Land of the Lost (2009) Movie Review

Dr. Rick Marshall, bent on proving his crack-pot theory, is literally dumped into a land with dinosaurs, distant primates and evil alien overlords. Land of the Lost suffers from a lack of comedic timing, outdated effects, pitiful editing, and painfully shallow writing, but offers plain silliness as a consolation prize.

Disgraced and outcast, Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Farrell) is inspired to finish his work by graduate student Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel). Using the newly finished Tachyon Accelerator, they head for a portal to where all of time and space converge - a middle of nowhere cave attraction. Their guide, Will Stanton (Danny McBride) is sucked into a world of T-Rexs, missing link primates, and ice cream trucks. They pick up Chaka (Jorma Taccone), a man-like ape inhabitant of the world. While trying to find their way home, they come across alien prisoner Enik (John Boylan), who warns them about dangerous alien leader, The Zarn (Leonard Nimoy).

An attentive viewer of Land of the Lost would find an endless number of editing issues. There is a scene where one of the characters is trying to make shorts of their jeans by tearing them, but there is a line of skin right above where she is tearing, exposing the movie trickery - a film no-no. The water in the beginning has improper sound editing. Many of the scenes last too long, challenging the audience's attention span.

Peppering the lingering scenes in Land of the Lost are sexual jokes of the sophistication of a junior high schooler. Poor Anna Friel, her breasts are honked in ways I haven't seen since I was making out with my first boyfriend. If her breasts had a horn attached, the movie would have sounded like a clown college.

For most of the movie, Will Farrell gallivants about, finding different ways to injure or potentially damage himself. Farrell doesn't add much to Land of the Lost. Farrell, nor any of the other actors, added any special comedic timing, just a wiliness to completely embarrass themselves - a trait that doesn't transfer well on film. Any cut rate comedic actor could've been substituted in his place and the movie would not have been impacted in any way (except maybe for curly chest hair).

The backgrounds, the sets, and the digitally created creatures might as well have been cut and paste paper objects flung around the sound state on strings. Hand puppets and marionettes wouldn't be downgrades either. I suggest that director Brad Silberling, visit a local sixth grade class for his set decoration if they have a sequel.

BUT! Land of the Lost satisfies the need for uncomplicated, unabashed, unashamed, pointless, mindless tom-foolery. Land of the Lost reminds me of American Cheese. I don't know if it is the intention of the poor effects and shallow writing, but it all sort of blends into a cinematic concoction not displeasing to the watcher. It has negative nutritional value, it barely passes of food, but the taste sent me back to more innocent times.

I wouldn't pay full money to see Land of the Lost. I might not even pay a matinee price. I would however, sneak in if I needed a little pick me up or leave it on if it were on TV.