I rewatched the Lost World the other day and saw a particularly sad little detail. During the scene at Hammond’s house, Ian Malcolm is wearing a purple shirt. I remember watching it for the first time and thinking that maybe it was a present off Sarah or Kelly and that’s why he was willing to break his nothing but black or grey rule to wear it. But on my re watch, I realised that he was wearing it on the subway too. And he was likely doing it because his colour rule was well known so he was hoping that if he wore something not black or grey then (along with the haircut and stubble) people might not recognise him.
Not to mention being tricked back onto an island that your girlfriends on and having your daughter stow away and come along yea no shit hes not in a jokin mood
Malcom's anxiety begins right at the moment when nedry's computer program shuts down the tour program and the jeeps suddenly stop.... you can hear the anxiety in Malcolms voice when he says to Grant "You didnt touch anything... we stopped"... you can hear the worry. Then Following on from this...: 1) Being chased ON FOOT by a T-Rex, then bursting through a straw hut bathroom, seriously injuring his leg, while being buried under a pile of straw, and hearing the lawyer guy being eaten right next to him... 2) Being chased YET AGAIN by the T-REX, but this time sat right at the back of an open top jeep, FACING the T-REX head on and watching it get closer....and closer. 3) More anxiety when they reboot the system but shit doesnt turn back on. Ian responds with "what-wwadda you mean it worked, everything's still off". He is almost stuttering at this point. 4) Hearing Ellie screaming over the radio when the raptor suddenly attacks her after he guides her to the location of the circuit breakers. Then moving on to The Lost World: 5) Ingen lying about what happened which fucked up Malcoms reputation (Remembers the dude on the subway who does that ROARRARR thing at Malcom?" 6) Hammond sends his GF to the Island Alone, and doesnt even tell him. 7) The fact that his own GF doesnt tell him either!! 8) He has to go to this island to rescue her. 9) The boat captain holding his son close to him while he talks about Los Cinco Muertes (the five deaths) about those group of islands. Which is not nice to hear given that his GF is on that island!! 10) The fact that boat captain will come to get them, but makes it clear he will not STAY there and wait. More anxiety as how will they get back if the boat sails away? 9) He suddenly finds that his kid was a stoaway and is now on the same islands that the boat captain calls "the five deaths". So yeah, he is obviously not going to be the same jokey, chilled out Malcolm from JP1.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: The kids OK? Dr. Alan Grant: I didn't ask. Why wouldn't they be? Dr. Ian Malcolm: Kids get scared. Dr. Alan Grant: What's to be scared about? It's just a little hiccup in the power... Dr. Ian Malcolm: I didn't say I was scared. Dr. Alan Grant: I didn't say you were scared. Dr. Ian Malcolm: I know. I love the character development of Ian Malcom, he's so cocky at the start but under the surface it's obvious he's projecting a persona, when things get serious he takes it serious, and after the events of the first movie he shows more of his serious side while still letting out his dry humour now and then.
That's what I'm saying. I'm sure we would all be terrified of the island and anxiety ridden when returning, after going through what he did. Look at Allen Grant in the third film, it took saving his dig to get him to go back and was freaked out nearly the whole film but he saw the danger of the park near the beginning of the first film witch is why you didn't see a big character change him.
@@Destroyer4790 Well, aan animal that weights as much as an elephant and can run, and is a predator... Of course anyone will be terrified. Or the raptor, these smart, pack hunting, door opener of a predatory animal?
Honestly even in the first film once things start going bad he does start acting seriously anyway, he tries to help save the kids from the T-Rex, he warns Ellie and Muldoon about the nearby T-Rex and takeovers from Hammond to help Ellie restore the power.
@@JD-Media You make an excellent point, he is taking the T Rex very seriously. Malcolm is representing the theory of chaos and he has this bit of masochism, almost suicidal that pushes him to risk everything. He does so to prove his point. Though, he is never playing with the lives of innocents and take that very seriously
@@evelinnagy1059 Yeah. Ian Malcolm was still limping 4 years after he was attacked by the T.Rex. At the beginning, it's barely noticeable. But as the movie progresses, the limp gets worse. At the end of the movie, when they get off the island, Ian's limping so badly, he can barely walk on his bad leg.
I've always loved his reaction to hearing the tyrannosaur's bellow when on the high hide after telling Kelly "We're in a completely different situation now". It is very clear that even four years later he's still haunted by this species of dinosaur. PTSD indeed.
I cannot put into words how much I love that scene. The suspense of hearing that powerful roar in the dark jungle was magnificently terrifying and beautiful. I love The Lost World. It's so underrated. I love suspense and that scene was perfect.
Another big personality shift in Claire too, from a business woman talking about "assets" to someone with a deeper understanding that they're living creatures.
@@dordonake Or it's probably because they just don't want to analyze things themselves and prefer to be explained about everything. Part of movie watching experience to me is to look for subtle clues and draw conclusions about what makes things happen or change
People change and I'm also shocked because the Lost World is my favorite, people from my country got HYPED over it and had to rewatch it over and over again, then the Internet existed and find out that people from SOME other countries did not find it good enough because it was so much loved in my country
I think people just complained too much. Malcolm is still a great character. After being traumatized by the events in Jurassic Park, I would've been a different person too. It always made sense to me why all the characters acted differently in later films
And to add, his daughter was now in danger this time. I think people just glaze over the fact that he's now got a child to protect on that island. For any parent in that verse, I'd imagine that would be your worst nightmare.
2:30, it's also that people thought that he was insane when he released a book based on his own experience in 1993, and no one believed him, until the San Diego Incident in 1997.
People change after traumatic events. Why is this such a mystery, and something a chunk of fans of certain franchises can't understand or accept, is beyond me.
"Once bitten, twice shy" This saying applies to Malcolm IMO, he knows just how dangerous those dinosaurs in the island are. I can see the panic resurface when the T-rex pair crashes the hunter's camp. Plus Ian had something valuable to protect that time: his daughter and girldfriend.
lets not forget in Jurssic park 3 with Dr. Grant and his Reation to someone asking him would you go back to that Island. FUCK NO! later on in the film FUCK!!!!
The changes in Malcolm started towards the end of the 1st movie. He became pretty serious and almost had a panic attack after his leg was injured. And in the 2nd movie, his daughter is involved. Some of these changes really aren't that hard to explain. He was still witty, and smart. I'm glad you pointed that out.
For me Malcolm's personality change comes after his injury rather than due to it. When Satler and Muldoon find him he's still all jokey; "Remind me to thank John for lovely weekend." Up till then he had his own agency, yes he was being chased by a 10+ ton Rex but it was through conscious action to lead it away from the kids. For me the moment of transformation happens during the jeep chase when he's incapacitated and completely at the mercy of others. There you can really see the fear in his face as he backs up onto the jeep's gear shift and hinders its getaway. He still cracks a joke at the end of it but by then the face of death has already roared and seared it's visage into his being.
@@thedarkestnight9600I don't think that's a problem it's more like realistic growth. He's still the same person he was he hasn't changed totally into someone knew hints the jokes. But being nearly killed, probably some form of PTSD, and having his credibility as a scientist tarnished has made him a bit more melancholy. He's still him just less upbeat because he has a full grasp of how terrible things around him are while everyone else is making light of the situation and brushing him off.
I see what you are saying, but personally I think his humor after the attack was more of a cover for his fear of possibly dying. A lot of people will use humor to cover when they are scared, nervous, anxious, or any number of other feelings beyond the calm that he portrayed throughout the first half of the movie.
