"Land of the Lost" Movie Review

This week we take a look at the latest Will Ferrell vehicle, Land of the Lost (PG-13). Based on the cult series of the same name from the 70s, the film tells of Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) and two companions (Anna Friel and Danny McBride) who are transported to a parallel universe with dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Brad Silberling directs.

Ryan: Land of the Lost is the first dud of the summer. If someone would have been listening to the screening that I attended they might have thought the audience was watching a drama. There was almost no laughter coming from the moviegoers in attendance. I’m afraid to think what the audience thought of the film because for the most part I was the only one snickering at some of the antics in the movie. But the occasional laugh can’t save this film. This is one of Ferrell’s most lackluster efforts.

Andy: I found myself moderately entertained by Land of the Lost. I laughed out loud occasionally, and I was never really bored while watching it. But quite frankly, that is not good enough. What Land of the Lost lacks is a plot that is intriguing and characters that you are likely to care about it. Without those two key elements, a movie has to be pretty consistently funny to get by, and Land of the Lost isn’t.

Ryan: Will Ferrell has made some very funny movies. But his act, and it pains me a little to say this, is wearing a little thin. Last year's Step Brothers was a step back in the right direction but Land of the Lost is going to remind moviegoers of some of his more recent and uneventful fare, Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro. Will Ferrell just doing his shtick in a movie isn't enough for the movie to succeed. Audiences are accustomed to his act so consequently the movie has to excel in the other areas of film making. Land of the Lost does not.

Andy: I think for Land of the Lost to really work it had to be more than just a vehicle for Will Ferrell. At this point, we all know what we are getting from Ferrell, and that just can’t be expected to carry a movie anymore. With the shortcomings in plot, the movie really needed the costars to step up. There were promising moments from Danny McBride, who may have had the best lines in the whole movie, but female lead Anna Friel added virtually nothing to the movie.

Ryan: I think this move will finally slow the need to make films based on Generation X nostalgia. From Thunderbirds to Dukes of Hazzard to Speed Racer the track record of making modern feature films based on shows that kids watched in the seventies (and early eighties) is spotty at best. One, I'm not convinced that there's an audience for some of these movies. And secondly, the film version of these properties almost always alienate the core audience that would pay and go see these movies. A movie like Starsky & Hutch worked because it was the right blend of irony and homage while, for example, Land of the Lost failed because it never established what direction it wanted to go in.

Andy: There is no doubt that this movie goes down as a failed example of Gen-X nostalgia. It will be interesting to see if the same holds true later this summer for G.I. Joe. The bottom line is that Land of the Lost may have been okay in concept, but the movie was executed poorly enough that it ended up looking like a mess. I’m not ready to write Will Ferrell off by any means, but it seems like there was a time fairly recently when he might have been able to carry this film. As it is, it will remain one of the more forgettable movies of the summer.

Land of the Lost is a little short on laughs for a comedy, and offers little else to make up for it. Final grade: D+.