Rate "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"!

[Josh500 1,620]

OK, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" has grown on me tremendously over the past decade.

This is, clearly, inferior to "Jurassic Park," but that doesn't make it a bad score. On the contrary, I think this is one of JW's very best of its kind (although it doesn't quite make the Top 10). On a sidenote, I have a soft spot for this movie/score, because I have such fond memories attached to it. I saw the movie in a drive-in movie theater in Japan with my cousin (I was like 15) and I got the score in a big department store in Tokyo. In short, the whole experience was somewhat unforgettable and wonderful.

But to the score itself: I love the "Theme from Lost World" (prehistoric, adventurous, rough, wild, exotic), and all the tracks containing heavy percussion (especially "Rescuing Sarah" and "The Hunt"). The later cues connected with San Diego are great, too, but IMO slightly inferior to the "jungle music." But then, that may not be John Williams's fault entirely, because the later scenes are clearly inferior to the "jungle scenes," too.

Score: 4.5

Movie: 3.5

[Datameister 2,586]

3.5 for the score. It's not bad at all, but I much prefer the greater contrasts in the first score. And even though the main theme has grown on me, it still has a little bit of an annoying been-there-done-that feeling to it.

I gave the movie a 3. It's Jurassic Park, which automatically guarantees a certain degree of fun, but IMO, the film just doesn't hold together like the first one does. It's a little too scattered and over-the-top for me.

[Henry B 51]

I think the score is great, much better than Jurassic Park. The film is lousy.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Score 4. Movie 2 for quality, 4 for enjoyability.

(for the first movie, it's a firm 2.5 for score and film).

[Josh500 1,620]

(for the first movie, it's a firm 2.5 for score and film).

You might be in the minority there, my friend.

[Luke Skywalker 2,386]

(for the first movie, it's a firm 2.5 for score and film).

You might be in the minority there, my friend.

i wouldnt be so sure.

[Jay 46,245]

The score is amazing. I give it a 4.5. Could be higher if we ever get a release of the full score. You can't even tell whats going on in a lot of the unreleased cues because the other sounds are so loud

The movie is a 2.5. Its perfectly enjoyable summer fun. Maybe a 3 then.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,110]

5 for the score! 1 for the movie.

This is one of John Williams' best. TLW, PoA, and TPM form the fantastic trio of his dwindling late career.

This is the score Jurassic Park should have been (which gets a 3 for me, only for those two magnificent and famous tracks).

[Nick Parker 3,049]

I give the score a 5, and the film a 3.5. I love the drastic change in tone that John Williams brought to his second Jurassic Park, and it is unfortunate that this decision is maligned by many who wanted John Williams to write more of the same.

[Hlao-roo 390]

Williams's last great action-adventure score. Unfortunately, he has pillaged it both stylistically and thematically so often that it is no longer as satisfying a listen as it once was.

[Ollie 1,375]

4-1/2 for the score and 4 for the film.

[indy4 160]

4.5 for the score, 3 for the film.

[JoeinAR 1,957]

Jeez how many thread/polls are we going to have on this film score, jfc

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

5 and 4

[Josh500 1,620]

Williams's last great action-adventure score.

Uh, that would be Harry Potter (although, that's also fantasy).

[Taikomochi 1,461]

5 and 4

[Hlao-roo 390]

Williams's last great action-adventure score.

Uh, that would be Harry Potter (although, that's also fantasy).

Well, I would disagree, although Williams certainly flirts with greatness at times, as he does in just about all his scores.

[Nick Parker 3,049]

Unfortunately, he has pillaged it both stylistically and thematically so often

Alan, if you do not mind me asking, I would like some clarification on your part. I understand you are referring to the " Ludlow's Demise" motiv being re-used, and "Grave Robbers" from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as far as style goes, but in what other instances did he stylistically and thematically pillage The Lost World: Jurassic Park?

[Ollie 1,375]

Actually Ludlow's Demise has been re-used in Harry Potter & The SS, ROTS and Minority Report.

Of course Goldsmith was just as guilty with his US Marshall riff that was used in lord knows how many films.

[Nick Parker 3,049]

Of curiosity, when in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith does one hear the "Ludlow's Demise" motiv? I do not recall it anywhere, though one hears it in "The Quidditch Match" and "Anderton's Great Escape" respectively, yes?

[Ollie 1,375]

Track #7, "Grievous And The Droids".

[Romão 2,473]

I agree with the other examples, but I don't really hear the riff from Ludlow's demise in Grievous and the Droids.

[Genius_Gone_Insane 5]

This score has an amazing, underappreciated main theme.

[Josh500 1,620]

What I'm thinking is that some JW scores age amazingly well... probably because we don't get that many JW scores these days.

[Datameister 2,586]

This score has an amazing, underappreciated main theme.