"Of course I remember," Malcolm said. "Do you think you could be bitten by a Tyrannosaurus rex and it would escape your mind? No indeed, I'll tell you, you'd remember it for the rest of your life. In my case, perhaps not a terribly long time. But, still - yes, I remember."
Yeah, his character change wasn't so pronounced in the books as it was in the movie. He was still being quite witty while close to death. When he talks about more morphine for himself for example.
The Kirby’s weren’t smart enough to know Isla Sorna was a different island I doubt they thought of contacting Malcolm, although if they had told Malcolm the truth if they did meet him I think he’d help them as a parent
A near-death experience with a T-Rex has a way of changing a person. In the books, Crichton took it a step further and had the T-Rex bite Malcolm and shake him like a doll before it left him for dead. Post traumatic stress would be very likely after such an experience.
I always thought the reason of Malcolm's change from JP to TLW was because of his experience from JP. From his pervious experience, he knew pretty much knew what to expect when going for Sarah on Sorna. The more pressing change of Malcolm I think of is between film and novel. Over the years, I always thought Malcolm was the only character with little to no change between movie and book, but in recent years of reading the books, he’s changed between both canons just as much as everyone else. In the book, he saw and predicted failure coming because even if Nedry hadn’t turned off the power, the problem would still be that the computers only account for current populations and don’t count extra animals. In addition, Malcolm was also calculative about the park failing where as in the movie, Malcolm didn’t necessarily say the park would fail or predicted it, he was skeptical and a critic about it being successful. There’s a difference. From his return in FK, Malcolm is so far the only character that is turning into his his novel self in the film canon from quoting Crichton and having known and predicting what’s to come in 2021 from Maisie releasing the dinosaurs, like he also knew and predicted she was going to release them.
Ian Malcom is my favorite character in the entire series, I hope to see more of him in Jurassic World 3 hope it isn't like Fallen Kingdom where he has 10 seconds of screentime at the beginning & then again in the ending
Agree with you for where the change takes places for Ian. Anybody that goes threw something would change accordingly and his character showed that change perfectly.
This is a very well thought out deconstruction of Dr. Malcolm. So glad you paid special attention to his character shift post T-rex paddock scene. I think this is where most people overlook his character development. It is also worth reviewing his status as a scientist and public figure after Ingen attacks his credibility. I am also in the camp of thinking that TLW Malcolm is best. He serves "The Experienced One" roll well in that film and is a good indicator for what's going on or what's about to happen in the movie.
When I saw the lost world as a kid I didn't question the change in personality because it made sense. He was already cynical In Jurassic park. The lost world just gave this the same cynical Malcolm with a side dish of PTSD.
Even after the Trex attack, he still keeps his sense of humor. IMO his big change comes early when he realizes Ingen still didn't learn their lesson. The Lost World portrays him more with a sense of hopelessness, knowing the chaos is coming.
YES. Thank you. You explained it exactly as I do. Down to the change after being attacked on Nublar. He’s been through some things. He almost died. He watched people around him drop like flies. He is most likely is suffering from PTSD in TLW. Then as you mentioned, Ludlow had been dragging this guy and his career through the dirt for 4 years. He was terminated from a job. Then he finds out that his girlfriend was sent to an island much like the one he almost died on. And THEN he finds out that his daughter tagged along. I’d be a much different person, too.
Exactly, Klayton. I also noticed he was serious after the Tyrannosaur attack. I actually liked Malcolm when he was serious in The Lost World. Still, he was always the same guy: proving people wrong and trying to help them realize their mistakes. Like he said, "You know, I beg people to listen to me. I use plain, simple English. I don't have any accent that I'm aware of."
I disagree. The film simplified his arguments, he was made a lot more heroic in the film (distracting the Rex rather than just running from it), he was made into a father in the films, and in the films there was more of a focus on his romantic pursuits. Not to mention that in the second film he is more unwilling to go to Sorna than in the book and he is more physically active.
100% agree. I love his journey in the books more than in the movies, but I am so appreciative of the fact that Goldblum played the character as one who had experienced the tragedy. His anxiety and skepticism post-Isla Nublar makes absolute sense.
Why Ian Malcolm was so different in The Lost World? Well, my answer before I will see the video: He saw terror and death right in front of his eyes in the first movie where he also nearly lost his life. Then he found out that his girlfriend is alone on this new Island full of dinosaurs ( where they live even without fences ) and she could easily be killed. I love Ian Malcolms character from the first movie so much, but I totally understand why he changed ( probably we all would if we had experienced things like this^^ ). Also, thanks Klayton for another great video. This one is, as always, absolutely fantastic. :)
Pretty sure Ian was suffering from PTSD, and goes from being really jokey and suave, to anxious, serious and on edge. People shouldn’t really rag on the second because if a person goes to a dinosaur infested island and almost dies trying to get off, the character is going to have a changed personality.
You nailed it Klayton. I always chalked it up to his near death experience and you can see the shift in personality from his encounter with the rex in the second half of the first JP.
Great video, as usual. I just want to add that Malcolm is shown being clearly apprehensive before the T-Rex even shows up. As soon as the power is lost, he starts to lose his cool and becomes anxious. It's a shift in power. Dr. Grant acts more calm and collected under pressure in dealing with the rex attack, while Malcolm almost gets himself killed by making an impulsive choice. Love these character dissections as that is something that usually gets ignored or misunderstood with these movies...especially the first Jurassic Park.
Literally just finished JP this second and yeah you can see the shift straight away - not surprising how he behaves through the rest of 1 and lost world!
I always thought of it as a mixture of combat hardened and PTSD. Soldiers deploying to combat and coming home go through similar changes. He knows this is no laughing matter and the situation is not a joke. Something he is constantly trying to explain to his team. "This is how it always starts with oohs and awes then later there is running and screaming."
@@taliesincoleman6569 Except when Victor Frankenstein did mad science and things went wrong his reaction was pretty much "What the fuck was I thinking" Movie Wu's is to triple the fuck down on that shit.
To me his personality change always felt natural and consistent. Also in TLW he still has quite a lot of sense of humor, his way of delivering it just changed.
@@pirateturtle987 well...yes and no No because in the movies it's pretty obvious he manages to survive, and in The Lost World book he is obviously back, although pretty debilitated Yes because it was pretty obvious in the first book he was supposed to die, and Crichton basically retconned him into surviving for the second book (saying that he was "presumed dead for months" and that he was at serious danger of dying while being surgically operated and medically followed). As to why Crichton did so, I'd say a combination of seeing how the movie saved the character, and Crichton obviously liking the character himself and wanting him to have a more active role in the second book instead of just being Mr. Background Exposition as he was in the first one
@@DonPatrono There is no retconning, really. If he wrote a chapter about Malcolm's funeral and then made him alive again in The Lost World, then that would be a retcon.
@@pirateturtle987 not technically. Crichton never explicitly killed off Malcolm. He was only presumed to have died on Nublar, as far as Crichton's canon in concerned.
For me the lost world is the best entry on the series. And i consider malcon to be a main character in all franchise. His chaos teory and lessons on how humand and dinossaur will not go well together (cooexist) is present in all the movies.
Great video Klayton of The History of Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic series. Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic series is depicted as a supportive character in these movies especially the First film and The Lost World. Great video and as always, Take it Easy.
