King of the Lost World
Encyclopedia
King of the Lost World is a 2005
film produced by The Asylum
. The film is a very loose adaptation of The Lost World
by Arthur Conan Doyle
, the creator of Sherlock Holmes
, but the film bears a closer resemblance to the remake of King Kong
released in the same year, particularly as both center on a giant ape. Hence, King of the Lost World is a mockbuster
of said film, a tradition that The Asylum usually undergoes. The film is described by its producers as "the classic story that inspired King Kong
, Jurassic Park
and Lost
".
Ed Malone (Jeff Denton) climbs a small hill and he sees the cockpit in the distance about a mile away. A group of people decide to leave the plane and head over to find the radio. John Roxton (Rhett Giles) leads a small group through the jungle. The rest of the passengers stay put in case a plane passes by.
The group arrives at the fuselage when they notice that its not the same plane they flew in. In addition, the radio and all other important instruments have been stripped and taken away. They are startled by the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Challenger
(Bruce Boxleitner
), who managed to travel by himself all alone to the downed plane, still carrying a briefcase that he doesn't seem to want to part with.
The group continues on its way to find the cockpit and encounter a military plane. Challenger tries to turn one of the missiles into a flare gun, but fails. The group stops at a cavern for the night, where they are attacked by giant scorpion
s. Two of the group are killed, whilst the others flee for safety. As they escape from the caves, they are captured by a group of natives living in the jungle. It is soon learned that the natives have been stripping the aeroplanes to avoid any outside interference. The natives also turn out to be other people that had crashed a long time ago, and have developed a sacrificial rite to appease the creatures of the jungle.
The current sacrificial ceremony fails when a giant ape attacks the area. Many of the natives are killed and the group is able to escape, and spot military jets flying overhead who attack the giant ape, are destroyed in the process. With many of the group killed, Ed is now alone to try and defeat the ape.
Ed detonates a nuclear bomb left from one of the planes and successfully kills the ape, but also destroys their cockpit in the process, trapping the Ed, Rita, and Dana in the jungle. They contemplate dying in the jungle, to which Ed tersely replies: "Not today".
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
film produced by The Asylum
The Asylum
The Asylum is an American film studio and distributor which focuses on producing low-budget, usually direct-to-video productions. The studio has produced titles that capitalize on productions by major studios; these titles have been dubbed "mockbusters" by the press.-History:The Asylum was founded...
. The film is a very loose adaptation of The Lost World
The Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle)
The Lost World is a novel released in 1912 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine during the months of April 1912-November 1912...
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, the creator of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
, but the film bears a closer resemblance to the remake of King Kong
King Kong (2005 film)
King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
released in the same year, particularly as both center on a giant ape. Hence, King of the Lost World is a mockbuster
Mockbuster
A mockbuster is a film created with the apparent intention of piggy-backing on the publicity of a major film with a similar title or theme and are often made with a low budget. Often these films are created to be released direct-to-video at the same time as the mainstream film reaches theaters or...
of said film, a tradition that The Asylum usually undergoes. The film is described by its producers as "the classic story that inspired King Kong
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
, Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
and Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
".
Plot
A plane crashes in a remote jungle. Many survive, but the cockpit and the front end of the plane are nowhere to be found. The only way to call for help is to find the cockpit and radio a message.Ed Malone (Jeff Denton) climbs a small hill and he sees the cockpit in the distance about a mile away. A group of people decide to leave the plane and head over to find the radio. John Roxton (Rhett Giles) leads a small group through the jungle. The rest of the passengers stay put in case a plane passes by.
The group arrives at the fuselage when they notice that its not the same plane they flew in. In addition, the radio and all other important instruments have been stripped and taken away. They are startled by the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Challenger
Professor Challenger
George Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
(Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce Boxleitner
Bruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
), who managed to travel by himself all alone to the downed plane, still carrying a briefcase that he doesn't seem to want to part with.
