JURASSIC PARK 4 Ready To Roll

[AndyDursin]

Having enjoyed JURASSIC PARK III far more than Spielberg's own LOST WORLD, I think there's hope for this fourth installment.

I just wish that "dinosaur-men hybrids working for the military" plot that was rumored ISN'T what they're making.

I suppose Ariana Richards doesn't act these days, so they may recast the lead.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060223c.php
Steven Spielberg will begin filming the fourth Jurassic Park film next year reports Ananova.

Producer Frank Marshall says the script has been finalised he said: "It has a good script now, so we should have that one up and running next year, for release in 2008"

The character of Lexie, the granddaughter of Sir Richard Attenborough's character, will take the lead in the new film.

[mkaroly]

One question....is John Williams doing the score????

I hated TLW- I think it's even worse than HOOK- so TLW gets my vote as Spielberg's worst film ever. I did like JP III more but didn't care much for Davis' score.

So....dino-men was rumored at one time???? I don't see SPielberg actually directing a film like that....

[MikeSkerritt]

I hated TLW- I think it's even worse than HOOK- so TLW gets my vote as Spielberg's worst film ever.

Worse than 1941?

As a side note, the infamous dino super soldiers treatment was written by John Sayles.

[mkaroly]

I hated TLW- I think it's even worse than HOOK- so TLW gets my vote as Spielberg's worst film ever.

Worse than 1941?

As a side note, the infamous dino super soldiers treatment was written by John Sayles.

Yes- for me, TLW was even worse than 1941. I consider 1941 to be a failed experiment with a few good moments (though not many- mostly having to do with Mifune and Slim Pickens). TLW almost became the first film I ever walked out of in a theater (I was with friends so I couldn't leave). By the time that kid knocked a velociraptor off of whatever it was they were doing the gymnastics routine on I wanted to throw up and actually laughed really loud in the theater. It was insanely bad to me.

[Monterey Jack]

The Lost World is Jaws compared to the howling ineptitude of JP3. I had to laugh during the scene where William H. Macy tries to get correct change for the snack machine(!), because A.) there's no freaking power to run it, and B.) who wants to eat food that's been rotting in a vending machine on a deserted tropical island for 5+ years?

[AndyDursin]

The Lost World is Jaws compared to the howling ineptitude of JP3. I had to laugh during the scene where William H. Macy tries to get correct change for the snack machine(!), because A.) there's no freaking power to run it, and B.) who wants to eat food that's been rotting in a vending machine on a deserted tropical island for 5+ years?

No way Jack. That scene isn't half as bad as the LOST WORLD's embarrasing moment when Jeff Goldblum's black daughter (?) does a Power Rangers gymnastics karate-kick on the Raptors. My god, I've tried to erase that scene totally from memory...but it KEEPS COMING BACK!! Don't tell me that scene was worse than anything in JP3. All told LOST WORLD is -- for me -- easily Spielberg's worst film. From Pete Postelthwaite's disappearance (I love how he actually ANNOUNCES he's leaving the movie, and then does!), to Jeff Goldblum's complete and utter failure to carry the film (showing that, yes, too much of his supporting character ISN'T a good thing), to Richard Attenborough's hideous pro-ecological speechifying with CNN's Bernard Shaw (so pretentious) and the lame, abrupt ending (a dinosaur...RUNNING UNDER A GAS STATION!!), that movie is a MAJOR mess that's even worse now when you go back and view it again. How David Koepp continues to work after that one and WAR OF THE WORLDS is unfathomable.

At least JP3 knows what it is -- a 90 minute "B" movie with some great effects and a few good set pieces. The story doesn't hold together, but I'll take it any day over the bloated, 2+ hour mess of THE LOST WORLD....

1941 has some wonderful moments and a lot of excess, but Williams' score and the jitterbug contest scene are some of my personal favorites (I realize the movie has its problems and some people hate it, but I'm not one of them). Still I realize it's an acquired taste, but it's one of my top guilty pleasures that I've been a fan of since I was a kid.

[romanD]

yeah, david koepp wrote really a lot of crap in his career, that im surprised how often he gets hired. but a screenwriter friend of mine thinks he is a genius...

ltw is the movie Spielberg probably cared the least for when making... even JP appears very lousy to me and that he only did them because of contractual reasons.

at least williams tried something different with LTW...

too bad that the T-Rex attack is shortened on the CD, the whole cue is amazing...

[AndyDursin]

yeah, david koepp wrote really a lot of crap in his career, that im surprised how often he gets hired. but a screenwriter friend of mine thinks he is a genius...

ltw is the movie Spielberg probably cared the least for when making... even JP appears very lousy to me and that he only did them because of contractual reasons.

at least williams tried something different with LTW...

too bad that the T-Rex attack is shortened on the CD, the whole cue is amazing...

JP is flawed as well, but I wouldn't say that movie was only done for "contractual" reasons at all. The original has some exceptionally crafted sequences that will remain cinematic landmarks of both Spielberg's career AND the progression of visual effects in the movies...though I agree Roman, the movie IS filled with problems: I never liked Laura Dern in that role and found Richard Attenborough's weird characterization (the guy was supposed to be unsympathetic originally, no?) to be problems. But the individual set-pieces still pack a good punch.