Not related but can someone make Ian laughing into the jurassic park theme? But gotta agree, he's got awesome combacks. "Yeah John, put when the Pirates of the Caribbean break down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."
That was a great breakdown of Ian's character. Made perfect sense. Not to mention that though not Alot of time had past but you get the sense that he probably just matured more as time went on. Not like in the first one where he's this young stud type. You got to see father Ian. Still Ian around the ladies, just this time as a family man.
Malcolm’s personality change is incredibly realistic and is in my opinion what makes him such an interesting and dynamic character. He went through an incredibly traumatic near-death experience in the first movie. He went from easy-going along for the ride to a screeching halt and the fun and games were over and he was put in an intense life or death situation which affects everyone differently. It’s apparent in the last half of JP. His charisma and wit is gone and is replaced by the severe seriousness of having to be in survival mode. Having survived JP he had undoubtedly had to deal with PTSD and anxiety as a result and while we do see little glimpses of his charisma and wit that are still there in the beginning mainland scenes in TLW once he’s back in that environment he’s immediately regressed into that traumatic experience and is on edge and anxiety ridden throughout the course of the island stay.
The change in lost world didn't seem strange to me when I first saw it. Didn't even cross my mind because like you pointed out he changed after the Rex attack.
Same with me. His character seem normal for some one who went through a dramatic event. The Lost World was good in my opinion. JURASSIC 3 was horrible. I only watch the first Jurassic World. It was good for entertainment.
Imagine being mauled by a T. Rex and very nearly dying on an island filled with all kinds of dangerous dinosaurs, only to find out that you have to go back to another island full of dinosaurs, to save your GF. The environment is completely unfamiliar, and your daughter also managed to smuggle herself to come with you. Despite all the gear your team brought along, you've seen that WHEN the dinos break loose there's nothing that can stand in their way, and a lot of people will die. I think any guy would be serious and highly strung in this situation.
@@richardbond258 The only reason Jurassic 3 sucked so badly is that they literally didn't have a working script when they filmed it. It was no fault of the actors what so ever.
Ahhh yes! I've always wondered exactly this! From timid Rockstar to Billy Badass. Honestly it's one of Jeff's most un-Goldblum portrayals of a character.
I think we see the remnants/ghost of Part 1 Ian at the start of JP2, with the "joking" comments, like "No, you're making entirely new [mistakes]", "Except here the geese chase you!", and, "That actually puts you at a very convenient biting height."
Well he changed in a very realistic and imo, positive way. He experienced a near death experience with THOSE dinosaurs created by Ingen in 1993, and then he goes to Sorna only to save Sarah oh and his daughter is there too, of course he doesn't want to be there with his loved ones, he is going to be over protective, more serious and also he did faced these animals before so he has experience.
I must've watched the first 2 movies a hundred times before finally getting around to the books, and man they were so fun to read. More specifically Malcom's rants. It always felt like Michael Crichton used Ian Malcom's character as his own voice kinda.
Neat detail. Malcolm has a limp in Lost World. You mostly just see it after the Rex attack on the RV. Guess that first Jurassic park experience stayed with him physically as well.
I've listen to my Jurassic Park Audiobook like 3-4 times I love the story, The Lost World on the other hand each time I try to listen to it I can never finish it...
I liked Malcolm's character shift in the lost world. It makes perfect sense to me given what happened in JP but it's cool that he retained his sarcasm🤘
I totally understood Malcolm's change in character. He's a man who's narrowly survived a pretty dangerous and traumatizing experience. Anyone who knows someone who returned from a war should understand this. I have a high school friend who enlisted in the Army. He went on to serve as paratrooper in Iraq during the height of the war. He was very different person when he came back, and to this day he's not quite the same person he was before the war. Just like war has a way of changing people, so does almost getting eaten by a t-rex, as well as seeing other people get torn apart by carnivorous dinosaurs.
So I'm going to go a little a deeper in your work Klayton. So it has been proven that after significant trauma ones personality will ne altered. I can attest to this personally of my job and things I have posted on Twitter before ya shut down. You are correct on Malcolm's change in the second half of JP. Great video glad you talked about it.
Let's not forget that InGen tried to bribe him to keeping silent but refused and told Ludlow that they had no right sweeping it under the rug. Anyway thanks for the video!! See you later!!
I think that getting referred to as a leader in his feild in the start of the first film to becoming "that dinosaur guy" in the start of the second film shows just what he has gone through over the years and that explains the change in demeanor also
You have the in-universe explanations but also narratively, Malcom went from a supporting character to a main character. Usually when this happens the appeal or mystique of the character is diminished because we get to learn more about them
i know im commenting on a way old video, but i wanted to use this topic to make a way cool announcement. So if you follow jeff at all, you know he plays in a jazz band called "The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra". Well, recently last week him and the band were in houston, and not only did i get to MEET him, i also had the great honor of giving him a painting i did of the T-rex break out scene from the first movie. Yeah! Dr. Ian Malcom owns one of my paintings! Its so crazy because all my life ive tried to be like Crash and hoped by the millionth of a chance i may get to meet him. Now, not only did i met an original cast member from the movie itself but gave him a piece of my work. Childhood has come full circle! Ok i know this was a bit of a nove, but i just wanted to share the awesome news.
I totally agree with you about the personality change and when it happens.Its one thing to predict that everything will fail,look down on everyone and everything and pass judgement from a place of safety but once he had suffered the tyrannosaur attack the danger becomes a lot more real to him.I have to say though in the books and in the films Ian Malcolm has always been my favourite character and I think Jeff Goldblum was the perfect actor to bring him to life.No one else could have done it.
I never really noticed the change as a kid. I just saw his character being more world weary and extremely cautious based on the events of the first movie. Alt, he's taking care of his daughter the entire movie.
Even as a kid watching the Lost World for the first time I was able to grasp why Malcolm was a different man at that point. I'm not sure if it was a concious choice by Goldblum or a directorial move to present him that way. Malcolm was still the witty smartass, but with the fear and paranoia of the events of the past looming over him which in part clouded certain sides of his personality. I thought it was quite fascinating to see in some ways.
I just paused your video and went on a "self rant" about this subject to see if I agreed with what you were going to say. Happily, I totally agree that being attacked by dinosaurs is enough to make even the most happy-go-lucky person more serious and anxious.
If I don't remember wrong, I think Spielberg said that after the Jurassic Park Incident, part of the reason Malcolm had such of a personality change Was because he tried to expose what happened on the Island to the public and got ridiculed, due to the fact that Ingen denied and covered up everything, So Malcolm was left seen as a Joke in the public eye. (From being the jokester to becoming the joke.) I think both not being believed , the harassment (The train scene in The Lost World) and the traumatization from the incident took a toll.
Why did Malcom change from Jurassic Park to Lost World? For the same reason Alan's view and character changed, as he told Eric Kirby in Jurassic Park 3, "They hadn't tried to eat me yet." (May not be the exact quote, but I'm sure you know what I am talking about.) Malcom saw what the T-rex did to the Explorer and the kids, he saw what happened to Gennaro first hand and almost lived it himself. Looked right at the T-rex while in the back as it chased the Jeep. Oh I'm sorry that he isn't care free like in the first half of the movie. He has PTSD now from the island. Even in Fallen Kingdom he is a bit different and further traumatized from dealing with the stress of Sarah and his daughter (I forget her name) in LW. Come on, nearly being pushed off the cliff by 2 T-rex's, his friend killed, chased by the T-rex...again, avoiding the rapture at the compound, setting yourself up to be bait and chased a 3rd time by a T-rex. I'm surprised his character can function like he does. He had to have gone through some therapy. The ultimate short answer to this question. Also Goldblum is a hell of an actor, he'll do his characters right.
