When I heard that the rumors were true, that there was a sequel to Jurassic Park was being made, one of my first questions was who was doing the music? To my joy, I found out it was John Williams and I knew that as soon as the soundtrack was released, I'd have to get my hands on it. Doing something I had never done before, I decided to get the soundtrack before seeing the movie. And that move nearly turned out to be the first and last time I bought a soundtrack before seeing the movie. It's not that I was disappointed, but I think I had gotten my anticipation up so high that when I heard the final result, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.
While not as great a soundtrack as Jurassic Park, The Lost World isn't a total waste. There are some good tracks on the CD that require a mention. Firstly, the tribal-like sound of the opening track, The Lost World, is a good piece. It is fitting for the movie since in this movie the dinosaurs are no longer contained by man but rather set free to go on about their business as nature intended. In order to keep that sound in the music, Williams has used bongo drums throughout the soundtrack. While the main theme, The Lost World, is interesting, it isn't used all that often in the soundtrack so it can easily be forgotten unless you're like me who listens to a soundtrack ten times after getting it.
Besides the main theme, another good track is The Hunt which is heard when Ludlow, Tembo and their men are on safari to capture the dinosaurs of Site B. The main theme returns again in The Trek, heard this time in a slightly different tone. Rescuing Sarah is another track that is heavy on the action. Combining the music from two separate scenes into one piece probably saved a little time on the CD. It is still a good track to listen to though. The Raptors Appear is another good track that is full of action however, it is not as driving and ominous as the Raptor theme from the first picture. The Stegosaurus is meant to evoke memories of the Brachiosaurs theme from Jurassic Park, however, unlike the Raptor theme, it accomplishes its mission.
Many people were disappointed by this soundtrack. I assume Spielberg may have been disappointed to a point as well since for the first time in their many collaborations, he didn't write the linear notes for the soundtrack. I guess I was a little disappointed too, but I gave it a chance. I recommend you do the same, even if you didn't like the movie, if you see it with the soundtrack already in mind or vice versa, it can make the experience more pleasent.
Total time: 69:00
1: The Lost World (3:33)
2: The Island Prologue (5:03)
3: Malcolm's Journey (5:43)
4: The Hunt (3:29)
5: The Trek (5:23)
6: Finding Camp Jurassic (3:03)
7: Rescuing Sarah (4:00)
8: Hammond's Plan (4:31)
9: The Raptor's Appear (3:42)
10: The Compys Dine (5:07)
11: The Stegosaurus (5:20)
12: Ludlow's Demise (4:26)
13: Visitor In San Diego (7:37)
14: Finale and Jurassic Park Theme (7:54)