I hated that thing for the longest time. I can stomach it better now, but still, I definitely wouldn't call it underappreciated.

[Trent B 354]

The score I gave it a 4.5 the movie I gave it a three.

[King Mark 3,975]

It wasn't that much appreciated in 1997. Even FSM reviewed is said "it was over by track 4"

Maybe in 10 years RotS and KotCS will have improved standing like this one

My Favorite cues:

Main Theme

The Hunt

The Stegosaurus

[Josh500 1,620]

This score has an amazing, underappreciated main theme.

I hated that thing for the longest time. I can stomach it better now, but still, I definitely wouldn't call it underappreciated.

I don't understand why some people would actually hate a piece. There are pieces that I don't like very much because they don't work for me, but I don't actively hate them...

I agree with Genius here. I think this is underappreciated. One of my favorite themes... quite original, I would say, for JW.

[King Mark 3,975]

the main theme is great ,that's for sure

[Josh500 1,620]

For me:

1. Lost World 5 stars

2. Island Prologue 3 stars

3. Malcolm's Journey 3 stars

4. Hunt 5 stars

5. Trek 4 stars

6. Finding Camp Jurassic 4 stars

7. Rescuing Sarah 5 stars

8. Hammond's Plan 5 stars

9. Raptors Appear 4 stars

10. Compys Dine 3 stars

11. Stegosaurus 5 stars

12. Ludlow's Demise 4 stars

13. Visitor in San Diego 4 stars

14. Finale and Jurassic Park Theme 4 stars

Yeah, I realize just now there ARE many dissonant cues here, probably many more than in WotW.

[Ollie 1,375]

I thought quite a few music sites gave the score a positive review in 1997. Must be getting senile.

I remember one the sites had the theme available a week or so before the score was released. I thought it was great. Reminded me of early 70's Williams, especially the main title to the Towering Inferno.

[Josh500 1,620]

Amazon reviewers give the score an average of 4.5.

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-Jurassic-..._pr_product_top +

I guess this score is pretty good, after all.

[Datameister 2,586]

I don't understand why some people would actually hate a piece. There are pieces that I don't like very much because they don't work for me, but I don't actively hate them...

I'm not one to actually hate music very often either, but something about that theme just really rubbed me the wrong way for a while. As I said, it's grown on me a lot. If I'm in the right mood, I can really enjoy it now.

One of my favorite themes... quite original, I would say, for JW.

cf. Return of the Jedi, "The Alliance Assembly"

[King Mark 3,975]

ah yes,the good old Alliance Assembly .I waited so long for that great cue which we were mislead to have on the OST

[Josh500 1,620]

One of my favorite themes... quite original, I would say, for JW.

cf. Return of the Jedi, "The Alliance Assembly"

We're talking about the main theme, right? I don't hear any resemblance.

AA sounds maybe a bit like Stegosaurus, but the resemblance is IMO negligible...

[Datameister 2,586]

We're talking about the main theme, right? I don't hear any resemblance.

AA sounds maybe a bit like Stegosaurus, but the resemblance is IMO negligible...

The melody isn't the same, but he's using a device that he's rather fond of. He sets up a melody and then has lots of major chords moving parallel to it, often with a pedal tone or other notes that introduce a hint of dissonance. He later did it with an unreleased cue in ROTS, for when Obi-Wan goes to Utapau, and I think I've heard other instances of it, too, but I can't remember what they are right now.

[Josh500 1,620]

We're talking about the main theme, right? I don't hear any resemblance.

AA sounds maybe a bit like Stegosaurus, but the resemblance is IMO negligible...

The melody isn't the same, but he's using a device that he's rather fond of. He sets up a melody and then has lots of major chords moving parallel to it, often with a pedal tone or other notes that introduce a hint of dissonance. He later did it with an unreleased cue in ROTS, for when Obi-Wan goes to Utapau, and I think I've heard other instances of it, too, but I can't remember what they are right now.

I'm not familiar with RotJ enough to judge, but I would say that's just one of JW's techniques... tricks of the trade... or whatever you want to call it.

In the case of Stegosaurus, it works brilliantly, I thought!

[Datameister 2,586]

Sure...I was simply pointing out that your comment about the TLW main theme being "quite original...for JW" wasn't wholly accurate, IMO.

[Josh500 1,620]

Sure...I was simply pointing out that your comment about the TLW main theme being "quite original...for JW" wasn't wholly accurate, IMO.

I'm sorry, I don't get you.

You said yourself, it bears no resemblance to AA.

[Luke Skywalker 2,386]

what about Giacchino score?

[Datameister 2,586]

I'm sorry, I don't get you. You said yourself, it bears no resemblance to AA.