If you think about it Malcolm wasn't the only one who changed in the sequels, Alan Grant went through changes because he was so fond of dinosaurs in the original but he realised how dangerous they are too and wasn't interested at all in seeing them in Jurassic Park 3
He almost dies and gets a dose of a truly chaotic reality, never even really took too much notice on how different he was at first in the first half of Jurassic Park. Life changing experiences typically stem internal dynamics in a new way.
I've always thought about this, and I figured if he's going to be the main character of the sequel, you can't just make him the same bizarre funny guy he was in the first Jurassic Park, it doesn't fit. But you did a nice job of explaining his transition. And it's true, after he gets injured in the original he suddenly becomes a lot more serious.
As Grant replied to Erik in JPIII on his own more four attitude... "You liked dinosaurs back then." "Yeah...well back then they hadn't tried to eat me yet..." Getting mauled by a Rex, threatened by Raptors and nearly dying of infection THEN having your reputation destroyed will dampen anyone's demeanor...
yep is Makes sense, Compare it to Private Soldier and Heavy Veteran ones who know what their going to face after the 'relaxing' start. In Jurassic Park he was Happy and laughing like 'walk in the park' advanture ("Nothing bad gonna happen"). In the "Lost World" he knew the power of the dinosaurus, that they real and What those dinos able to do on people and he also had his 'daughter' there to keep her safe and avoiding Danger.
Of course the PTSD, the fact his rep was destroyed between the movies would change his attitude. Fours years of nobody believing what he was saying, everyone thinking he was a fantasist and liar. That's bad enough. But for a scientist like Malcolm you have to understand how he saw first hand the incredible dangers of genetic engineering when wielded 'like a kid who found his dad's gun.' This for me is the key for this character's transition from the first movie. He has seen what he personally considers to be potentially the biggest step towards extinction OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. Bigger than even the development of the atomic bomb, as is also touched upon. This theme stems from the first book itself, and is considered in the movie as they sit at the dinner table discussing the wider ramifications of this park. Not just as some tourist trap, but what unlocking this technology means for humanity as a whole. Little weighs on a man's mind more than the knowledge that human civilisation and the nature of species itself is now under extreme threat. His monologue in the fifth movie bears this out.
He still had some humor at least everyone forgets the best part of the T-rex attacking the rv scene and Eddie ask if they need anything and then Ian says 2 Cheeseburgers and then nick and Sarah continue the joke I forgot what they said though
His excess of personality was cured
Sadly.
Nope i'm pretty sure he suffered from the disease known as ScarredForLifeByTyrannosaurusAttack-itis
@@user-73a which as science proves acts as a counter balance to a case of excess personality
@@user-73a and a Short was PTSD (Post, Tyrannosaurus, Stress, Disorder)
American Ninja Like Muslim this comment doesn’t have enough likes!
As long as Ian Malcom wears black in all of his appearances, he’s still Ian Malcolm to me.
@@IanMalcolm-rw5pn BETTER SEE U WITH EUTHUSIAM IN JP6 GODDAMNIT
I rewatched the Lost World the other day and saw a particularly sad little detail.
During the scene at Hammond’s house, Ian Malcolm is wearing a purple shirt. I remember watching it for the first time and thinking that maybe it was a present off Sarah or Kelly and that’s why he was willing to break his nothing but black or grey rule to wear it.
But on my re watch, I realised that he was wearing it on the subway too. And he was likely doing it because his colour rule was well known so he was hoping that if he wore something not black or grey then (along with the haircut and stubble) people might not recognise him.
Yeah
He is the best written character in the franchise, he and Dr Grant.
Exactly
Why did Ian's personality change?
"Stories of mutilation and death, weren't you paying attention?"
Now that's good quote usage fam. 👏
Oh pleeeeaase. I've been studying wild animals my whole life. Lions, Jackals, Hyenas, *you*
@@TheJuicyJediJester thanks
MAAAAAN
Nah they were paying attention to the “child like wonder” and the “magic”
So you're saying the traumatic event of _almost being eaten alive multiple times_ can cause changes in personality? Who would have thought.
Not to mention aging.
Also, he had his daughter and girlfriend on the line, so he couldn't afford himself being a "told you so!" guy anymore.
Not to mention being tricked back onto an island that your girlfriends on and having your daughter stow away and come along yea no shit hes not in a jokin mood
Lmaoooo what I’m sayin
That's what Malcolm would have said. Lol.
Yeah Ooo ahh that’s how it all starts, later there’s running, and er, screaming
Best comment
My favorite movie quote of all time
Tripplestryke 245 my favorite line from the movie!
Mommy’s very angry
I read this in his voice automatically lol
Malcom's anxiety begins right at the moment when nedry's computer program shuts down the tour program and the jeeps suddenly stop.... you can hear the anxiety in Malcolms voice when he says to Grant "You didnt touch anything... we stopped"... you can hear the worry. Then Following on from this...:
1) Being chased ON FOOT by a T-Rex, then bursting through a straw hut bathroom, seriously injuring his leg, while being buried under a pile of straw, and hearing the lawyer guy being eaten right next to him...
2) Being chased YET AGAIN by the T-REX, but this time sat right at the back of an open top jeep, FACING the T-REX head on and watching it get closer....and closer.
3) More anxiety when they reboot the system but shit doesnt turn back on. Ian responds with "what-wwadda you mean it worked, everything's still off". He is almost stuttering at this point.
4) Hearing Ellie screaming over the radio when the raptor suddenly attacks her after he guides her to the location of the circuit breakers.
Then moving on to The Lost World:
5) Ingen lying about what happened which fucked up Malcoms reputation (Remembers the dude on the subway who does that ROARRARR thing at Malcom?"
6) Hammond sends his GF to the Island Alone, and doesnt even tell him.
7) The fact that his own GF doesnt tell him either!!
8) He has to go to this island to rescue her.
9) The boat captain holding his son close to him while he talks about Los Cinco Muertes (the five deaths) about those group of islands. Which is not nice to hear given that his GF is on that island!!
10) The fact that boat captain will come to get them, but makes it clear he will not STAY there and wait. More anxiety as how will they get back if the boat sails away?
9) He suddenly finds that his kid was a stoaway and is now on the same islands that the boat captain calls "the five deaths".
So yeah, he is obviously not going to be the same jokey, chilled out Malcolm from JP1.
He went through alot, I honestly feel bad for him. I'm gonna miss that happy version of malcom.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: The kids OK?
Dr. Alan Grant: I didn't ask. Why wouldn't they be?
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Kids get scared.
Dr. Alan Grant: What's to be scared about? It's just a little hiccup in the power...
Dr. Ian Malcolm: I didn't say I was scared.
Dr. Alan Grant: I didn't say you were scared.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: I know.
I love the character development of Ian Malcom, he's so cocky at the start but under the surface it's obvious he's projecting a persona, when things get serious he takes it serious, and after the events of the first movie he shows more of his serious side while still letting out his dry humour now and then.
Might I add he had to do first aid on himself and cover himself with the straw and hope people come look for him and not theme park monsters
Exactly, it’s as if nobody paid attention to the movie besides the dinosaurs scenes
@@Necromancer0225 holly crap i never realized that.i always wandered why he was talking so clearly after "just regaining consciousness"
Well, he did change in a very realistic manner.
