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If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...: Encounters with Remarkable People and Their Most Valuable Advice
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Adventures in advice with some of the world's most remarkable people. President Bill Clinton, Clare...
Pure Imagination: A Sorta Biography
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The life and good times of one of the world's favourite songwriters. If you've ever hummed a popular...
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
So it was another midnight screening over at my local Cineworld last night, or should that be this morning, for the showing of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, a movie that I’ve been dying to see, not for the dinosaurs, but for the return of Jeff Goldblum to the franchise.
It’s been three years since the incident at Jurassic World back in 2015 and now the dinosaurs and the island are threatened by extinction from the volcano that is about to wipe everything out, but the dilemma is, do you save the dinosaurs or do you let them die!
Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) wants to save the creature and luck would just so have it that Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), who is the old partner of Hammond (Richard Attenborough), wants to save them as well, bringing them to an island sanctuary to stop them from being wiped out of existence for the second time. But as with any well-laid plans, things are bound to take a turn for the worse.
It’s been three years since the incident at Jurassic World back in 2015 and now the dinosaurs and the island are threatened by extinction from the volcano that is about to wipe everything out, but the dilemma is, do you save the dinosaurs or do you let them die!
Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) wants to save the creature and luck would just so have it that Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), who is the old partner of Hammond (Richard Attenborough), wants to save them as well, bringing them to an island sanctuary to stop them from being wiped out of existence for the second time. But as with any well-laid plans, things are bound to take a turn for the worse.
David McK (3175 KP) rated Jurassic Park (1993) in Movies
May 26, 2020
I've just realised (at the time of writing) that this movie is nearly 30 years old.
Man, I feel old.
Taking some liberties with Michael Crichtons's source material (Hammond dies and was not a very nice man; Grant likes kids), this is a disaster movie with stunning effects (that still hold up pretty well today) for the time, even if our understanding of the 'headline' dinosaurs has changed somewhat in the intervening years since its release (Raptors were the size of chickens, had feathers, and were NOT pack hunters. or so we now think).
Set on a tropical island hit by a storm just as the owner is given a pre-release tour to special invited guests to show off his scientific breakthrough - cloned Dinosaurs, because that's ALWAYS a good idea … - a series of events leads to the power going down, and the 'exhibits' breaking free to wreak havoc amongst those guests. And, lets not kid around the bush here, despite having the likes of Samuel L Jackson, Richard Attenborough, Sam Neil, Laura Dern and - uh- Jeff Goldblum ("life, uh, finds a way") amongst the cast - the real stars are those dinosaurs.
All the sequels (4 so far, with a 5th ion the way in Jurassic World: Dominion) pale in comparison.
Man, I feel old.
Taking some liberties with Michael Crichtons's source material (Hammond dies and was not a very nice man; Grant likes kids), this is a disaster movie with stunning effects (that still hold up pretty well today) for the time, even if our understanding of the 'headline' dinosaurs has changed somewhat in the intervening years since its release (Raptors were the size of chickens, had feathers, and were NOT pack hunters. or so we now think).
Set on a tropical island hit by a storm just as the owner is given a pre-release tour to special invited guests to show off his scientific breakthrough - cloned Dinosaurs, because that's ALWAYS a good idea … - a series of events leads to the power going down, and the 'exhibits' breaking free to wreak havoc amongst those guests. And, lets not kid around the bush here, despite having the likes of Samuel L Jackson, Richard Attenborough, Sam Neil, Laura Dern and - uh- Jeff Goldblum ("life, uh, finds a way") amongst the cast - the real stars are those dinosaurs.
All the sequels (4 so far, with a 5th ion the way in Jurassic World: Dominion) pale in comparison.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999) in Movies
Jan 29, 2019
Great music, shame about the rest
I loved Joseph when I was a child, and I haven’t seen the stage show since I was in primary school either, so I had to watch this when I saw it had been added to Netflix.
I spent the entire of this film trying to figure out if this was a stage show they’d recorded and made look like a film, or if they’d intentionally made it as a film like this. Looking it up afterwards, I’ve discovered this was a direct to video film and boy can you tell. For a purposely made film, the production values in this are really cheesy and cheap, and the costumes are pretty bad even with it being the late 90s. I also can’t stand the narrator in this, I just found her very irritating - the last scene especially. Donny Osmond is alright but his hair looks so fake I couldn’t help laughing every time there was a close up. The highlight of the cast by far is Richard Attenborough, it’s just a shame he isn't in it very much.
