and prodding and giving me my shots. This is intolerable!

1:18 PM. The vile abomination says I’m all done. I consider growling at her while my human says something about my next appointment. I promise you this, vet... if you were hanging off the side of a cliff and only I could save you... I’d step on your fingers.

1:21 PM. Passing out the front door past some other dogs and crated cats waiting to be seen. Hey! It‘s perfectly acceptable to bite that demonic vet.

1:36 PM. Still annoyed with my human. Not really paying attention to where we are. Musing on ways to express my displeasure. Perhaps shredding a slipper would be ideal revenge.

1:38 PM. Hey, are we at the drive through? We are! I can smell burgers!

1:41 PM. Wolfing down a burger. Yum yum yum yummy!

2:19 PM. Back home. Okay, human, you’re forgiven for taking me to that demonic vet. The burgers were nice compensation for being tortured by that lunatic.

6:42 PM. Having dinner with the human. She’s having lasagna, which is deemed too messy for me to eat. I do get some ground beef, though, which is nice and yummy!

11:52 PM. The human is off to bed. Good night, human! Just keep the door open in case I decide to come upstairs. I plan on getting a good night’s sleep. 

Perhaps dreaming of finally getting even with that vile vet.

Beware The Rampaging Critters

It's been twenty two years since Jurassic Park first wowed audiences with visions of dinosaurs on a tropical island, a film that gave us awe before moving right into shock and carnage as the notion of a theme park and the disregard for ethics went completely wrong. Director Steven Spielberg followed that up with The Lost World, and Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) came on board to direct Jurassic Park III. Now Jurassic World, the fourth film in the series, has hit theatres, from new director Colin Trevorrow, whose previous work includes a rather quirky film from 2012, Safety Not Guaranteed.

The film picks up on Isla Nublar, the same locale of the first film, where a dinosaur theme park is fully functional and running, attracting thousands of visitors a day. Apparently the lessons of the first film, not to mention the San Diego incident in the second film, have been lost on all concerned. Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) is the owner of the island and park, with a staff that includes the park manager, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), animal wrangler Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), tech experts Lowery (Jake Johnson) and Vivian (Lauren Lapkus), and the only character from any of the original films to return, the conscience free geneticist Dr. Wu (B.D. Wong), who got off the island before things started going wrong in the first film.

To bring in the required children in distress element of the film, Claire's nephews Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins) come to the island to pay their aunt a visit. There's also a wild card in the mix, Vic Hoskins (Vincent D'Onofrio), a security fixer with the InGen corporation of the first two films, who has an agenda of his own. Of course it doesn't take long before things start to go terribly wrong. If only they'd listened to the much missed Ian Malcolm- when things go wrong at Disney World, the Pirates of the Caribbean don't eat the tourist (they just keep making more and more movies).

Trevorrow has a hand in the screenplay, along with three other credited writers- Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Derek Connolly. The film was in development hell for years on end, usually not a good sign. Still, the story plays around with some of the same ethical questions that come before. I found it interesting, for instance, that the park owner is the one with concerns that the well being of the animals is being put behind the notion of profits- the animals are being referred to as assets, and he finds it troublesome. The story also turns things around by having the heroine initially be oblivious to those ethical concerns- Claire seems more concerned with a park running well than little things like "is this such a good idea?"

The story also comments on the consumer society- it's not enough to see dinosaurs in this theme park setting (again, why was no one listening to John Hammond at the end of The Lost World when he insisted these animals required the absence of humans?). The park's visitors numbers need a boost, and they come in the form of the big new dinosaur draw, a synthetic mix called an Indominus Rex, which is a symbol of consumer excess- bigger, louder, and brasher. There are consequences to messing around with nature, and in creating that particular beast, that's really messing around with nature. And there's an inherent irresponsibility that underlies any corporate ventures in these films, and that factors into the story- as does the notion of irresponsibility when someone stands by and does nothing while these wrongful actions proceed. Trevorrow continues to balance the tension and comic moments of the franchise. He handles action sequences- particularly the climactic confrontation of the film- reasonably well. Trevorrow manages to keep the film moving along, giving us heroism and lots of dinosaur action along the way.

