The Lost World (2001 film)

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The 2001 adaptation of The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle was produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC1 in the UK and A&E in the United States. It consisted of two 75-minute episodes which were first aired in the UK on December 25 and 26, 2001, and in the USA on October 6 and 7, 2002.

Bob Hoskins played Professor Challenger and was supported by James Fox, Peter Falk, Matthew Rhys, Tom Ward and Elaine Cassidy.

1 The story
2 Bestiary
3 Differences from Doyle's novel, trivia and mistakes
4 References

[edit] The story

When on a trip, Challenger (Hoskins) has an animal shot, which turns out to be a prehistoric pterosaur. During a meeting in a hall, he argues that it is real. Professor Summerlee (Fox) dismisses it as nothing more than a clever hoax, as do several others, but eventually ambitious John Roxton (Ward), a noted hunter and womaniser, and Daily Gazette columnist Edward Malone (Rhys) say they will volunteer for the expedition.

On the boat, Challenger shows a sarcastic Summerlee (who is also dragged along on the journey) and his crew a map, drawn up by a Spanish man who ended up in the remote, uncharted area of Brazil that Challenger says hosts prehistoric creatures. Most notably, there is a plateau, which would supposedly isolate the inhabitants from the evolutionary mainstream for millions of years. Upon arrival, Roxton begins flirting with Agnes (Cassidy), the niece of Reverent Theo Curr.

They eventually find the plateau. They cross over a log bridge, which the Reverent suddenly pushes into a deep crevice in an abrupt mood swing. The crew are stranded. In the redwood forests, Edward makes 'friends' with a hypsilophodont, and the stunned group spot an Iguanodon, and then a group of pterosaurs, who attack the humans.

They retreat to a forest, where Edward is scared out of a tree by some sort of cross between an ape and a human. Later on, they are attacked by a large carnosaur, which is later identified by Summerlee as a member of the family of Allosaurus. Another one — possibly the same one — chases Edward and Agnes through the forest. In the original cliffhanger aired on the BBC at Christmas 2001, which would be later cut out in VHS and DVD versions, the pair fall into a pit, where the allosaur is killed after being impaled on two wooden spikes.

After making their escape, they find out Challenger and Summerlee have been kidnapped by the ape-men. In rescuing the two professors, the group also rescue an Indian tribe chief's son. The tribe recognises Challenger as Padre Mendez - the Portuguese man that returned from the island, and drew up the map of the area. The two groups cooperate very well together, with Challenger sitting by the chief's side, and Roxton marrying the patriarch's daughter.

However, two allosaurs attack the village after weeks of harmony. The attack leads to the death of the Indian chief, and the stabbing of Roxton. He is critically injured, and supposedly dies (a shot at the end of the second episode sees him alive, happily married still to Maree). Summerlee blows up the debris blocking their only escape route, and all but Roxton leave. They see the Reverent, who in a fatal accident, shoots himself. The natives from behind the plateau, and go back to England. The pterosaur that Challenger brings back escapes. Malone and Summerlee urge Challenger to end the whole affair, and the pterosaur is dismissed as an Amazonian vulture. Edwin confesses he loves Agnes, who tells him the same, and kiss in the hall where the crew have been exposed as frauds.

[edit] Bestiary

[edit] Differences from Doyle's novel, trivia and mistakes

Dinosaurs and extinct animals occupy a much larger portion of this film adaption than in Doyle's book, which devotes more time to the humanoid war.

In the book, the plateau is in Venezuela. In the 2001 adaption, it was in Brazil.

The prehistoric lake scene from the book is absent.

In the book, Edward Malone doesn't meet another love interest besides Gladys.

The characters Gomez and Zambo - indeed, any of the Indians - are not mentioned. They are replaced by Reverend Theo Curr, and his niece Agnes.

Following the attack on the campfire by the Megalosaurus in the book, neither Summerlee or Challenger are immediately able to identify even the family of carnivore that attacked them, whereas Summerlee immediately dubs the animal an allosaur upon being asked by Lord Roxton. Also, the campfire attack is fairly different from the book. In the novel, the group spot the Megalosaurus, and before it has a chance to attack, Roxton scares it off with fire. In the film, the group are completely taken by surprise and the allosaur almost gains the upper hand, before being scared away with fire.

The ape men are present in both the novel and film, but the other humanoid tribe, rather than a prehistoric species, consists of the surviving members of a Portuguese expedition.

In the book, Edward Malone says he will join Roxton on the next expedition to the plateau. In the film, he tentatively offers to Professor Challenger, who says he'll be in touch.

Lord John Roxton escapes the plateau in the book. In the BBC adaption, he is stabbed by an Ape Man, and supposedly dies. However, at the end of the second episode, we see him still happily married to Maria, the patriarch's tribe.