The group continues on its way to find the cockpit and encounter a military plane. Challenger tries to turn one of the missiles into a flare gun, but fails. The group stops at a cavern for the night, where they are attacked by giant scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s. Two of the group are killed, whilst the others flee for safety. As they escape from the caves, they are captured by a group of natives living in the jungle. It is soon learned that the natives have been stripping the aeroplanes to avoid any outside interference. The natives also turn out to be other people that had crashed a long time ago, and have developed a sacrificial rite to appease the creatures of the jungle.
The current sacrificial ceremony fails when a giant ape attacks the area. Many of the natives are killed and the group is able to escape, and spot military jets flying overhead who attack the giant ape, are destroyed in the process. With many of the group killed, Ed is now alone to try and defeat the ape.
Ed detonates a nuclear bomb left from one of the planes and successfully kills the ape, but also destroys their cockpit in the process, trapping the Ed, Rita, and Dana in the jungle. They contemplate dying in the jungle, to which Ed tersely replies: "Not today".
Differences from The Lost World
- The setting is moved to the 21st century rather than the early 20th century.
- In the original novel by Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, it was made clear that Ed Malone was IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In this film, however, he is AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - In the novel, the character of Professor ChallengerProfessor ChallengerGeorge Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
was a misanthropic scientist. In this film, he is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. - The character of Professor Summerlee is now a female character named Rita Summerlee.
- The expedition in the novel had originally journeyed to the Lost World to prove Prof. Challenger's claims that dinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s still lived in modern times. In the film, the expedition accidentally crash-land into the Lost World. - There was no giant ape in the original novel, the original antagonists were a race of ape-men living in the Lost World.
- In the film, the characters are stranded on an island, however, in the novel and previous film adaptions, it takes place on a plateauPlateauIn geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
. - There are giant scorpions, giant spiders, man-eating vines and giant winged dinosaurs in the film. But in the novel there are only dinosaurs and other prehistoric cretures in the novel.
Cast
- Bruce BoxleitnerBruce BoxleitnerBruce William Boxleitner is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King , and Babylon 5...
as Lt. ChallengerProfessor ChallengerGeorge Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... - Andrew LauerAndrew Lauer-Life and career:Lauer may be best known to America acting as "Charlie" on the hit NBC comedy series Caroline in the City. He recently wrapped principal photography directing the motion picture Adventures of a Teenage Dragon Slayer starring Lea Thompson and Wendie Malick. The film will be released...
as Steven - Thomas Downey as Reggie
- Steve RailsbackSteve RailsbackSteve Railsback is an American theatre, film and television actor, born in Dallas, Texas.-Personal life:Railsback was born Stephen Hall Railsback, in Dallas, Texas, the son of Emerett Spencer and Clyde Webb Railsback.-Career:Railsback was a student of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio and in...
as Larry - Chriss AnglinChriss AnglinChriss Anglin is an American actor best known for his role in the film Dead Man Walking. He also plays the ghost of John F. Kennedy in the film An American Carol, and appeared as Captain Flint in the 2006 film Pirates of Treasure Island by The Asylum. Chriss Anglin also voiced President John F...
as Olo - Jeff Denton as Ed Malone
- Rhett Giles as John Roxton
- Sarah Lieving as Rita Summerlee
- Christina Rosenberg as Dana
- Amanda Ward as Natalie
- Boni Yanagisawa as Tianka
- Amanda Barton as Taylor
- James Ferris as Yuri
- Jennifer Lee Wiggins as Etienne
- Angela Horvath as Chrissy
See also
- The Lost WorldThe Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle)The Lost World is a novel released in 1912 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine during the months of April 1912-November 1912...
, the original novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - King KongKing Kong (2005 film)King Kong is a 2005 fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name and stars Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Andy Serkis, through performance capture, portrays Kong....
, another film that features a giant gorilla - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes (2010 film)Sherlock Holmes is a 2010 direct-to-DVD mystery film directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, produced by independent American film studio The Asylum and released by British distributor Revolver Entertainment. It is based on the Sherlock Holmes characters created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
, another Asylum film based on characters by Conan Doyle - Transmorphers: Fall of ManTransmorphers: Fall of ManTransmorphers: Fall of Man is a 2009 direct-to-DVD science fiction film produced by the American film studio The Asylum. It is a prequel to the 2007 film Transmorphers....
, another Asylum film that stars Bruce Boxleitner.