The special effects continue to be effective throughout. It's impossible to top the awe of Jurassic Park, but as before we see dinosaurs looking like living, breathing organisms, with strong detail in their look, a clarity of movement, and as if they're part of the same environment as the actors and setting. The look of the engineered Indominus is particularly effective, a newcomer to these films. And it's a welcome thing to see the T-Rex and raptors again. These beasts and plenty more dinosaurs all feature into the film, and we get to see a lot of them. Michael Giacchino, who seems to be composing every other score out there these days, takes the movie in new directions, while incorporating some of John Williams' classic themes into the mix.

I liked the casting. Vincent D'Onofrio is one of those character actors you've seen in so many things down through the years, often a tough guy or every day man with flaws. He's certainly the antagonist this time out, a scheming, ruthless bastard with his own designs on the animals- he sees them not as animals, but as weapons, and his ambitions run deep. It's a character you quickly dislike, and things don't improve for the odds of the audience sympathizing with him. D'Onofrio makes him fun to watch, though.

Bryce Dallas Howard comes from good acting stock- her father is actor-director Ron Howard, and she's been in a mix of films since M. Night Shymalan cast her in The Village. I've liked her in what I have seen her in, and the same applies here. The character's lucky she's likable- neglectful aunts and park managers who lose control of their parks usually meet bad ends in this sort of film. There's history between Claire and Owen, and Howard plays to that. Despite being a yeasayer as far as the viability of the park is concerned as the story gets underway, Claire's a sympathetic character, and much of that comes from Howard's performance.

Pratt, who made a big impression last year with Guardians Of The Galaxy, is pretty straightforward as the hero of the film Owen (though they couldn't have given him a better first name?). There's something of a swashbuckler in the character, an ex-military type who's capable and resourceful (his method of evading detection by the rampaging Indominus is inspired). The character has some odd ideas about raptors, and is a nature lover with his own hesitations about the park, but he comes into his own in a crisis, as a hero should.

Carrying on the Jurassic Park franchise after several years away works, though it's not quite up to the standards of the first two films. I did find myself missing Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Julianne Moore. The lessons of previous films seem to have gone unlearned, and of course there are repercussions to be seen to. Not that the dinosaurs mind... they're too busy snacking on tourists.

My Fellow Americans, You Betcha!

Some links before getting started. Norma wrote about drive in theatres. Parsnip had a Square Dog Friday. Shelly had an extension on her online novel. Lynn had a Pop Culture Frenzy post. Ivy had a Friday Question.

Today I have something entirely different. Dick Cheney might want to have me come over for a hunting weekend after this. And we all know how hunting weekends turn up at Chez Cheney.

Insane Candidates Join The Fray; Comedians Everywhere Rejoice

St. Louis (AP) A crowded Republican list of candidates for the 2016 Presidential election just got more crowded. With frontline candidates such as Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry, and a slew of fringe candidates that include the egomaniacal bankruptcy prone casino developer Donald Trump already announcing their run at the Oval Office or expected to announce soon, two other Tea Party favourites have announced their joint run at the Presidency in this Mid-Western city yesterday.

Tea Party faithful were gathered at the America’s Center complex, along with media and staffers for the announcement. A flurry of faded politicians, hard right commentators, and washed up musicians were in attendance. Donald Rumsfeld, Pat Buchanan, John Ashcroft, Karl Rove, Herman Cain, Ari Fleischer, Newt Gingrich, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, and the urn containing the ashes of the late and not lamented right wing blogger Andrew Breitbart were among the most notable. Rocker and deranged lunatic Ted Nugent and country singer Toby Keith provided the entertainment and made veiled threats about anyone prying their guns from their cold dead hands. Nugent went on to repeat his oft mentioned question about why he wasn’t dead or in jail all this time after the previous election, given his remarks about the President, and rambled on and on, leaving one to wonder if he was drunk.

