Land of the Lost (2009)

"Captain Kirk's nipples!"

...and if that quote didn't tell you the new big budget big screen "Land of the Lost" film isn't exactly directed at the Saturday morning TV crowd... I fondly recall spending those mornings in the 70's with Will, Holly, Dr. Marshall and the Sleestak, so when I heard Will Ferrell would be taking the lead I was content in the knowledge that the campiness of the original Sid and Marty Kroft show would be preserved. As fate would have it this preservation extends even to the cheesy theme song which Ferrell nearly performs in one scene...this theme song pretty much covers the series and movie's premise...the aforementioned characters, on a "less than" routine expedition via an earthquake and a tachyon gadget (this part is new) end up in a parallel space they call the "Land of the Lost" complete with prehistoric critters and lizardmen. Unlike the series they need to find Dr. Marshall's misplaced gadget in order to get home, this leads to lots of mishaps and sight gags. But as I mentioned, this is not your father's "Land of the Lost" this is a Will Ferrell, albeit watered down, but nonetheless, a Will Ferrell film, so as you'd expect there is overt crude references flying aplenty, including hot Sleestak-on-Sleestak action (not really on screen), nothing to cringe-worthy...although some drug and vague sexual jokes.

"LOTL" is bookended by a "TODAY" show sequence in which Matt himself interviews Dr. Marshall about is kooky space/time theories and then again later interviews a vindicated Dr. Marshall at the movie's end. Dr. Marshall is classic Will Ferrell, the pompous, dimwitted boob he plays soooo well, so you know precisely what you will get upon entering the theater. This time he is a nutty paleontologist who has a strange fixation on "Chorus Line" and comfort food binges. "Land of the Lost" is more "Elf" than "Anchorman", I guess. What is new here is the digital dino and big bug eye candy, not really the norm for a Ferrell film, more in the spirit of Ringo Starr's "Caveman" than "Jurassic Park" though (especially the cave-boy-speak).

The kitsch aside, if possible, "LOTL" includes some impressive sets, some true to the original show, like the Sleestak ruins and some less Kroft, but equally cool, parallel world Bermuda Triangle parallel world clutter ala desert complete with missing ships, planes and gas stations. Also true to the Kroft look are the Sleestak lizard people (one of which is voiced by Leonard Nimoy a.k.a Spock) who look largely unchanged, but I'd have bought a ticket just for them anyway.

We watched this movie on our DVR, kept it around, watched it again, and then again, and then again. By the third time, we found it to be really funny and my family still quotes the movie all the time. It's not 'Black Swan' but life's too short to ignore this movie. I only wish they'd do an 'Extras' version but that's probably not going to happen.

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I'd read plenty of negative reviews of the film before deciding to give it a look.

What the film lacks in cohesiveness it makes up for goofiness. It is most definitely a vehicle for letting Will Farrell run wild and free. It wasn't a script in search of a star so much as it is a familiar premise functioning as a playground for a comedic improv actor.

I wouldn't say it is "based on" the classic Saturday morning series so much as "inspired by" it.

Nevertheless, the cast seem to have fun in this lighgweight romp and it makes for a reasonably funny way to pass 90 minutes.

I don't know if I'd buy it for my home video library but I certainly wouldn't object to watching it again from time to time.

I didn't get to listen to the Director Commentary track before I returned the rental disc, but I've listened to others by this director and he tells interesting stores.

And the cameo by Matt Lauer is worth the price of admission!

Read Best Reviews of Land of the Lost (2009) Here

This movie is hilarious. I rented it two days before Christmas Eve when everything else was already out. I laughed until I cried. I knew then I had to add it to my movie collection. I have watched it several times with my family since receiving it. Highly recommended. Do not let it's rating fool you. It does have some adult references, but no nudity or horribe language. Perfect movie for a night in with the wife and teenagers.

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Always loved THE LAND OF THE LOST original 1974 Acid & Marty Krofft show, even when walking around in pjs on a Saturday morning and watching it on our black n white TV. I bought the second season of the series not long ago. So I knew I had to see this. And even though Will Ferrel is usually hit and miss with me (more often miss than hit), I thought this was the best thing he's done in a long time! And really, it's kind of a clever spin/spoof on the original that does manage to generate a fair amount of interest even in terms of an adventure story. It's great seeing how they come up with things that we know from the original. The dinosaur was certainly fierce, well-done, and filled in nicely for Grumpy. I thought the Zarn guy, Enic, could have been a little more convincing, a little closer to the original perhaps. Finally, the story stayed true to the original not in it's comedy flavor, but just in how whacked out it was falling in and out of this dimension and that one the original Land of the Lost is true sci-fi (albeit on low budget). This one also managed to bring forth and add some new twists to the old "routine expedition" gone terribly awry. And terribly ridiculous as well. I think this movie was a great idea.

PS I watched it twice the second time with friends. I liked it as much or better the second time. Some really funny scenes and kind of a clever story as well. Scenes with Chaka are HILARIOUS ("I am your master, Chaka"). This film is gonna be a classic one day.

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