It’s been 30 years since Steven Spielberg made film history with Jurassic Park and attracted millions of people to the cinema. Afterwards, many tried to emulate the action-packed adventure with sci-fi elements. One of those films was in 1995 Congo by Frank Marshall (Arachnophobia), even if hardly anyone remembers him today.
Lots of similarities: Congo wanted to inherit Jurassic Park as a sci-fi adventure
The adventure highlight was: Congo was also based on a book by Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton. The novel Expedition Congo * was published in 1980 a full ten years before the more famous sci-fi work (first published in Germany as DinoPark *).
Paramount
Congo wanted to be the new Jurassic Park
In the American film Congo an expedition group disappears without a trace in Central Africa after actually Diamonds should be found that would be large and pure enough to equip powerful lasers. Not least because the son of the mission’s financier (Tim Curry) is among the missing, a new team is sent into the jungle. This also includes the ex-fiancée of the company scion: Karen Ross (Laura Linney), once a CIA agent, now a scientist. Also important is the primate researcher Dr. Peter Elliot (Dylan Walsh), who tries Gorillas to teach speaking.
The Similarities of Congo and Jurassic Park can be found not only in the original author and in the genre that mixed adventure with science fiction: also the rainforest setting, the morally dubious financier of the excursion and the sometimes bizarre members of the expedition team, which includes an Indiana Jones blend , reminiscent of Spielberg’s successful film.
Two years after Jurassic Park: Was Congo a success back then?
Box Office Mojo documented for Congo Box office gross of over $150 million, which wasn’t a bad win at all. Even if, of course, it didn’t come close to the box office gross of Jurassic Park, which is now over $1 billion.
Paramount
Congo has talking gorillas
On the other hand, the ones that fell were more devastating Reviews and audience opinions from – with only 20% to 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. They blamed the awkward dialogues and the outrageous plot as well as bad effects. That brought Congo as “cheap Spielberg imitation” (as the Washington Post put it) ended up with seven Golden Raspberry nominations. In the end, the aggressive monkeys couldn’t deliver the same visuals as a few dinosaurs.
Funnily enough, Congo director Frank Marshall later served as executive producer on the 2015 sci-fi adventure series Jurassic World.
On Amazon and more: Where you can see the Jurassic Park emulator Congo
You can rent or buy the science fiction adventure film Congo on Amazon *. On MagentaTV the film even streams in flat format.
Podcast: The 5 most exciting films in November on Netflix, Amazon and Co.
Still no idea which movie you should watch tonight? We introduce you to the most promising streaming films in November:
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Whether on Netflix, Apple TV+ or Disney+: There are exciting new releases among the streaming services’ own productions this month. Included are romantic science fiction and the new Netflix thriller by David Fincher.
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