That's what I'm saying. I'm sure we would all be terrified of the island and anxiety ridden when returning, after going through what he did. Look at Allen Grant in the third film, it took saving his dig to get him to go back and was freaked out nearly the whole film but he saw the danger of the park near the beginning of the first film witch is why you didn't see a big character change him.
We also have to think, After shit like Jurassic park, HE WOULD HAVE P.T.S.D.
@@Destroyer4790 Well, aan animal that weights as much as an elephant and can run, and is a predator... Of course anyone will be terrified. Or the raptor, these smart, pack hunting, door opener of a predatory animal?
@@subninja8069 Who wouldn't? I mean, while I laughed at Denise misfortune, I still felt it was a bad way to go...
@@alghoulaj7172
Yea for sure.
His girlfriend and his daughter are in immediate danger, of course he is not goofing
That was my thought throughout this whole video.
Honestly even in the first film once things start going bad he does start acting seriously anyway, he tries to help save the kids from the T-Rex, he warns Ellie and Muldoon about the nearby T-Rex and takeovers from Hammond to help Ellie restore the power.
@@JD-Media You make an excellent point, he is taking the T Rex very seriously. Malcolm is representing the theory of chaos and he has this bit of masochism, almost suicidal that pushes him to risk everything. He does so to prove his point.
Though, he is never playing with the lives of innocents and take that very seriously
His girlfriend and daughter did not help Malcom character, they were all annoying to me.
@@thereisnopandemic glad your childhood was so awesome. I remember identifying like fuck with his daughter not wanting to be left behind.
I appreciate "The Lost World" way more now than at the time. Malcolm still had that humour but it was laced with anxiety.
I would have anxiety to if i just escaped isla nublar, and have ptsd after isla sorna
I mean, if a T Rex tried to eat you twice, you would have anxiety too
@@Meta_Meech Specially if it almost kills you and leaving you crippled so badly, you still suffer from the injury 4 years later!
@@thewildbruce5612 he did?
@@evelinnagy1059 Yeah. Ian Malcolm was still limping 4 years after he was attacked by the T.Rex. At the beginning, it's barely noticeable. But as the movie progresses, the limp gets worse. At the end of the movie, when they get off the island, Ian's limping so badly, he can barely walk on his bad leg.
I've always loved his reaction to hearing the tyrannosaur's bellow when on the high hide after telling Kelly "We're in a completely different situation now". It is very clear that even four years later he's still haunted by this species of dinosaur. PTSD indeed.
You can even hear his breathing picking up, and he atarts hyperventilating. Very subtle if you don't listen for it and brilliant acting on Jeff's part
I cannot put into words how much I love that scene. The suspense of hearing that powerful roar in the dark jungle was magnificently terrifying and beautiful. I love The Lost World. It's so underrated. I love suspense and that scene was perfect.
Have a T. rex come at you and nearly chomp you to bits. See if you come away the same.
Hell ask Claire Dearing.
Another big personality shift in Claire too, from a business woman talking about "assets" to someone with a deeper understanding that they're living creatures.
@JurassicHero 3 That's what they were saying. :p
I thought this was a dino crisis reference, silly me.
"what kind of change?"
"change is like death... you don't know what it looks like untill youre standing at the gates" Ian malcolm 2018
Gerry the bary with ‘standing at the gates’ I think he was referencing the literal gates of Jurassic park
@@zachawtin192 this line was also from the first novel so i doubt it, altough it wouldve been really cool
@Craig Adams what? why?
@Craig Adams oh😂
Never thought that people complained about this, to me the change always felt natural to the story
People are complaining because many have tons of criticism about TLW. Not a flawless movie, but it was far better than what some people think.
@@dordonake Or it's probably because they just don't want to analyze things themselves and prefer to be explained about everything. Part of movie watching experience to me is to look for subtle clues and draw conclusions about what makes things happen or change
People change and I'm also shocked because the Lost World is my favorite, people from my country got HYPED over it and had to rewatch it over and over again, then the Internet existed and find out that people from SOME other countries did not find it good enough because it was so much loved in my country
I am one of those, since watching it first time in 1997. And i am surprised there are people who are not complaining.
Me neither, people are so stupid
I think people just complained too much. Malcolm is still a great character. After being traumatized by the events in Jurassic Park, I would've been a different person too. It always made sense to me why all the characters acted differently in later films
Absolutely. It wouldn't have been very believable if they had acted the exact same after something like that.
People really expected him to keep cracking jokes when he goes back to a island just to rescue his girlfriend ?
It's simple, he probably suffers from PTSD. That is a huge factor in how someone changes so drastically.
Good point! I never thought of that.
And to add, his daughter was now in danger this time. I think people just glaze over the fact that he's now got a child to protect on that island. For any parent in that verse, I'd imagine that would be your worst nightmare.
Came to the comments to say the same thing.
Justin Hamlin stfu with PSTD
ASMR Ross *your insecurities are showing*
2:30, it's also that people thought that he was insane when he released a book based on his own experience in 1993, and no one believed him, until the San Diego Incident in 1997.
It's called dehumanization, thanks Ludlow's best efforts.
People change after traumatic events. Why is this such a mystery, and something a chunk of fans of certain franchises can't understand or accept, is beyond me.
"Once bitten, twice shy"
This saying applies to Malcolm IMO, he knows just how dangerous those dinosaurs in the island are. I can see the panic resurface when the T-rex pair crashes the hunter's camp.
Plus Ian had something valuable to protect that time: his daughter and girldfriend.
lets not forget in Jurssic park 3 with Dr. Grant and his Reation to someone asking him would you go back to that Island. FUCK NO! later on in the film FUCK!!!!
I always felt like his personality changed midway through the first movie.
I think we see it when he gets rescued from Muldoon and Ellie after the T Rex Tramples him
I think he changes when he grabs the flare and guides the T-Rex away from Alan and the Kids
@@JeroldBoy0407 Yeah, he seemed to be reacting paternally, while Grant seemed to be reacting professionally.
The changes in Malcolm started towards the end of the 1st movie. He became pretty serious and almost had a panic attack after his leg was injured. And in the 2nd movie, his daughter is involved. Some of these changes really aren't that hard to explain. He was still witty, and smart. I'm glad you pointed that out.
Eddie: "Their just trying to protect their baby."
Ian: "uhh so am I!"
For me Malcolm's personality change comes after his injury rather than due to it. When Satler and Muldoon find him he's still all jokey; "Remind me to thank John for lovely weekend." Up till then he had his own agency, yes he was being chased by a 10+ ton Rex but it was through conscious action to lead it away from the kids. For me the moment of transformation happens during the jeep chase when he's incapacitated and completely at the mercy of others. There you can really see the fear in his face as he backs up onto the jeep's gear shift and hinders its getaway. He still cracks a joke at the end of it but by then the face of death has already roared and seared it's visage into his being.
I like alot of peoples theories but the problem is he still cracks alot of jokes in the next movie
@@thedarkestnight9600I don't think that's a problem it's more like realistic growth. He's still the same person he was he hasn't changed totally into someone knew hints the jokes. But being nearly killed, probably some form of PTSD, and having his credibility as a scientist tarnished has made him a bit more melancholy. He's still him just less upbeat because he has a full grasp of how terrible things around him are while everyone else is making light of the situation and brushing him off.