I said the melody isn't the same - that's quite different from saying there's no resemblance between the two themes. (I use the word "theme" here loosely, since the ROTJ passage isn't a leitmotif or anything.) There's a very strong resemblance in the way they're written. It's like saying "Aunt Marge's Waltz" isn't similar to

just because they have different melodies.

EDIT: Note also that I wasn't necessarily trying to attack Williams' practice of reusing this technique, by the way. While it does bother me a little bit, I do like the feeling that it creates, and it's usually appropriate to the scenes in which he uses it.

[Luke Skywalker 2,386]

the thing is you were generalising about the entire score not being original (because this Stegosarus cue for example) but they were talking about the Main theme Being original. And the main theme has no resemblande to the Alliance assembly.

[crocodile 9,724]

Four stars for the score and two for the film. Wait, where's the "2 stars" option? Nevermind, 1,5 for the film then.

Karol

[Datameister 2,586]

the thing is you were generalising about the entire score not being original (because this Stegosarus cue for example) but they were talking about the Main theme Being original.

I was just talking about the main theme. Re-read my posts if you don't believe me.

And the main theme has no resemblande to the Alliance assembly.

Why was my above analysis incorrect?

[Josh500 1,620]

I'm sorry, I don't get you. You said yourself, it bears no resemblance to AA.

I said the melody isn't the same - that's quite different from saying there's no resemblance between the two themes. (I use the word "theme" here loosely, since the ROTJ passage isn't a leitmotif or anything.) There's a very strong resemblance in the way they're written. It's like saying "Aunt Marge's Waltz" isn't similar to

just because they have different melodies.

EDIT: Note also that I wasn't necessarily trying to attack Williams' practice of reusing this technique, by the way. While it does bother me a little bit, I do like the feeling that it creates, and it's usually appropriate to the scenes in which he uses it.

Well, in the case of "Aunt Marge" and "Magpie" you can at least hear a resemblance.

In the case of "Lost World" and "Alliance" I don't hear ANY resemblance at all. Well, maybe the technique used was the same... but so what? I don't even know why you use that as an argument that the Lost World Main Theme is not that original... after all a composer knows many techniques, and use them to create many different pieces. So it stands to reason that a composer uses the same techniques for different pieces...

In any case, I think it's quite original, unless someone finds a JW piece that sounds more similar to it.

the thing is you were generalising about the entire score not being original (because this Stegosarus cue for example) but they were talking about the Main theme Being original. And the main theme has no resemblande to the Alliance assembly.

Exactly.

[Datameister 2,586]

I hear the resemblance. EDIT: And as to why I would use that to argue that it's not quite original - well, original refers to something with very little connection to past works, something new and fresh that's never been heard before. Reusing a very specific technique that results in a certain sound doesn't fit the bill, IMO.

[Josh500 1,620]

I hear the resemblance. EDIT: And as to why I would use that to argue that it's not quite original - well, original refers to something with very little connection to past works, something new and fresh that's never been heard before. Reusing a very specific technique that results in a certain sound doesn't fit the bill, IMO.

Well, I think that's a bit unfair on JW!

I define an "original piece" as simply a fresh listening experience, regardless of the technique used...

[King Mark 3,975]

There's nothing wrong with Williams using a "similar structure" to compose a new theme.

By that logic the Superman March and Raiders March suck because he used the same technique for the Star Wars theme

[Datameister 2,586]

Well, I think that's a bit unfair on JW!

Again, don't take it as an outright criticism...there are countless great works out there that aren't "quite original," per se. And there are countless works that are quite original that I can't stand!

I define an "original piece" as simply a fresh listening experience, regardless of the technique used...

And again, I hear a very strong resemblance. The technique is just the reason why - it's not like I heard two pieces that sounded completely unlike each other than then decided to start analyzing the technicalities to find some hidden common element. I heard two pieces that sounded similar, so I thought about why they sounded similar and quickly realized that he'd used a very similar technique for two somewhat different melodies and with some tweaks to the arrangement.

By that logic the Superman March and Raiders March suck because he used the same technique for the Star Wars theme

Really? We've gone from being not "quite original" to "sucking"? Come on, KM...read what I said! I was just nitpicking about the adjective Josh500 used to describe the piece. I wasn't trying to call it terrible or anything. And anyway, the three pieces you mentioned have only superficial resemblance. They're all orchestral marches in major keys, and two of them use ostinatos rather prominently, but the resemblance mostly stops there.

[Josh500 1,620]

Again, don't take it as an outright criticism...there are countless great works out there that aren't "quite original," per se. And there are countless works that are quite original that I can't stand!

Well, if you say a piece is "not quite original" or something to that effect, it IS a bit of a criticism, however you meant it...

And again, I hear a very strong resemblance.

OK, understood. But I'm sure most people wouldn't hear it.