What saves this is the all round entertainment factor and the soundtrack. You can’t question the Lloyd Webber music, it’s truly fantastic and so varied (from country to Elvis rock) and catchy. I just wished the rest of the film lived up to this - they really should have just filmed a stage version.
I spent the entire of this film trying to figure out if this was a stage show they’d recorded and made look like a film, or if they’d intentionally made it as a film like this. Looking it up afterwards, I’ve discovered this was a direct to video film and boy can you tell. For a purposely made film, the production values in this are really cheesy and cheap, and the costumes are pretty bad even with it being the late 90s. I also can’t stand the narrator in this, I just found her very irritating - the last scene especially. Donny Osmond is alright but his hair looks so fake I couldn’t help laughing every time there was a close up. The highlight of the cast by far is Richard Attenborough, it’s just a shame he isn't in it very much.
What saves this is the all round entertainment factor and the soundtrack. You can’t question the Lloyd Webber music, it’s truly fantastic and so varied (from country to Elvis rock) and catchy. I just wished the rest of the film lived up to this - they really should have just filmed a stage version.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) in Movies
May 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 24, 2019)
An underrated sequel
And so it begins....
The Lost World is the first of a handful of sequels that don't even scratch the original, but I've always thought this was an underappreciated follow up.
As with the first, I first saw this when I was very young, and naturally thought it was incredible (as any 10 year old boy would), but unlike the first one, it doesn't hold up watching it now.
Starting with a huge positive though - I will always, and I mean always have time for Jeff Goldblum. He has always been one of my top actors and he returns to the role of Ian Malcolm with aplomb here.
Another welcome member of the cast is Pete Postlethwaite as the token bad guy, and of course Richard Attenborough returning as John Hammond.
There are also some great set pieces, namely the now infamous trailer-hanging-from-the-side-of-cliff scene. The tension built up here is reminiscent of the first T-Rex scene from the first film.
But on the flip side you have the last 30 minutes. The change of location is jarring and the urban setting highlights just how rough around the edges the special effects are.
I have to give kudos to Spielberg for attempting such an ambitious twist at the last minute, but it doesn't quite work, and gives way to a huge plot hole involving the fates of the ship crew.
I also find myself not really caring about the rest of the cast, which is a shame, as I tend to enjoy Julianne Moore.
Overall - it's not terrible, it's not great, but enjoy this sequel for what it is as it's down hill from here!
The Lost World is the first of a handful of sequels that don't even scratch the original, but I've always thought this was an underappreciated follow up.
As with the first, I first saw this when I was very young, and naturally thought it was incredible (as any 10 year old boy would), but unlike the first one, it doesn't hold up watching it now.
Starting with a huge positive though - I will always, and I mean always have time for Jeff Goldblum. He has always been one of my top actors and he returns to the role of Ian Malcolm with aplomb here.
Another welcome member of the cast is Pete Postlethwaite as the token bad guy, and of course Richard Attenborough returning as John Hammond.
There are also some great set pieces, namely the now infamous trailer-hanging-from-the-side-of-cliff scene. The tension built up here is reminiscent of the first T-Rex scene from the first film.
But on the flip side you have the last 30 minutes. The change of location is jarring and the urban setting highlights just how rough around the edges the special effects are.
I have to give kudos to Spielberg for attempting such an ambitious twist at the last minute, but it doesn't quite work, and gives way to a huge plot hole involving the fates of the ship crew.
I also find myself not really caring about the rest of the cast, which is a shame, as I tend to enjoy Julianne Moore.
Overall - it's not terrible, it's not great, but enjoy this sequel for what it is as it's down hill from here!
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Jurassic Park (1993) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018
The music!!! (3 more)
Incredible cast
The dinosaurs look incredible
The writing
Are there any flaws to this movie? I think not!
Wow what can I say about this? A classic. A masterpiece. The greatest dinosaur movie of all time by far....in fact 1 of the greatest movies in general of all time.
The soundtrack is iconic. John Williams is a genius. You hear that song anywhere and you immediately know what movie it is.