Then it was time for the big announcement. That announcement, of course, would come after Limbaugh, Coulter, Rumsfeld, Cain, Gingrich, and forty seven people from the lives and backgrounds of the two candidates made rambling and glowing tributes to both of them. As to which of the two would be the actual candidate was another matter. Finally after Keith finished performing ‘Courtesy of the Red, White, And Blue’, the singer made the announcement the Tea Party faithful and the Fox News reporters had been dying to hear. Those of us who are actual reporters had been rolling our eyes for at least two hours, wondering why the Republican party couldn’t field candidates who weren’t clinically insane or viewing the world with a mindset sixty years behind the times.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Hard workin’ Americans!” Keith bellowed, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. “Here they are, your next President and Vice President... and they’ll explain how they’re going to get around that all by themselves, they’re going to take the country back and put the boot in the ass to all those liberal commie haters who can’t stand eatin’ good ol’ American style steak, ladies and gentlemen.... Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann!”

Palin and Bachmann came out on stage, flashing the same vacant, slightly demented smiles they’re known for, accompanied by husbands and children, all of whom stood behind them on the stage. “Hello, America!” Palin called out, waving.

“Thanks for coming to our coming out!” Bachmann added. “Not that kind of coming out, mind you, the good kind!”

“You betcha!” Palin said with a grin confirming she wasn’t playing with more than a pair of twos, a three of spades, a ten of clubs, and one jack. The rest of the proverbial deck of cards that constituted her brain was long gone. “Gosh, golly, there are a lot of candidates out there for the Republican nomination in 2016, but when it comes down to it, the only way we’re goin’ to get those Dumbocrats outta the White House and Congress and every state house is if the two of us lead the way!”

Bachmann nodded. “So we’re gonna be President and Vice President! Or Co-Presidents to be more exact. Palin and Bachmann! Bachmann and Palin!”

Palin smiled again. “And we’re a team! So we’re gonna do things as a team. For instance, one day I’ll be the one in the Oval Office makin’ the big decisions and the next day Michele’s gonna be President for the day, and so on and so on. Presidents in turn!”

Aside from Tea Party faithful and Fox reporters, who broke out into gleeful applause, real reporters rolled their eyes and groaned. Did neither of these halfwits understand the basic concepts of the Constitution and division of executive powers? A Reuters correspondent spoke up. “You do realize the Constitution might have something to say about that kind of arrangement.”

Palin shrugged. “The Constitution? Who cares about the Constitution?”

Bachmann nodded. “Yeah, we’re goin’ to have it burned after we impose martial law and name ourselves Presidents For Life anyway.”

Palin looked confused. “Did we just think that, or say that out loud?”

“I don’t know,” Bachmann replied. She laughed in her typically demented way. “Look, what’s important is takin’ this country back from those godless latte slurpin’ commie liberals gettin’ in our way. And we gotta set this country back to the way things oughtta be, isn’t that right, Rush?” Limbaugh nodded enthusiastically. “That means Republicans in charge of everything, opposition destroyed, liberals caged up in super prisons if they so much as look at us funny....”

“You do realize you just said that out loud, right?” this reporter called out.

Bachmann frowned. “What’s your name? You’re goin’ on the enemy list!”

Palin smiled, shrugged, and remarked, “what do you expect from the lamestream media? You know, you don’t like America, Mr. Fancy Pants Reporter, why don’t you go to Russia?  You can see it from my house, if you squint real hard. America’s ours, a God fearin’, butt kickin’, beer drinkin’ steak and eggs apple pie gosh golly country that’s the greatest country on Earth! Everybody else eats our dust!”

Bachmann carried on. “This is our vision for America: a country full of freedom and fire and brimstone preachin’ and Mom’s apple pie, and the right to bear arms bein’ the only part of the Constitution we’ll keep, and Ronald Reagan statues in every town, and marriage being only between a man and a woman, and sex only being after marriage for the purpose of havin’ babies, with all the lights turned off. And Alan Jackson and Toby Keith and Ted Nugent tourin’ the country performin’ and keepin’ the dream alive. And no more Obamacare and lots of tax cuts for our corporate buddies and beer all around. And the Dixie Chicks in a concentration camp for ever darin' to insult a Republican president, am I right, Toby?”

Toby Keith stood up and applauded. “You sure are! I hate those Dixie Chicks!”

Bachmann laughed. “And while we’re at it, we gotta bring the rest of the world to heel, right, Sarah?”

