The visual effects forThe Lost World: Jurassic Parkhave recently received a lot of praise from VFX artists, and I’m skeptical about whetherJurassic World Rebirthcan beat Spielberg’s original ground-breaking set pieces.The Lost Worldtakes Ian Malcolm on a perilous journey to John Hammond’s Site B, Isla Sorna, where he attempts to stop InGen executives from bringing dinosaurs to the mainland.Alan and Ellie did not return forJurassic Park’ssequel, which contributed to the film’s cautious reception — though its impressive effects were to account for its commercial success.
The visual effects in theJurassic Parkmoviesstill hold up today, butrecent installments in the franchise have graduallygrown accustomed to digital effects rather than practical over the years. This has been a strong cause of contention, but not all ofJurassic Park’s impressive feats could have been created with animatronics and puppetry alone. With that in mind, the franchise is remarkably innovative in the ways it blends different techniques. Theprospect ofJurassic World Rebirth, led by Gareth Edwards, utilizing classic visual effects is generating considerable excitement — but whether it’s enough to surpass the original’s visual impact remains to be seen.
Jurassic Park & The Lost World Have Incredible CGI That Still Holds Up Today
Steven Spielberg’s Precise Vision Translated Into Highly Accurate Visual Effects
In a recent episode ofVFX Artists React, the VFX artists at Corridor Crew described theJurassic Park 2visual effectsas “mind-blowing,” particularly the big T-Rex sequence.Jurassic Park 2came out in 1997, four years after the original movie. While many films from the late 1990s can feel dated and clunky in visual exposition, Spielberg’s pre-historical adventure truly stands the test of time.
Complete Jurassic Park & World Timeline Explained
Starting 65-million years ago, the timeline of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World spans 29 years and includes 6 movies and Netflix’s Camp Cretaceous.
Jurassic Park’s talented crew won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 65th ceremony in 1993 for their work onSpielberg’s best sci-fi movie. The visual effects were a remarkable achievement, especially considering the era in which it was produced.The T. rex famously required a lot of workand quickly became the most iconic part ofJurassic Park. The overall success can be attributed to an effective balance between practical and digital effects.
1993
$63 million
$1,058,454,230
1997
$73 million
$618,638,999
2001
$93 million
$365,900,000
Spielberg was incredibly selective about where he used CGI inJurassic Park, and the visual effects served specific purposes throughout the original trilogy. As a result, this majorly enhanced the dinosaurs' realistic movements and presence on-screen. Ultimately,Jurassic ParkandThe Lost Worldset a new standard for realism in the industry with their visual effects. As the Corridor Crew highlights, “it’s not that the effects were better [in the 90s,] it’s the mindset behind them that was so much more integrated into everything. They are so much more planned out,” (viaYouTube) — something that has become extremely scarce.
Jurassic World Rebirth’s Dinosaurs Look Good, But I’m Not Sure They’ll Beat Jurassic Park
Jurassic World Rebirth Will Struggle To Replicate The Wonder Of Jurassic Park
Needless to say, the release ofJurassic Parkmarked a historic moment in cinema, as its visual effects were unprecedented and offered audiences something completely new. Throughout six films, the franchise has continually reinvented itself and introduced new dinosaur designs and species with each installment. Of course, though it isn’t necessarily about CGI, the biggest challenge forJurassic World Rebirthis to recapture the magic of the originals.Considering the sheer variety of dinosaurs and events we’ve already seen, this seems like a rather daunting taskfor the upcoming movie.
Althoughpractical effects are not ruled out in theJurassic Worldfranchise, technology has advanced to the point where it has drastically reduced the cost and complexity of CGI effects in major motion pictures. The vast amount of detail in the dinosaurs ofJurassic ParkandJurassic Park: The Lost Worldmakes it hard to see how any future film could possibly outdo them. While theJurassic Worldmovies feature new dinosaurs, such as the Indominus rex, they still have not managed to replicate the sheer awe of the first film.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Cast
The Lost World: Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows Ian Malcolm as he joins an expedition to document dinosaurs on a remote island where they’ve been secretly bred by John Hammond. Set four years after the events in Jurassic Park, this action thriller explores the challenges of observing these prehistoric creatures.
