I only read a bit of the novel, the bit when the people are killed, and it is really graphic. The film is no masterpiece,it is a bit cheesy, but it does have a sense of fun, (ie. Bruce Campbell, "Stop eating my sesame cake") and not as bad as the rating suggests. The special effects are nothing special, and I didn't get why the gorillas jumped into the lava at the end. That was the most cheesy thing about Congo. The script had its ups and downs, and the direction was a bit inexperienced. But the acting was on the whole alright. Laura Linney, who is a very good actress is a strong lead. Dylan Walsh pales in comparison but has some good delivery. Ernie Hudson is the best actor in the movie, with his easy-going charm and his grin. As for Tim Curry, at first I was put off by the accent, but hey it's acting. He was like a parallel to Dennis in Jurassic Park which is better. But I liked him here,he gave a great delivery of such classic lines. Please stop criticising him, when he was actually one of the reasons why I like the movie. He didn't deserve that Razzie nomination; that should have been Grant Heslov, whose delivery was whiny and his character was poorly written. Amy starts off well, like the movie, but grates on the nerves when the movie wears on. I am terrified of the King Solomons Mine scene, it is just very graphic, having your head bashed in like that. I know it's pretend but it felt real.The scenery was splendid, the cinematography was excellent and Jerry Goldsmith's music was good. In conclusion, a fairly watchable movie, if you don't mind too much cheese, and shouldn't be compared to Jurassic Park, the only thing they have in common were that they were written by the same author. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I've never read the Crichton novel despite being a fan but this film adaptation is pretty fun. I know it's been criticised heavily but I enjoyed the background to the story and Crichton's exploration of cutting-edge science and research as always. The cast members are likeable, Ernie Hudson in particular, and the Bruce Campbell cameo is a nice touch.

A team from a communication company is in Congo on an expedition. They discover a lost city and are massacred. Karen Ross (Laura Linney) is an ex-CIA agent and goes in search of the lost group. She and philanthropist Herkermer Homolka (Tim Curry) fund an expedition of Dr. Peter Elliott (Dylan Walsh) and his assistant Richard (Grant Heslov) from Berkley. They have taught a gorilla named Amy how to sign and with a glove and computer backpack, she can speak. The group is joined by local guide Munro Kelly (Ernie Hudson). At the Lost City of Zinj, they are confronted with a species of gray gorillas.

This is such an odd movie. It isn't quite quirky enough to be funny. Yet it can't be taken seriously especially with Amy around. It probably needs a comedian to do the comedy and I don't think Tim Curry is quite right. He's too weaselly. The action adventure doesn't really work because none of it seem real. The sets all look fake. I don't mind the gray gorilla group's look. They could look more menacing. Amy is too fake. She's intended as one of the lead characters but she doesn't look good enough. I might like it better if the movie fully embraced its campiness.