Palin nodded. “Absolutely. That means takin’ down that Putin guy once and for all, and droppin’ some nukes on South Korea, and while we’re at it, a few nukes all over the Middle East. Get rid of those Iraqi Anwar Sadat fans once and for all.” This reporter shook his head- did this woman even know when she was making factual errors?

Bachmann continued. “What the world needs to know is that we’re in charge. That means respectin’ us and doin’ what we say or pay the price.” The fact that she said that with her usual vacant smile made the expression all the more disturbing. “That also includes gettin’ even with that Mountie who came down here a few months ago and beat up a few thousand of Rush’s supporters.” Limbaugh was nodding enthusiastically at this point. “No one makes Dittoheads bleed and cry and gets away with it! Canada, either you give us that Metallica drummin’ Mountie so we can have him drawn and quartered, or we drop nukes on you!”

Palin nodded. “Gosh golly, when we’re through, those godless liberal commie fascists won’t recognize the land of the red, white, and blue!” This reporter sighed in dismay, expecting that the difference between communism and fascism was too complicated for the mind of Sarah Palin. “Michele and me, we’re gonna take this country in the right direction, and we’re gonna be the most benevolent overlord rulers of any country everywhere! We’re gonna get back to the basics, and that means steppin’ up and doin’ what we say, and that means you, Levi Johnston! Time to man up and marry Bristol, you punk! And sure enough, give those commie liberals enough time and they’ll come around to see things our way. Or we can just toss ‘em all into some concentration camp with the Dixie Chicks and the gays and the peace activists and the Supreme Court and the holdout Dumbocrats."

Michele smiled in that delirious way of hers. “God help America.... I mean, God bless America! Remember, in 2016, vote Palin and Bachmann!”

“Or Bachmann and Palin!” Palin added.  “Vote for us! You can trust us! I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?”

The two left the stage to the sound of Toby Keith and Ted Nugent jamming in a strange rendition of God Bless America. As to the question of what was the worst that could happen, this reporter was envisioning nuclear holocaust. Granted, what were the chances? Who in their right minds would even vote for this pair of dolts?

GOP party bosses were horrified at the prospect of Palin and Bachmann running for the nomination. The Koch brothers were busy hedging their bets, wondering how much bribe money would be needed to control them. This reporter wondered if the Koch brothers ever thought they’d be spending less money just paying taxes than blowing it on political manipulation. And up in Canada, RCMP Inspector Lars Ulrich was cautiously approached by other reporters, who informed him of the demand by the Palin/ Bachmann team. “Drawn and quartered?” he asked, smiling in a strange way. “Well, they’re welcome to try.”

Late night comedians were ecstatic at the thought of a Palin/Bachmann run at the nomination and the sheer possibility of ways they could work this into monologues. “However long this campaign lasts,” Conan O’Brien told reporters, “we’ll have plenty of material to use for years.”

Stephen Colbert, due to take over David Letterman’s old spot on the Late Show in September, mused on getting an early start to take advantage of the full comic possibilities that a Palin/ Bachmann ticket presented. And Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, soon to move on, was stunned to hear the news. He told reporters, “They choose now to run for the nomination? This is a dream come true. I wonder if it’s too late to change my mind.”

Dinosaur Hunting And Other Disasters

Some links before getting started today. Norma wrote about the Triple Crown. Parsnip checked in. Eve wrote about naughty or nice. And Maria had tips for writers in regards to disposing of bodies.

Today I have another movie review...

“Oh yeah. Ooohh, aahhh, that’s how it always starts. Then later there’s running, and, ah... screaming.” ~ Ian Malcolm

“Please. Don’t treat me like a grad student. I’ve worked around predators since I was twenty years old. Lions, jackals, hyenas.... you.” ~ Sarah Harding

“Yeah, well, noble was last year. This year I’m getting paid. Hammond’s check cleared, or I wouldn’t be going on this wild goose chase.” ~ Nick Van Owen

“Saddle up! Let’s get this moveable feast underway!” ~ Roland Tembo

“Careful. This suit cost more than your education.” ~Peter Ludlow

 “These creatures require our absence to survive, not our help. And if we could only step aside, and trust in nature, life will find a way.” ~ John Hammond