THE LOST WORLD score is not one of my favorite Williams works. It's one of the few I rarely ever pull out to listen to again...it's well-crafted and IS different but doesn't hold up the way other Williams classics do.

To go back to something Michael Karoly mentioned, I actually didn't mind what Don Davis did on JURASSIC PARK III. Davis stayed faithful to Williams' orchestrations and did a very nice job adaptating his original themes.

[romanD]

yeah, loved Davis work... was a bit wild sometimes, but still is a thrilling listen...

the movie had the best action scenes of all three I thought, but the thin plot and horribel actors and kid annyoed me a lot...

[AndyDursin]

yeah, loved Davis work... was a bit wild sometimes, but still is a thrilling listen...

the movie had the best action scenes of all three I thought, but the thin plot and horribel actors and kid annyoed me a lot...

I would have LOVED for them to do a JURASSIC PARK sequel that was wall-to-wall, kick-ass action with NO CHILDREN ANYWHERE NEAR IT! I realize these movies are tailor-made for kids, but kids don't need to see children IN the story just to identify with it...they're there for the dinosaurs, not the characters.

[mkaroly]

yeah, david koepp wrote really a lot of crap in his career, that im surprised how often he gets hired. but a screenwriter friend of mine thinks he is a genius...

ltw is the movie Spielberg probably cared the least for when making... even JP appears very lousy to me and that he only did them because of contractual reasons.

at least williams tried something different with LTW...

too bad that the T-Rex attack is shortened on the CD, the whole cue is amazing...

JP is flawed as well, but I wouldn't say that movie was only done for "contractual" reasons at all. The original has some exceptionally crafted sequences that will remain cinematic landmarks of both Spielberg's career AND the progression of visual effects in the movies...though I agree Roman, the movie IS filled with problems: I never liked Laura Dern in that role and found Richard Attenborough's weird characterization (the guy was supposed to be unsympathetic originally, no?) to be problems. But the individual set-pieces still pack a good punch.

I saw JP in the theater 6 times....I think it's safe to say I loved the film. Looking at it now, however, it is disturbing to see howmany continuity errors adn bad editing choices there are. There are a couple sequences in the film (if memory serves) where an edit was made that make the music soudn really harsh (in other words, the musical edit wasn't seamless).....like the scene where they have just passed thru the gates and Hammond is yapping with the lawyer.

I don't care for the Laura Dern butt shot as she runs towards Alan with her gimpy leg. The velociraptor foot in the bunker looks like some dude put a mold on his leg and ran. Hammond was supposed to be unsympathetic (in the book he was selfish and ruthless to the end) and that whole roundtable discussion over lunch had some terrible synch/continuity problems in the different POV shots....not to mention the changes in weather that show up way to often in the finished film.

That being said, I still love watching the dinosaur stuff and Goldblum's dry sense of humor and delivery. When Dern tried to assert herself she failed miserably- she was better smiling and giggling. That doesn't say much for her character's strength.....

[Carlson2005]

Can they please just write a decent ending this time? Just for once, guys? Don't you think we've earned it by now?

I enjoyed JP3 until that "Bugger, we've run out of time - let's bring in the cavalry" ending. I didn't even mind most of The Lost World that much until Spielberg added that last-minute dino rampage to upstage the ship crashing into a dock finale of Speed 2 ("Hey, let's have a ship crashing into a dock with a dino in it! A dino that's killed everyone aboard and then locked itself back in the hold!" - at least that had one great cliffhanger setpiece that almost blotted out the gymnastics display. And it was nowhere near as bad as Hook or The Terninal...

But guys, please, I'm begging here. No Richard Attenborough but definitely a proper ending here!

[Eric W.]

I can't believe anyone really wants a JP4. Hasn't the novelty long since worn off by now? What's left to be done?

The original book was fantastic, for the most part, although Crichton wouldn't know how to write fleshed out, real characters to save his life. His books are strictly about concepts.

I like Davis's work on JP3 as well.

[Bill Williams]

I would have LOVED for them to do a JURASSIC PARK sequel that was wall-to-wall, kick-ass action with NO CHILDREN ANYWHERE NEAR IT! I realize these movies are tailor-made for kids, but kids don't need to see children IN the story just to identify with it...they're there for the dinosaurs, not the characters.

JPIV? Already? The only way I could possibly see this series getting any worse is if they did a dinosaur/Alien/Predator hybrid.

My nine-year-old daughter Rachel and I watched the first JP this past weekend, and she found it a scary, fun thrill ride. I never did see TLW or JPIII, as I don't think anything will ever top the original.

[AndyDursin]

JPIV? Already? The only way I could possibly see this series getting any worse is if they did a dinosaur/Alien/Predator hybrid.

JURASSIC PARK III was a big success and a lot of people (myself included) thought it was at least superior to Spielberg's sequel and a fun ride on its own terms. I'd check it out before declaring the series creatively bankrupt (your daughter might love it!)...it hasn't lowered itself to the depths of the Robocop, Predator, etc. franchises yet!