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jeriendhalLand of the Lost was an odd duck on the 70's Saturday morning television landscape. Created by Star Trek writing alumni David Gerrold, and produced by "H.R. Pufnstuf" pioneers Sid and Marty Kroftt, it was a shoestring budget show with surprisingly effective stop motion dinosaur effects, awful puppetry and unmentionable video green screen work. But it also featured in its first two seasons a line up of noted science fiction writers, from Larry Niven to D.C. Fontana, who under the show's restrictions manage to populate the scripts with some honestly intriguing ideas, most centering around the landscape of the poor Marshall family's lost world/zoo/prison. And despite the adventures it was a pretty grim place, given the Marshalls were constantly on the run from t-rex's to the lizard like Sleestaks, with each attempt to get home likely to be thwarted.
So, you'd think thirty years later it might be prime material for a revival, maybe a family friendly adventure movie?
Well, a movie at any rate.
I won't go too far into the numerous failings of this film. It's crass, with unlikable characters and bombast where a little thoughtfulness would have served. The bit in the fireworks shop pretty much summed things up as to whether it was going to aim for the lowest common denominator in its comedy (hint: they shot for lower.)
But what kills me is the characters are idiots. Marshall supposed to be a theoretical physicist, but he’s really is Will Ferrell in full bore Man Child mode, which we’ve seen before (too many times before). The male sidekick is an ignorant redneck, and the only sensible one there is Holly, except of course that she chooses to hang out with the other two despite all evidence that there has to be better choices out there [1]
Marshall wasn’t a scientist in the original series, he was a park ranger. He didn’t know anything about theoretical physics (that’s what Enik was for) but if you needed to build a shelter in a dinosaur infested rainforest he was your man. In other words, he was a smart guy in his area of expertise, and didn’t feel the need to run around like a babbling idiot when he wasn’t.
Compare this to say, Ghostbusters, another big budget comedy with scientist main characters. Venkman is a Class A Jerkass, Egon a cold-blooded lizard in a lab coat, and Ray is the Man Child, but the difference is that they knew their shit. They got their ideas of machines for hunting and catching ghosts built and under their control, and they didn’t panic (after some initial experiences) once they introduced themselves to the world of spirits. Ray, the most childish among them, is saved from irritability by the fact that aspect of his character is treated as a childlike Sensawunda (and he isn’t the focus of the film anyway), and Venkman may an asshole but he’s an asshole who knows what he’s talking about. And there wasn’t a boob joke or drug reference to be found. [2]
I’m forced to wonder just what the producers were thinking when they put this film together. I think the intent was an ironic reexamination of the series, ala the successful Brady Bunch films, except that Land of the Lost doesn’t bother to take much from the original source material except for the Land itself. It certainly wasn’t aimed at kids, despite the marketing, or adults who might have fond memories of the original series (which it insults just by existing.) So in the end we’re left with a very expensive mess of a film with Will Ferrell’s mug all over it.
And the sad thing is, apparently he was a fan of the original show.
[1] All the main characters are unrelated adults this time around, though they share the first names of their TV series counterparts.
[2] Yes, I know about the whole Key Master/Gatekeeper gag, but it was actually plot relevant and was so under the radar that the kiddies could easily miss it.
So, you'd think thirty years later it might be prime material for a revival, maybe a family friendly adventure movie?
Well, a movie at any rate.
I won't go too far into the numerous failings of this film. It's crass, with unlikable characters and bombast where a little thoughtfulness would have served. The bit in the fireworks shop pretty much summed things up as to whether it was going to aim for the lowest common denominator in its comedy (hint: they shot for lower.)
But what kills me is the characters are idiots. Marshall supposed to be a theoretical physicist, but he’s really is Will Ferrell in full bore Man Child mode, which we’ve seen before (too many times before). The male sidekick is an ignorant redneck, and the only sensible one there is Holly, except of course that she chooses to hang out with the other two despite all evidence that there has to be better choices out there [1]
Marshall wasn’t a scientist in the original series, he was a park ranger. He didn’t know anything about theoretical physics (that’s what Enik was for) but if you needed to build a shelter in a dinosaur infested rainforest he was your man. In other words, he was a smart guy in his area of expertise, and didn’t feel the need to run around like a babbling idiot when he wasn’t.
Compare this to say, Ghostbusters, another big budget comedy with scientist main characters. Venkman is a Class A Jerkass, Egon a cold-blooded lizard in a lab coat, and Ray is the Man Child, but the difference is that they knew their shit. They got their ideas of machines for hunting and catching ghosts built and under their control, and they didn’t panic (after some initial experiences) once they introduced themselves to the world of spirits. Ray, the most childish among them, is saved from irritability by the fact that aspect of his character is treated as a childlike Sensawunda (and he isn’t the focus of the film anyway), and Venkman may an asshole but he’s an asshole who knows what he’s talking about. And there wasn’t a boob joke or drug reference to be found. [2]
I’m forced to wonder just what the producers were thinking when they put this film together. I think the intent was an ironic reexamination of the series, ala the successful Brady Bunch films, except that Land of the Lost doesn’t bother to take much from the original source material except for the Land itself. It certainly wasn’t aimed at kids, despite the marketing, or adults who might have fond memories of the original series (which it insults just by existing.) So in the end we’re left with a very expensive mess of a film with Will Ferrell’s mug all over it.
And the sad thing is, apparently he was a fan of the original show.
[1] All the main characters are unrelated adults this time around, though they share the first names of their TV series counterparts.
[2] Yes, I know about the whole Key Master/Gatekeeper gag, but it was actually plot relevant and was so under the radar that the kiddies could easily miss it.
