Movie Review – Land of the Lost
Will Ferrell Stars in This Adaptation of a 1970s TV Series
Jun 27, 2009
Fans of Will Ferrell will probably enjoy Land of the Lost; as Dr. Rick Marshall, the actor provides his usual level of manic energy and tosses off a few funny one-liners. But a lot of people don’t like Will Ferrell, and a lot of people won’t like Land of the Lost. But, if you’re not expecting too much, this film can provide some mindless entertainment.
Land of the Lost Loses Direction
This movie seems like a mash-up of several different films. It veers wildly between action and humor, and that humor veers wildly between witty jokes and gross-out gags involving sex and dinosaur urine. More importantly, this movie can’t seem to determine its relationship to its source material, the beloved children’s TV series from Sid and Marty Krofft.
Sometimes, the movie seems like an updated, ironic send-up of the show, featuring a ragtag band of adult misfits who gets lost in another dimension instead of an earnest family. On the other hand, many aspects of the film — character names, a cheesy plot and the look of the Sleestaks — seem to pay homage to the TV series rather than poking fun at it. The movie is unsure of its own identity, so the audience is left unsure of what they’re watching.
Actors and A Chorus Line
Land of the Lost is not without its redeeming qualities, however. Anna Friel provides a lovely, wide-eyed enthusiasm, and Danny McBride continues to prove that he can be funny in pretty much anything. Jorma Taccone, best known from Saturday Night Live’s Digital Shorts, is unrecognizable as monkey-man Cha-Ka, but his commitment to the bizarre performance is admirable. Matt Lauer deadpans his way through a funny cameo that bookends the film.
The biggest laughs, however, come from the film’s utilization of music from A Chorus Line. A song from the show pops up at random moments throughout the film as the characters try to get back home, and a climactic scene centered around the music is probably the funniest in the movie — it features some unexpected singing and dancing, but there’s not much more to say without spoiling it.
Ferrell Doesn’t Totally Fail
Land of the Lost is by no means a good film, but it’s not really a bad film either. It’s just kind of there, waiting to distract you for a while. So, if you like Will Ferrell or the ‘70s TV show or A Chorus Line, you might enjoy this movie — but you might not, either.