I'd imagine the joke after the rex attack was due to shock.
I see what you are saying, but personally I think his humor after the attack was more of a cover for his fear of possibly dying. A lot of people will use humor to cover when they are scared, nervous, anxious, or any number of other feelings beyond the calm that he portrayed throughout the first half of the movie.
I think its more down to wanting the male lead to look and act more traditional.
"Of course I remember," Malcolm said. "Do you think you could be bitten by a Tyrannosaurus
rex and it would escape your mind? No indeed, I'll tell you, you'd remember it for the rest of your
life. In my case, perhaps not a terribly long time. But, still - yes, I remember."
Cailean Thomson I don’t think I had his full attention, he had mine of course. But then he weighs 9 tonnes. I don’t
"He picked me up in his jaws; shook me bloody-hard; and I was fine...I broke the leg in the fall...but the bite wasn't half-bad."
Still a joker, but just more of a traumatized one!
Yeah, his character change wasn't so pronounced in the books as it was in the movie. He was still being quite witty while close to death. When he talks about more morphine for himself for example.
"Must go faster!" (Malcolm 1993)
3 years later he would repeat it in outer space with Mr. Will Smith flying out of an alien mothership. Ah life...
Yeah, the change makes sense. I like both "versions" of Malcolm. Alan Grant also had a change in JP3.
@joshua ashley Maybe the Kirby's did talk to him. And he more than likely just walked away.
I liked the first Alan more. Before he was on the island. He liked dinosaurs back then.
@@yourstruly4817 Nice quote usage fam. 👏
Yours Truly Back then they hadn’t tried to eat him yet 😉
The Kirby’s weren’t smart enough to know Isla Sorna was a different island I doubt they thought of contacting Malcolm, although if they had told Malcolm the truth if they did meet him I think he’d help them as a parent
I liked him in both films, he went from one personality, and developed into another. Character development done right.
Yes, amazing development. Really made me like him as character. And Jeff Goldblum really killed this role by playing two different Malcolms
He went from rockstar to scientist in just 4 years, that's... that's something
@Jack Blakeney .....
ScooBy Snak he was always had a doctorate
@Jack Blakeney it was because Hammond wanted Ian to go to document Site B.
@Jack Blakeney because he is the only one besides Grant that Hammond trusts. Also he wants to say, "Dude I sent your girlfriend there lol sorry."
@Jack Blakeney Well there was going to be a funeral. But it was deleted. Now unfortunately it is too late :( RIP Richard Attenborough.
A near-death experience with a T-Rex has a way of changing a person. In the books, Crichton took it a step further and had the T-Rex bite Malcolm and shake him like a doll before it left him for dead. Post traumatic stress would be very likely after such an experience.
I always thought the reason of Malcolm's change from JP to TLW was because of his experience from JP. From his pervious experience, he knew pretty much knew what to expect when going for Sarah on Sorna. The more pressing change of Malcolm I think of is between film and novel.
Over the years, I always thought Malcolm was the only character with little to no change between movie and book, but in recent years of reading the books, he’s changed between both canons just as much as everyone else. In the book, he saw and predicted failure coming because even if Nedry hadn’t turned off the power, the problem would still be that the computers only account for current populations and don’t count extra animals. In addition, Malcolm was also calculative about the park failing where as in the movie, Malcolm didn’t necessarily say the park would fail or predicted it, he was skeptical and a critic about it being successful. There’s a difference.
From his return in FK, Malcolm is so far the only character that is turning into his his novel self in the film canon from quoting Crichton and having known and predicting what’s to come in 2021 from Maisie releasing the dinosaurs, like he also knew and predicted she was going to release them.
Ian Malcom is my favorite character in the entire series, I hope to see more of him in Jurassic World 3 hope it isn't like Fallen Kingdom where he has 10 seconds of screentime at the beginning & then again in the ending
Same. And really hope they show him in scenes with Owen and Blue.
Cuz he was nearly killed by giant monsters. That would change anyone.
True.
Agree with you for where the change takes places for Ian. Anybody that goes threw something would change accordingly and his character showed that change perfectly.
Say what you will, I absolutely love the lost world and ian Malcolm's personality
This is a very well thought out deconstruction of Dr. Malcolm. So glad you paid special attention to his character shift post T-rex paddock scene. I think this is where most people overlook his character development. It is also worth reviewing his status as a scientist and public figure after Ingen attacks his credibility. I am also in the camp of thinking that TLW Malcolm is best. He serves "The Experienced One" roll well in that film and is a good indicator for what's going on or what's about to happen in the movie.
When I saw the lost world as a kid I didn't question the change in personality because it made sense. He was already cynical In Jurassic park. The lost world just gave this the same cynical Malcolm with a side dish of PTSD.
Even after the Trex attack, he still keeps his sense of humor. IMO his big change comes early when he realizes Ingen still didn't learn their lesson. The Lost World portrays him more with a sense of hopelessness, knowing the chaos is coming.
YES. Thank you. You explained it exactly as I do. Down to the change after being attacked on Nublar.
He’s been through some things. He almost died. He watched people around him drop like flies. He is most likely is suffering from PTSD in TLW.
Then as you mentioned, Ludlow had been dragging this guy and his career through the dirt for 4 years. He was terminated from a job. Then he finds out that his girlfriend was sent to an island much like the one he almost died on. And THEN he finds out that his daughter tagged along.
I’d be a much different person, too.
To tag onto this 3 years later; he’s pretty much TLW Malcolm from the Rex attack on, even in the first film.
Exactly, Klayton. I also noticed he was serious after the Tyrannosaur attack. I actually liked Malcolm when he was serious in The Lost World. Still, he was always the same guy: proving people wrong and trying to help them realize their mistakes. Like he said, "You know, I beg people to listen to me. I use plain, simple English. I don't have any accent that I'm aware of."
Ian was probably one of the few characters that didn't change much from book to movie.
I disagree. The film simplified his arguments, he was made a lot more heroic in the film (distracting the Rex rather than just running from it), he was made into a father in the films, and in the films there was more of a focus on his romantic pursuits. Not to mention that in the second film he is more unwilling to go to Sorna than in the book and he is more physically active.
I know, Ian Malcom took of his glasses! #Mindblown 🤯
And ripped open his shirt a bit more. He's Super Math!
Haha maybe he got lasik just in case he ever got attacked again so he won't need his glasses.
100% agree. I love his journey in the books more than in the movies, but I am so appreciative of the fact that Goldblum played the character as one who had experienced the tragedy. His anxiety and skepticism post-Isla Nublar makes absolute sense.
Why Ian Malcolm was so different in The Lost World?
Well, my answer before I will see the video: He saw terror and death right in front of his eyes in the first movie where he also nearly lost his life. Then he found out that his girlfriend is alone on this new Island full of dinosaurs ( where they live even without fences ) and she could easily be killed. I love Ian Malcolms character from the first movie so much, but I totally understand why he changed ( probably we all would if we had experienced things like this^^ ).
Also, thanks Klayton for another great video. This one is, as always, absolutely fantastic. :)
I thought his character arc made sense as well. Don’t know why so many people had a hard time grasping it.
'cause people hate changes.
@@IronMan-tk8uc Or just too lazy to read and see the clues. When people watch movie, they just watch, but don't think
@@aryshandono3249 Also that.