Sam neills greatest role, shirtless Jeff goldblum, a young(er) Samuel l Jackson and a great Richard attenborough. The cast is great with fantastic writing. In a film about dinosaurs the acting is believable, I love the relationships between the characters.
We can't forget the other main cast member.....the dinosaurs. The looked incredible. The use of animatronics were genius mixed with some visual effects. They looked believable, they were scary and there were many different types to keep you interested. The sounds were perfect along with the intense feeling of seeing water shake letting you know something big is coming.
Spielburgs directing is on top form for this movie and is easily 1 of his best and that is saying a lot. Only he can present a scene to you that invokes both awe and fear at the same time.
It does make you think too even now about where technology is going and Jeff goldblum says it best in 1 seen. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that didn't stop to think if they should" this line has stuck with me for a long time because it's true even today.
Fantastic movie that belongs in anyone's top 10. It is the only Dino movie worth watching. Nothing else comes close.
The soundtrack is iconic. John Williams is a genius. You hear that song anywhere and you immediately know what movie it is.
Sam neills greatest role, shirtless Jeff goldblum, a young(er) Samuel l Jackson and a great Richard attenborough. The cast is great with fantastic writing. In a film about dinosaurs the acting is believable, I love the relationships between the characters.
We can't forget the other main cast member.....the dinosaurs. The looked incredible. The use of animatronics were genius mixed with some visual effects. They looked believable, they were scary and there were many different types to keep you interested. The sounds were perfect along with the intense feeling of seeing water shake letting you know something big is coming.
Spielburgs directing is on top form for this movie and is easily 1 of his best and that is saying a lot. Only he can present a scene to you that invokes both awe and fear at the same time.
It does make you think too even now about where technology is going and Jeff goldblum says it best in 1 seen. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that didn't stop to think if they should" this line has stuck with me for a long time because it's true even today.
Fantastic movie that belongs in anyone's top 10. It is the only Dino movie worth watching. Nothing else comes close.
The Penguin Knitting Book
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The Penguin Knitting Book by James Norbury is a charming how-to-knit classic packed with...
Felipe (17 KP) rated Chaplin (1992) in Movies
Dec 7, 2020
A modern tragedy meant to be one of the greats
Contains spoilers, click to show
Richard Attenborough delivers another masterpiece of cinematic biography and is a worthy successor to Ghandi. The structure of the film is told as a flashback while Charlie Chaplin is writing his autobiography with a fictional editor that does not exist. We see for the first time the flaws of who Chaplin is as a person and we see him confront his past in a way that is painful not unlike how it is painful when we relive moments in our lives we would rather choose to forget. However, the success of the film is how it strips the illusion of who Chaplin was and presents to us a person who is tragically flawed but who is unbale to appreciate his own genius. An example is when Chaplin's version of the invention of the Tramp is seen for what he imagined it to be an idealized moment in which the character is calling to him except for what it really was, We see the reality of the movies during this time; a hectic spur of the moment improvised invention drawn from real life. Yet we see Chaplin as the midwife to this new artform the movies and we see him develop it for what it is, the highest expression of art that stirs our imagination and makes us believe anything is possible. We even cry during Chaplin's moments of personal tragedy; the insanity and loss of his mother; repeated failed marriages; the death of his best friend, Douglas Fairbanks and finally his tragic and painful exile from America the only place he knew as home all taking place in the backdrop of the invention and evolution of cinema. However, I feel that in the end Chaplin is the one that comes out triumphant. In the last moments of the movie we see how Chaplin despairs that he feels that he has been forgotten and made irrelevant by the changing times; he feels that the weight of not only his age but the weight of the world on his shoulders and yet we see that everything he believes himself to be is completely wrong when Hollywood bestows on him the greatest honor which is not only the special Oscar but also a standing ovation. His final triumph is to be made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II, we are truly made to see that although flawed he is triumphant in the end.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) in Movies
Feb 5, 2020
Ian Malcolm Should Have Left Them On the Island
Thoughts before watching The Lost World: Jurassic Park as a twelve-year-old in 1997: “Oh man, I can’t wait to check out all this dino action! Raptors for life!” Thoughts before watching The Lost World: Jurassic Park as a thirty-five-year-old in 2019: “Why the hell are they going back to the island? These people clearly have a death wish!” Yes, the sequel to one of the greatest movies ever made sees a return to the dinosaur madness as a special team led by Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm goes on a mission for Jurassic Park’s creator John Hammond (Richard Attenborough).