“Remember that chap about twenty years ago? I forget his name. Climbed Everest without any oxygen, came down nearly dead. When they asked him, they said why did you go up there to die? He said, I didn’t, I went up there to live.” ~ Roland Tembo

“Why don’t people listen to me? I use plain and simple English, I don’t have any accent that I’m aware of...” ~ Ian Malcolm  

“Oh, shut up.” ~ Sarah Harding

After the success of Jurassic Park, it was inevitable that there would be a follow-up. Author Michael Crichton wrote a novel, The Lost World, which would be very loosely adapted in a screenplay by David Koepp, who had co-written the screenplay for the first film. The film follows some of the characters from the original film on a new island where dinosaurs have survived, and features a power struggle between those who wish to protect the animals and those who seek to exploit them.

Four years after the events of the first film, a wealthy family has stopped for a break on the beach on Isla Sorna, off the Costa Rican coast. A young girl wanders off, encountering little dinosaurs that quickly turn on her. The incident allows Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), the nephew of John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to take control of InGen, the company that built the ill fated theme park on the nearby Isla Nublar. Hammond has spent the last few years trying to keep Isla Sorna from being exploited; it’s the site where the dinosaurs were nurtured before being moved to the park, and with the events of the previous film, the animals have been left there to roam wild, and are thriving. Hammond calls in Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), whose reputation has been wrecked by whistleblowing the events at InGen, and explains his dilemma. He can only safeguard the island by getting public opinion on his side, and that requires sending a team in to document the animals in their natural environment. Hammond wants Ian on that team, given his previous experience.

One of the team members happens to be Ian’s girlfriend, Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore), a behavioural palaeontologist who’s already gone ahead to the island. Ian is annoyed by the fact that Hammond’s already taken liberties, and is determined to go to the island and bring Sarah back. He meets the other two members of the team, a logistics specialist, Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff) and a videographer, Nick Van Owen (Vince Vaughn). Things are also complicated by the arrival of Ian’s daughter Kelly (Vanessa Lee Chester). The team set out for the island and a rendezvous with Sarah, not knowing they have a stowaway, and unaware that there is another team with a different agenda- collecting dinosaurs and taking them- coming to the island as well.

The story is more of an adventure straight off than the first film. The characters and the audience know there is no illusion of control about this island, that the threat is paramount. The ethical question shifts from what we saw in the first film, as the right of people to tamper with life, to what we see here, the struggle of two different agendas. On the right side of that equation is the need to protect the animals and keep them out of harm’s way. The other side is the greedy disregard for what’s right- the desire to exploit and use the animals no matter the consequence. Hammond, who’s learned lessons the hard way, has gone from venture capitalist to environmentalist, lessons that his nephew doesn’t learn. I like that shift in the ethical side of the film. Aside from moving the narrative along, providing thrills, a measure of horror, and humour along the line, the story also grounds itself in relationship dynamics, and they’re best expressed in the relationships between Hammond and Ludlow, Kelly and Ian, and Sarah and Ian. Those are explored as the film goes along, though in the first case, only indirectly.

The special effects once more make dinosaurs come alive. We get the tyrannosaurus rex, the raptors, and a variety of other dinosaurs that seem to be sharing the screen with the actors as opposed to being a special effect. Full use is made of them, in a variety of ways- I love the way Spielberg sets up the scenes of raptors stalking a group of people running through tall grass- we see glimpses of the predators, their paths through the grass, a flash of their tails as they converge on their prey. And he doesn’t shy away from giving us full view of them either. 

The climax of the movie, with a Rex loose in San Diego, brings both terror and a sense of sly humour to it- and that beast certainly looks like it is alive and stomping around city streets late at night. Spielberg also brings back composer John Williams, who makes spare use of his previous themes and instead infuses dangerous, thrilling sounds into the score, with a hint of the jungle in the music.

The cast again is well chosen. Richard Attenborough appears only briefly as Hammond, who’s learned his lessons the hard way after the previous film. He seeks redemption for his earlier mistakes by safeguarding the island, and his intentions are at least better this time out- though he takes liberties in how he carries them out. Still, the character continues to come across as the kindly old grandfather. 