Pretty sure Ian was suffering from PTSD, and goes from being really jokey and suave, to anxious, serious and on edge. People shouldn’t really rag on the second because if a person goes to a dinosaur infested island and almost dies trying to get off, the character is going to have a changed personality.
You nailed it Klayton. I always chalked it up to his near death experience and you can see the shift in personality from his encounter with the rex in the second half of the first JP.
Can't wait to see him with interact with Alan Grant in Jurassic World 3
I can't wait to see Alan, Ellie, and Ian interact with the new cast of characters.
And Owen and Blue
Great video, as usual. I just want to add that Malcolm is shown being clearly apprehensive before the T-Rex even shows up. As soon as the power is lost, he starts to lose his cool and becomes anxious. It's a shift in power. Dr. Grant acts more calm and collected under pressure in dealing with the rex attack, while Malcolm almost gets himself killed by making an impulsive choice. Love these character dissections as that is something that usually gets ignored or misunderstood with these movies...especially the first Jurassic Park.
Literally just finished JP this second and yeah you can see the shift straight away - not surprising how he behaves through the rest of 1 and lost world!
I've been waiting for someone to make this specific video on this specific topic. Friggin' love you Klayton .
Not just his character but his hair and glasses too.
Not sure if that's a prequel reference but I'm upvoting it in case.
@@KonguZya Attack of the Clones?
I always thought of it as a mixture of combat hardened and PTSD. Soldiers deploying to combat and coming home go through similar changes.
He knows this is no laughing matter and the situation is not a joke. Something he is constantly trying to explain to his team.
"This is how it always starts with oohs and awes then later there is running and screaming."
indeed, he became more and more like his novel counterpart.
as did henry wu
Wait novel Henry Wu is a mad scientist?
@@Hartzilla2007 not a "mad" scientists just a scientist with "victor Frankenstein" syndrome
and no I DON'T mean the hollywood frankenstein.
@@taliesincoleman6569 Except when Victor Frankenstein did mad science and things went wrong his reaction was pretty much "What the fuck was I thinking" Movie Wu's is to triple the fuck down on that shit.
Didn’t book Malcolm leave Lex and Tim to die, I don’t see Lost World Malcolm doing that
@@mrcritical6751 not really no.
To me his personality change always felt natural and consistent. Also in TLW he still has quite a lot of sense of humor, his way of delivering it just changed.
Always here for anything The Lost World❤
I prefer Malcolm in TLW as well honestly!
The change of character was probably caused by the fact that he died on Nublar.
Love him or hate him, Brock Zinck is spitting straight facts.
@@pirateturtle987 well...yes and no
No because in the movies it's pretty obvious he manages to survive, and in The Lost World book he is obviously back, although pretty debilitated
Yes because it was pretty obvious in the first book he was supposed to die, and Crichton basically retconned him into surviving for the second book (saying that he was "presumed dead for months" and that he was at serious danger of dying while being surgically operated and medically followed). As to why Crichton did so, I'd say a combination of seeing how the movie saved the character, and Crichton obviously liking the character himself and wanting him to have a more active role in the second book instead of just being Mr. Background Exposition as he was in the first one
Ta da
@@DonPatrono There is no retconning, really. If he wrote a chapter about Malcolm's funeral and then made him alive again in The Lost World, then that would be a retcon.
@@pirateturtle987 not technically. Crichton never explicitly killed off Malcolm. He was only presumed to have died on Nublar, as far as Crichton's canon in concerned.
For me the lost world is the best entry on the series. And i consider malcon to be a main character in all franchise.
His chaos teory and lessons on how humand and dinossaur will not go well together (cooexist) is present in all the movies.
Great video Klayton of The History of Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic series.
Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic series is depicted as a supportive character in these movies especially the First film and The Lost World.
Great video and as always, Take it Easy.
joshua ashley, based on the book by Michael Crichton.
Not related but can someone make Ian laughing into the jurassic park theme?
But gotta agree, he's got awesome combacks.
"Yeah John, put when the Pirates of the Caribbean break down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."
That was a great breakdown of Ian's character. Made perfect sense. Not to mention that though not Alot of time had past but you get the sense that he probably just matured more as time went on. Not like in the first one where he's this young stud type. You got to see father Ian. Still Ian around the ladies, just this time as a family man.
i like this evolution in him... Even the subway scene makes you understand how much he changed since the first movie.
Malcolm’s personality change is incredibly realistic and is in my opinion what makes him such an interesting and dynamic character. He went through an incredibly traumatic near-death experience in the first movie. He went from easy-going along for the ride to a screeching halt and the fun and games were over and he was put in an intense life or death situation which affects everyone differently. It’s apparent in the last half of JP. His charisma and wit is gone and is replaced by the severe seriousness of having to be in survival mode. Having survived JP he had undoubtedly had to deal with PTSD and anxiety as a result and while we do see little glimpses of his charisma and wit that are still there in the beginning mainland scenes in TLW once he’s back in that environment he’s immediately regressed into that traumatic experience and is on edge and anxiety ridden throughout the course of the island stay.
The change in lost world didn't seem strange to me when I first saw it. Didn't even cross my mind because like you pointed out he changed after the Rex attack.
Same with me. His character seem normal for some one who went through a dramatic event. The Lost World was good in my opinion. JURASSIC 3 was horrible. I only watch the first Jurassic World. It was good for entertainment.
Imagine being mauled by a T. Rex and very nearly dying on an island filled with all kinds of dangerous dinosaurs, only to find out that you have to go back to another island full of dinosaurs, to save your GF. The environment is completely unfamiliar, and your daughter also managed to smuggle herself to come with you. Despite all the gear your team brought along, you've seen that WHEN the dinos break loose there's nothing that can stand in their way, and a lot of people will die. I think any guy would be serious and highly strung in this situation.
@@richardbond258 The only reason Jurassic 3 sucked so badly is that they literally didn't have a working script when they filmed it. It was no fault of the actors what so ever.
Ahhh yes! I've always wondered exactly this! From timid Rockstar to Billy Badass. Honestly it's one of Jeff's most un-Goldblum portrayals of a character.
I think we see the remnants/ghost of Part 1 Ian at the start of JP2, with the "joking" comments, like "No, you're making entirely new [mistakes]", "Except here the geese chase you!", and, "That actually puts you at a very convenient biting height."
Goldblum doesn't have poor performances, he just plays Goldblum. Perfect.
Well he changed in a very realistic and imo, positive way.
He experienced a near death experience with THOSE dinosaurs created by Ingen in 1993, and then he goes to Sorna only to save Sarah oh and his daughter is there too, of course he doesn't want to be there with his loved ones, he is going to be over protective, more serious and also he did faced these animals before so he has experience.
I must've watched the first 2 movies a hundred times before finally getting around to the books, and man they were so fun to read. More specifically Malcom's rants. It always felt like Michael Crichton used Ian Malcom's character as his own voice kinda.
Neat detail.
Malcolm has a limp in Lost World.
You mostly just see it after the Rex attack on the RV.
Guess that first Jurassic park experience stayed with him physically as well.
Remind me to thank John for a lovely weekend.
I've listen to my Jurassic Park Audiobook like 3-4 times I love the story, The Lost World on the other hand each time I try to listen to it I can never finish it...
I liked Malcolm's character shift in the lost world. It makes perfect sense to me given what happened in JP but it's cool that he retained his sarcasm🤘
I love your take on this. It makes very good sense.
