Product Description

Comedic genius Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, who gets more than he bargained for when his expedition takes a wrong turn into the Land of the Lost. Now, Marshall, his crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist named Will (Danny McBride), have no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in a world full of marauding dinosaurs, fantastic creatures and laugh-out-loud comedy!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11814 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP. (MCA)
• Released on: 2009-10-13
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Spanish, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.com
How to make a big-screen version of Sid and Marty Krofft's Seventies TV show? In this case, place the thing in the meaty hands of Will Ferrell and give the special effects a big upgrade. If you grew up with the show, you will recall that Marshall, Will, and Holly fall through a time warp into a land where dinosaurs roam and all kind of weird things grow. In this version, Ferrell plays a disgraced scientist, Anna Friel a brainy postgraduate, and Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) the sleazy owner of a desert tourist trap that happens to be home to the time portal. This begins to suggest how this movie wants to have it both ways: keep some of the original's kid appeal, but raunch it up just enough for fans of Judd Apatow's movies. The result is that nothing really works very well. There's no momentum to the plot, the locations are monotonous, and Ferrell and McBride are desperate in their attempts to generate something out of nothing. Granted, they succeed a few times--these guys are too funny to whiff completely--but the strain is visible. And although the effects, are competent, the movie can't even get its fantasy rules straight (why is the T. Rex sometimes ferocious and sometimes indifferent?). Fans of the show will enjoy hearing the cheesy theme song worked in (Ferrell performs a zonked version) and seeing how the movie updates the menacing Sleestaks. But on a basic level Land of the Lost has no idea what it's doing, or what it means to do. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

"Captain Kirk's nipples!"
"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.

FUN WITH THE BRAIN OFF
LAND OF THE LOST

I knew way before the viewing of this took place that this film would not be for everybody. You could just tell that it would be crazy and well just plain fun. Thankfully I was aware that I should not go into this with high expectations [thanks Mr.KIA]. Thanks to the warning I believe that I was able to enjoy this more so than I would have. With that said this is not a classic but if you watch it with the brain off it is fun. Staring of course Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, and Jorma Taccone the cast really helps this one out. Still fun will be had if you go in with no expectations and the brain off.

Dr. Rick Marshall [Ferrell] is a crazy and weird minded guy, or so the science community believes. Years have gone by since they booted him from his life's work on time warps and such and reduced him to a school teacher. That is until Holly Cantrell [Friel] walks into his classroom and into his life. The thing about her is that she believes in not only his theories but also in him. After an eating binge takes place he finishes his tachyon amplifier or whatever it is and off they are to find a site where it will work. They find it at a seemingly abandoned tourist attraction. But in order to get to the part they need they must take a boat tour with their guide Will Stanton [McBride]. One thing leads to another and they end up in you guessed it, the land of the lost. It is here that they meet Cha-Ka [Taccone] and all the fun starts to happen. They learn that they are part of a bigger adventure then once thought, dinosaurs included.

The film is far from perfect like the characters never seem to build up any before they are in the Lost Land, except maybe Will Stanton. But Holly in particular appears out of nowhere and the story immediately kicks off. That's another thing about this film, it just kinda starts but I guess that is part of the fun. The writers did a good enough job but it seemed like they didn't know which way they wanted to go with this. Still there is some good stuff in here and the director [as he says in the commentary] did include a lot of stuff from the series, see if you can find them all. So there are problems but there are some funny moments to be had, particularly the cast saves this one.

Star Will Ferrell is actually perfect for this type of role and plays the dim witted yet somehow smart scientist with ease. In fact if anyone thinks any different I would say the writing for the characters is off more so than the actors. Anna Friel is good in her role as well and does a good job as the woman infatuated with the good Dr. still her character was rushed in but once again a writing error. While both of them are great in this film Danny McBride, and Jorma Taccone seem to be show stealers in this. Jorma is great as Cha-ka and is one of the more entertaining things about this film. Danny is absolutely hilarious at least to me in this movie and provides some of the best moments. Like when he posses for a picture when a giant T-Rex is about to eat them, or when he gives a big heartfelt speech about joining Rick in battle [you'll see]. I don't know but I found him hilarious in this, just me I guess.

Like I said earlier this is not a perfect film and does have some problems but if you go in just wanting to have fun, you will. I was able to get the warning ahead of time [thanks again KIA] so I enjoyed it. I do recommend this film but go in with no expectations and not expecting the show to be duplicated. The film is fun and the performances are fun as well, I say check it out as a rental at least and see from there. Also this film was made for fans of the series who are grown now [at least the original viewers] so they should get the nice throwbacks to the original show. Still it is fun enough for new viewers.

:)
I am a fan of the original series and when I heard about this movie, I was a bit disappointed. However, the movie does not make fun of the original series and, instead, gives it respect. The movie is surprisingly funny. It's how every actor in the movie "knows" it's just a fun movie and they all seem to have a good time. There are plenty of things thrown in for nostalgia for the fans of the original series. I recommend this movie.