Acting: 10
Jeff Goldblum has a way of captivating any screen he’s on. He has charm, wit, and an erratic nature that’s absolutely hilarious. He has a strong cast backing him up with guys like Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore helping to run the show.
Beginning: 10
Strong start as we see there are still idiots out there that don’t know how to stay away from these islands. The movie is immediately entertaining while also letting you know it’s going to be a different kind of movie than the first. Definitely piqued my interest.
Characters: 6
One of my biggest issues with the entire movie. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t score it lower. For the most part, I hated these characters outside of Ian Malcolm. I almost wish he had left the rest of them to stew on the island by themselves. Julianne Moore’s character Sarah Harding was obnoxious and pretty annoying. Then again, I can say that for a lot of the characters including Malcolm’s daughter Kelly Curtis (Vanessa Lee Chester). At times, it really made it hard for me to enjoy the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
The dino special effects were taken to new heights in this one. I particularly love the extra work they put into the velociraptors showing off their incredible jumping ability and rogue-like stealth. I also appreciated the multitude of dinos you get in this one as well from the stegosaurus down to the tiny compies. I can’t remember their names, but my particular favorite dino was the one with the bone head. His hard skull could crash through just about anything. I enjoyed watching it wreak havoc on a number of doors and people.
What bothered me just a bit was the choice of a darker color tone throughout the movie. It was almost as if they were trying to purposefully differentiate from the first by doing this. It takes some getting used to, but ultimately didn’t kill the movie for me.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 4
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
What a stupid story. Who in their right mind after hearing all the craziness that went down at the original park would ever go back to face off against these dinos? Rescue mission my ass, not this guy! Had they followed the book, I feel it would have been a lot more believable.
Resolution: 9
Overall: 77
Let’s be honest, no way this movie was going to match the first in any way. Jurassic Park set an amazing standard that is just hard to follow. However, I will say that, while not perfect, The Lost World: Jurassic Park does have its moments that make it a decent enough watch.
Acting: 10
Jeff Goldblum has a way of captivating any screen he’s on. He has charm, wit, and an erratic nature that’s absolutely hilarious. He has a strong cast backing him up with guys like Vince Vaughn and Julianne Moore helping to run the show.
Beginning: 10
Strong start as we see there are still idiots out there that don’t know how to stay away from these islands. The movie is immediately entertaining while also letting you know it’s going to be a different kind of movie than the first. Definitely piqued my interest.
Characters: 6
One of my biggest issues with the entire movie. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t score it lower. For the most part, I hated these characters outside of Ian Malcolm. I almost wish he had left the rest of them to stew on the island by themselves. Julianne Moore’s character Sarah Harding was obnoxious and pretty annoying. Then again, I can say that for a lot of the characters including Malcolm’s daughter Kelly Curtis (Vanessa Lee Chester). At times, it really made it hard for me to enjoy the movie.
Cinematography/Visuals: 9
The dino special effects were taken to new heights in this one. I particularly love the extra work they put into the velociraptors showing off their incredible jumping ability and rogue-like stealth. I also appreciated the multitude of dinos you get in this one as well from the stegosaurus down to the tiny compies. I can’t remember their names, but my particular favorite dino was the one with the bone head. His hard skull could crash through just about anything. I enjoyed watching it wreak havoc on a number of doors and people.
What bothered me just a bit was the choice of a darker color tone throughout the movie. It was almost as if they were trying to purposefully differentiate from the first by doing this. It takes some getting used to, but ultimately didn’t kill the movie for me.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 10
Memorability: 4
Pace: 8
Plot: 4
What a stupid story. Who in their right mind after hearing all the craziness that went down at the original park would ever go back to face off against these dinos? Rescue mission my ass, not this guy! Had they followed the book, I feel it would have been a lot more believable.
Resolution: 9
Overall: 77
Let’s be honest, no way this movie was going to match the first in any way. Jurassic Park set an amazing standard that is just hard to follow. However, I will say that, while not perfect, The Lost World: Jurassic Park does have its moments that make it a decent enough watch.