AllMovie

A type of science fiction/fantasy film that tries to re-create or imagine prehistoric worlds. These films are usually set in prehistoric times or depict a group of contemporary explorers coming across a "lost world" of primitive and/or prehistoric people who live anomalously from the civilized outside world. These "lost worlds" range from tribes practicing ancient rituals of sacrifice and worship such as the ones in She, or they could be home to the dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures who roamed the earth in their stop-motion fashion in the original The Lost World. Often, the intrusion of the outsiders disrupts the balance of nature, angering the gods or antiquated creatures and bringing disaster to both the expedition and the forgotten civilizations as well. The films can be seen as a indictment of the colonialism of the Western World but in most cases are played for the thrills and excitement of seeing large, fearsome beasts eating and stomping those that get in their way.