I personally love both Jurassic Park and the lost world. Such nostalgic movies both of them :)
I totally understood Malcolm's change in character. He's a man who's narrowly survived a pretty dangerous and traumatizing experience. Anyone who knows someone who returned from a war should understand this. I have a high school friend who enlisted in the Army. He went on to serve as paratrooper in Iraq during the height of the war. He was very different person when he came back, and to this day he's not quite the same person he was before the war. Just like war has a way of changing people, so does almost getting eaten by a t-rex, as well as seeing other people get torn apart by carnivorous dinosaurs.
So I'm going to go a little a deeper in your work Klayton. So it has been proven that after significant trauma ones personality will ne altered. I can attest to this personally of my job and things I have posted on Twitter before ya shut down. You are correct on Malcolm's change in the second half of JP. Great video glad you talked about it.
Let's not forget that InGen tried to bribe him to keeping silent but refused and told Ludlow that they had no right sweeping it under the rug. Anyway thanks for the video!! See you later!!
He's still incredible even though he has differences in the films I really love this character klayton.
I think that getting referred to as a leader in his feild in the start of the first film to becoming "that dinosaur guy" in the start of the second film shows just what he has gone through over the years and that explains the change in demeanor also
You have the in-universe explanations but also narratively, Malcom went from a supporting character to a main character. Usually when this happens the appeal or mystique of the character is diminished because we get to learn more about them
I'm no expert but to hazard a guess... he was traumatized af.
i know im commenting on a way old video, but i wanted to use this topic to make a way cool announcement. So if you follow jeff at all, you know he plays in a jazz band called "The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra". Well, recently last week him and the band were in houston, and not only did i get to MEET him, i also had the great honor of giving him a painting i did of the T-rex break out scene from the first movie. Yeah! Dr. Ian Malcom owns one of my paintings! Its so crazy because all my life ive tried to be like Crash and hoped by the millionth of a chance i may get to meet him. Now, not only did i met an original cast member from the movie itself but gave him a piece of my work. Childhood has come full circle! Ok i know this was a bit of a nove, but i just wanted to share the awesome news.
4:00, remind me to thank John for a Lovely Weekend.
I totally agree with you about the personality change and when it happens.Its one thing to predict that everything will fail,look down on everyone and everything and pass judgement from a place of safety but once he had suffered the tyrannosaur attack the danger becomes a lot more real to him.I have to say though in the books and in the films Ian Malcolm has always been my favourite character and I think Jeff Goldblum was the perfect actor to bring him to life.No one else could have done it.
I never really noticed the change as a kid. I just saw his character being more world weary and extremely cautious based on the events of the first movie. Alt, he's taking care of his daughter the entire movie.
Even as a kid watching the Lost World for the first time I was able to grasp why Malcolm was a different man at that point. I'm not sure if it was a concious choice by Goldblum or a directorial move to present him that way. Malcolm was still the witty smartass, but with the fear and paranoia of the events of the past looming over him which in part clouded certain sides of his personality. I thought it was quite fascinating to see in some ways.
I just paused your video and went on a "self rant" about this subject to see if I agreed with what you were going to say. Happily, I totally agree that being attacked by dinosaurs is enough to make even the most happy-go-lucky person more serious and anxious.
See there goes another example of chaos theory, no one could predict that Ian Malcolm have a shift in personality.
Thank you, I like Ian, he is one of my favourite character in the Jurassic park series.
I would think almost getting eaten by a Trex would change any ones outlook.
If I don't remember wrong, I think Spielberg said that after the Jurassic Park Incident, part of the reason Malcolm had such of a personality change
Was because he tried to expose what happened on the Island to the public and got ridiculed, due to the fact that Ingen denied and covered up everything,
So Malcolm was left seen as a Joke in the public eye. (From being the jokester to becoming the joke.)
I think both not being believed , the harassment (The train scene in The Lost World) and the traumatization from the incident took a toll.
Why did Malcom change from Jurassic Park to Lost World? For the same reason Alan's view and character changed, as he told Eric Kirby in Jurassic Park 3, "They hadn't tried to eat me yet." (May not be the exact quote, but I'm sure you know what I am talking about.) Malcom saw what the T-rex did to the Explorer and the kids, he saw what happened to Gennaro first hand and almost lived it himself. Looked right at the T-rex while in the back as it chased the Jeep.
Oh I'm sorry that he isn't care free like in the first half of the movie. He has PTSD now from the island. Even in Fallen Kingdom he is a bit different and further traumatized from dealing with the stress of Sarah and his daughter (I forget her name) in LW. Come on, nearly being pushed off the cliff by 2 T-rex's, his friend killed, chased by the T-rex...again, avoiding the rapture at the compound, setting yourself up to be bait and chased a 3rd time by a T-rex. I'm surprised his character can function like he does. He had to have gone through some therapy.
The ultimate short answer to this question. Also Goldblum is a hell of an actor, he'll do his characters right.
If you think about it Malcolm wasn't the only one who changed in the sequels, Alan Grant went through changes because he was so fond of dinosaurs in the original but he realised how dangerous they are too and wasn't interested at all in seeing them in Jurassic Park 3
I always do his weird laugh “ah huh ha huh”
He almost dies and gets a dose of a truly chaotic reality, never even really took too much notice on how different he was at first in the first half of Jurassic Park.
Life changing experiences typically stem internal dynamics in a new way.
I always thought that Malcolm's change came from when he got injured.
I still love both Jurassic Park and The Lost World. I remember watching them in theatres back in '93 and '97.
I've always thought about this, and I figured if he's going to be the main character of the sequel, you can't just make him the same bizarre funny guy he was in the first Jurassic Park, it doesn't fit. But you did a nice job of explaining his transition. And it's true, after he gets injured in the original he suddenly becomes a lot more serious.
As Grant replied to Erik in JPIII on his own more four attitude...
"You liked dinosaurs back then."
"Yeah...well back then they hadn't tried to eat me yet..."
Getting mauled by a Rex, threatened by Raptors and nearly dying of infection THEN having your reputation destroyed will dampen anyone's demeanor...
yep is Makes sense, Compare it to Private Soldier and Heavy Veteran ones who know what their going to face after the 'relaxing' start. In Jurassic Park he was Happy and laughing like 'walk in the park' advanture ("Nothing bad gonna happen").
In the "Lost World" he knew the power of the dinosaurus, that they real and What those dinos able to do on people and he also had his 'daughter' there to keep her safe and avoiding Danger.
Of course the PTSD, the fact his rep was destroyed between the movies would change his attitude. Fours years of nobody believing what he was saying, everyone thinking he was a fantasist and liar. That's bad enough. But for a scientist like Malcolm you have to understand how he saw first hand the incredible dangers of genetic engineering when wielded 'like a kid who found his dad's gun.'
This for me is the key for this character's transition from the first movie. He has seen what he personally considers to be potentially the biggest step towards extinction OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. Bigger than even the development of the atomic bomb, as is also touched upon. This theme stems from the first book itself, and is considered in the movie as they sit at the dinner table discussing the wider ramifications of this park. Not just as some tourist trap, but what unlocking this technology means for humanity as a whole. Little weighs on a man's mind more than the knowledge that human civilisation and the nature of species itself is now under extreme threat.
His monologue in the fifth movie bears this out.
He still had some humor at least everyone forgets the best part of the T-rex attacking the rv scene and Eddie ask if they need anything and then Ian says 2 Cheeseburgers and then nick and Sarah continue the joke I forgot what they said though