Review: ‘Land of the Lost’
Review: ‘Land of the Lost’
1.5 stars out of 5
Land of the Lost can easily be summarized like this: Will Ferrell. In this big-screen take of the schlocky ‘70s series, Ferrell’s dominance throughout the movie is inescapable. Crude and juvenile, it just wouldn’t be a Willy F vehicle without being doused in dinosaur pee, would it? If Ferrell isn’t your cup of abrasive whiskey, stay away. For everybody else, Land of the Lost is a mix of Apatow humor and hi-jinx that will have the immature bastard in all of us giggling.
Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) is brilliant. Don’t be fooled by his nutsy theories, hair-brained hypotheses and outlandish behavior. The guy knows what he is doing. Unfortunately, nobody else believes him, especially the science community.
Marshall, who believes in the existence of other dimensions and the ability to travel to them, is running low on inspiration. Until his muse walks in the door.
Former Cambridge student, Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel) is so devoted to Marshall’s teachings she was thrown out of school. Ever the optimist, Cantrell wakes the professor from a food coma and prods him to continue making his tachyon device to finally verify, once and for all, if travel to other dimensions is possible. To try it out, our duo heads to the Devil’s Canyon, a tourist trap run by desert survivalist and fireworks enthusiast, Will (Danny McBride).
Once inside, the team is thrust into a world where past, present and future are mashed up. A land where dinosaurs still roam, Sleestaks — the lizard-people from the original series– guard an ancient ruin and a group of ape people drink narcotics all day. Seeking out the tachyon device that was lost during their arrival, the team must avoid a grumpy T-Rex, blood-sucking bugs and fornicating lizard-people in order to get home and, you know, save the universe and stuff.
Despite the film having ties to Subway which may take a family-friendly appearance, please note the PG-13 rating. It’s warranted. With a heaping amount of sexual references and crude behavior, Land of the Lost isn’t for little kids, so parents, please use discretion.
When you walk into a Good Times, you don’t expect filet mignon. So to, when you walk into Land of the Lost, one shouldn’t expect Citizen Kane. Hell, you’re not even getting The Mummy, but what moviegoers should look forward to is a feast for the senses. Stunning special effects, witty dialogue mixed with occasional annoyances (enough with the semi-naked stuff Will. For real), Brad Silberling’s adventure film will entertain ardent Ferrell fans but may leave others completely lost in this land.