This is not the case for Arliss Howard as his nephew Peter Ludlow. The executive is a sneering, arrogant man, obnoxious and condescending, thoroughly unlikable and not as bright as he thinks he is. There’s a basic antagonism that he brings out in everyone- even the people working for him. Though the two characters never share a scene, there’s a sense that Ludlow holds his uncle Hammond in contempt. And for all his arrogance and bluster, deep down the character is a spineless excuse for a human being.

Vanessa Lee Chester as the stowaway daughter Kelly has the bulk of her interaction with Goldblum and Moore, filling the place of having a kid in the movie that Ariana Richards and Joseph Mazzello had in the first film. The relationship Kelly has with her father is somewhat tense- part of that is normal teenager stuff, the roll the eyes at whatever Dad says routine. Part of it is also the dynamic between them- her parents aren’t together, she feels her father doesn’t particularly want to be a dad. It’s a complicated relationship- she doesn’t understand that what’s driving Ian is keeping both her and Sarah safe; he of course has extensive experience with these animals, and knows how dangerous they can be. Actually Ian and Kelly have more in common than she realizes. Richard Schiff is good as the sardonic but capable logistics man Eddie Carr, who seems to have the right equipment for the right occasion, but isn’t really ready for what’s on the island until he sees dinosaurs with his own eyes. The character has a dry sense of humour, and while things end badly for him, he goes out working to save others, which is a nice touch. After this movie, Schiff went on to be one of the core cast members of The West Wing. Vince Vaughn plays the charming and somewhat idealistic Nick, bringing some of his motor-mouth personality to the role; this was an earlier role for him, and while I don’t mind the motor-mouth act in this film, it’s gotten tiresome in the years since as he’s pretty much kept using it. That said, however, Nick’s an interesting character, sarcastic but principled.

Pete Postlethwaite became better known later in his career to international audiences, particularly because of his outstanding work in the 1993 film In The Name Of The Father (far and away the best film of that year). Here he gets a really good role as Roland Tembo (what a name), a big game hunter who leads Ludlow’s team on the island. The character’s a boisterous, tough, and capable leader, a thoroughly dangerous man (one would not want to get into a fight with him). There’s something of a Captain Ahab to the man- he seeks the challenge of hunting a Tyrannosaurus Rex- and yet he can pull back from that hunt and let it go- a vital difference from Ahab. Where he ends up is a different place, personality wise, than where we first meet him. While he might work for the opposing side, he’s not unsympathetic, and we get to like him more as the film goes along. The character’s a force of nature, and Postlethwaite seems to be having a ball playing him.

Julianne Moore’s one of those actresses who could read the phone book and make it fascinating- she’s just that compelling and interesting in what she does. She’s resourceful, curious, and smart- and perhaps not wary enough of the dangers of the island until things go wrong. We believe her as an expert in the field- she seems entirely comfortable in her surroundings and carries herself with authority as you’d expect out of an experienced palaeontologist. Sarah’s relationship with Ian also feels real. The two have their disagreements, but have a lot of history, too, and for the most part seem to get along. Sarah’s touched that Ian’s come to rescue her, but adds that it would help if he did so on occasions when she could really use the help- such as a dinner with parents he missed. They’re not a perfect couple (who is?), but they seem grounded and real, and Moore plays to that, adding a sense of spirit and strength to her role.

Jeff Goldblum is fun once again as Ian Malcolm. He’s more cynical when we first meet him- having one’s academic career dismantled will do that. Having lived through the experience on the other island, he’s also the one character who understands the dangers the animals present. Try as he might to warn everyone around him, they don’t listen- until it’s too late. His motives are more personal this time out as well. While his ethical world view remains the same, his driving motivation is the safety of the woman he loves, and the daughter who thinks he doesn’t understand her. He might not go about how he deals with both in the right way, saying the wrong things at times, but we get what drives him, because like him, we know where this is going to end up- with lots of bloodshed and dinosaurs ripping people in half.

The Lost World was a fitting follow-up to Jurassic Park. Given that we already had the awe and majesty of the first film (before the chaos started), this film goes pretty much for the chaos, particularly in its second and third acts. It has a terrific cast, a good sense of humour, an adventurous spirit, and a fine way of driving up the tension.