The Lost World poster & wallpaper

Alma Bennett, Bessie Love, Jules Cowles

Seven decades before Michael Crichton borrowed the title of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic adventure tale, The Lost World was the movie sensation of 1925. (The film is not to be confused with...( read more  read more... ) Steven Spielberg's sequel to Jurassic Park.) Just as Spielberg's dinosaur thrillers would advance the technology of computer-generated spectacle, Doyle's classic story provided a perfect opportunity to exploit the illusions made possible by stop-motion animation. Eight years before he stunned audiences with the amazing special effects of King Kong, pioneering stop-motion animator Willis O'Brien created the dinosaur stars of this classic silent-film fantasy. Following Doyle's plot, the film plays like a dress rehearsal for King Kong and establishes a now-familiar scenario: Wallace Beery plays a visionary scientist who returns to the remote South African plateau where he'd earlier discovered a jungle haven of prehistoric creatures. Determined to introduce this discovery to the world, he returns to London with a captive brontosaurus, which later escapes and goes on a destructive rampage through the city. Though somewhat quaint by modern standards, this silent classic remains a milestone of fantasy filmmaking, and Lumivision's splendid collector's edition DVD presents the film in near-pristine condition. Accompanied by a newly composed musical score, the film is supplemented by a series of still photographs to illustrate the legendary missing scenes from the original (and long-lost) 10-reel version. To further showcase the animation work of O'Brien (who would later inspire and mentor Ray Harryhausen), the disc also includes several excerpts from his pioneering films from the early 1920s. Included too is a still-frame library and an informative onscreen essay by film historian Scott MacQueen. If you're a silent-movie buff or a fan of imaginative movies, consider this an essential addition to your DVD library. --Jeff Shannon

Flixster Users

65% liked it

2,397 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

6 critics

Unrated, 90 min.

Directed by: Harry O. Hoyt

Release Date: June 22, 1925

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 21, 1997

Stats: 119 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

The Lost World
Upload a Photo |

View All The Lost World Photos (1)

Your Rating


clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (119)

  • Stinger839
    April 29, 2008
    Stinger839
    This is an essential film for students. May seem a bit intolerably slow, which is why I always screen it at 1.5x or 2x the speed which makes the action a lot more visceral and animated and less like time lapse creatures slowed by the occasional misplacing (special effects was alw...( read more)ays complicated, the best example I always think of is when Ray Harryhausen is explaining how he kept track of the skull soldiers' movements in "Jason and the Argonauts", or how he would could back from lunch having forgotten which heads on the seven headed serpent had done which movements yet but that is another movie, another master who gained his knowledge from the effects auteur in this film).
  • brandonklaus2
    October 1, 2008
    brandonklaus2
    Points off, obviously, for the blackface character, but the things they did with coloring the film and the effects all make this movie worth a watch. I'm impressed with the stop motion, considering the year it was made and it moves nice and quickly.
  • ElCochran90
    September 18, 2009
    ElCochran90
    Glorious and majestic, but somehow, it is tender. This grabs your attention in a great way, with all of those lovely puppets. You can clearly see the influence this caused over Hollywood. Without this, there wouldn't have been a King Kong, or at least, King Kong wouldn't have bee...( read more)n the same. Worth a look because of what it is.

    82/100
  • somebody421
    May 20, 2009
    somebody421
    Revolutionary for its use of stop motion effects.
  • majikhandzz
    May 4, 2009
    majikhandzz
    classic ahead of it's time
  • conleyisn
    December 16, 2008
    conleyisn
    Watched it on Youtube through a series of ten minute videos. If I had watched this in 1925, I would have absolutely peed myself.
  • JarJarnSnoopy
    December 16, 2008
    JarJarnSnoopy
    This movie is a silent movie, but the musical score is great. The stop motion special effects are great for its time.
    True Movie buffs will appreciate this movie and understand it's importance in the film industry.

    After the Brontosaurus fell off the bridge and swam away, it...( read more) swam to Scottland and is now known as Nessy. :-)
  • MECreviews
    March 21, 2008
    MECreviews
    I did not really like this movie.
  • mikezillatron
    January 7, 2008
    mikezillatron
    Another one of my first sci-fi saturday morning features that I loved.
  • hugonar
    November 2, 2007
    hugonar
    Classified as a classic = Interested.

View All The Lost World Reviews

Critic Reviews

No recent reviews.

View more The Lost World reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "The Lost World" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger The Lost World Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Lost World
    The Lost World (100%)
  • The Lost World
    The Lost World (100%)
  • The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
    The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (0%)
  • The Lost World
    The Lost World (100%)

More Movies like The Lost World

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Lost World : Watch Free on TV

The Lost World Trivia

  • Which actor starred in The Cell, Be Cool, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Swingers?  Answer »
  • in what movie is the quote "dont go in the long grass" from  Answer »
  • In "Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World", the T-Rex is set loose in which city?  Answer »
  • Which film was the second highest grossing film in 1997?  Answer »
More The Lost World Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Lost World. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Lost World to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?