15 PERFECT Scenes In Otherwise Disappointing Movies

14. The Lost World - Jurassic Park: Cliffhanger

The Lost World Sarah
Universal Pictures

The first Jurassic Park sequel, despite Steven Spielberg and Jeff Goldblum returning, was a massive let-down. It's better than Jurassic Park III, but remains a dull, indifferent viewing to this day.

The only time when it actually lives up to the original movie is this terrific set-piece, in which the tyrannosaurs knock the RV the protagonists are in over a cliff and leave it hanging in a vertical position. To make matters worse, Dr Ian Malcolm's girlfriend (Julianne Moore) has fallen to the bottom of the RV and is now lying on a slowly breaking pane of glass.

But then, once that is resolved, things just get worse and worse and they only get out of the dangling RV alive by the skin of their teeth..

This is a beautifully-constructed set piece and the way in which this sequence builds on the original set-up by adding obstacle after obstacle makes it a masterclass in suspense - and proves just how great a filmmaker Steven Spielberg still is, even though he hasn't made a five-star movie for a while.

If only the rest of the movie had been anywhere near this good.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.