Can Land of the Lost Find Its Audience?
June 6th 2009 20:17
It's funny the way things from your childhood stay with you. I remember when Saturday meant watching cartoons from early in the morning until sometime around noon. Throughout the 70's and into the 80's, Sid and Marty Kroft created some very memorable programming. On of my favorites from the Kroft brothers was a show called "Land of the Lost".
The premise was simple enough. A widower and his two children are on a rafting trip when an earthquake occurs. The earthquake some how opens a rift in time and they are transported to a land populated by dinosaurs, ape man and an evil race of lizard like men called Sleestacks. The series revolved around the family trying to get back to their own time while exploring the land of the lost. Despite what you might think about the plausibility of the plot, the series survived for two years. Even more implausible, during one season, the father somehow disappears (presumably back to his own time). A short time later, the children are joined by their uncle, who had been searching for the family.
I loved the series. As ridiculous as the premise was, it had dinosaurs and that alone earned it a place in my heart. The series has since become a cult classic. The original was so popular that it was revived in 1991. Both the original and the remake are available on DVD.
While I was reading old articles about the series, I discovered that some people thought that the Kroft brothers found their inspiration in drugs, particularly LSD. (Well it WAS the 70's!) I have to admit, I wondered if perhaps they had missed their medication the day they decided to go ahead with this project. I had mixed feelings when I found out that Will Ferrell was going to star in a movie based on the series. Then I discovered that the movie was going to be a parody of the original. Instead of being a nostalgic romp to share with my children, the film is geared toward drunken frat boys, complete with running gags about masturbation and copulating aliens.
Land of the Lost stars Will Ferrell playing Dr. Rick Marshall, a scientist who claims he has discovered a way to end the energy crisis by bringing fossil fuels from another dimension. Marshall has even invented a machine to transport him to one of those dimensions. Encouraged by the only other scientist in the world who believes in him and agrees to join him, Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel). They are joined on their journey by Will (Danny McBride). They are transported to another dimension where they discover dinosaurs,ape men and lizard men. The movie has just as many implausible twists as the series but it isn't the series. But it isn't the original series, it is a parody. So fans of the original series are bound to be disappointed if they expecting some kind of homage that can be taken seriously.
That isn't to say that this is a bad movie. It isn't. There are scenes that are very funny. The interview between Dr. Marshall and Matt Lauer had everyone laughing. I don't like spoilers, so don't expect any but trust me, there are some very funny moments. But much of it revolves around what I call frat boy humor. You know, the kind of things that are most likely to amuse a group of drunken frat boys, i.e. drugs, sex and body functions involving manure. It isn't for everyone. And, if you don't like Will Ferrell's brand of humor, you probably won't like "Land of the Lost". Because Ferrell is always Ferrell. He's funny but he's basically the same clueless guy in all his movies. Remember "Elf "(2003)? Ferrell was charming as Buddy, the human who had been raised by elves. Clueless but charming. McBride and Ferrell have good chemistry and together they are very funny.
If "Land of the Lost" made a disappointing showing in the box office Friday, it may be because it had to contend with serious competition.
Early reports place "Land of the Lost" in third place behind "Up" and "The Hangover". "Up" is in it's second week and is still going strong. "The Hangover" opened Friday and nothing draws an audience like a comedy about three hungover buffoons suffering from the results of a lost night of drunken debauchery in Las Vegas. And it is my belief that many who had to choose opted to see "The Hangover" instead. Still, if the Universal had released "Land of the Lost" on July 17, the film would have been pitted against "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". In which case, the "Land of the Lost" might have remained lost.
The premise was simple enough. A widower and his two children are on a rafting trip when an earthquake occurs. The earthquake some how opens a rift in time and they are transported to a land populated by dinosaurs, ape man and an evil race of lizard like men called Sleestacks. The series revolved around the family trying to get back to their own time while exploring the land of the lost. Despite what you might think about the plausibility of the plot, the series survived for two years. Even more implausible, during one season, the father somehow disappears (presumably back to his own time). A short time later, the children are joined by their uncle, who had been searching for the family.
I loved the series. As ridiculous as the premise was, it had dinosaurs and that alone earned it a place in my heart. The series has since become a cult classic. The original was so popular that it was revived in 1991. Both the original and the remake are available on DVD.
While I was reading old articles about the series, I discovered that some people thought that the Kroft brothers found their inspiration in drugs, particularly LSD. (Well it WAS the 70's!) I have to admit, I wondered if perhaps they had missed their medication the day they decided to go ahead with this project. I had mixed feelings when I found out that Will Ferrell was going to star in a movie based on the series. Then I discovered that the movie was going to be a parody of the original. Instead of being a nostalgic romp to share with my children, the film is geared toward drunken frat boys, complete with running gags about masturbation and copulating aliens.
Land of the Lost stars Will Ferrell playing Dr. Rick Marshall, a scientist who claims he has discovered a way to end the energy crisis by bringing fossil fuels from another dimension. Marshall has even invented a machine to transport him to one of those dimensions. Encouraged by the only other scientist in the world who believes in him and agrees to join him, Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel). They are joined on their journey by Will (Danny McBride). They are transported to another dimension where they discover dinosaurs,ape men and lizard men. The movie has just as many implausible twists as the series but it isn't the series. But it isn't the original series, it is a parody. So fans of the original series are bound to be disappointed if they expecting some kind of homage that can be taken seriously.
That isn't to say that this is a bad movie. It isn't. There are scenes that are very funny. The interview between Dr. Marshall and Matt Lauer had everyone laughing. I don't like spoilers, so don't expect any but trust me, there are some very funny moments. But much of it revolves around what I call frat boy humor. You know, the kind of things that are most likely to amuse a group of drunken frat boys, i.e. drugs, sex and body functions involving manure. It isn't for everyone. And, if you don't like Will Ferrell's brand of humor, you probably won't like "Land of the Lost". Because Ferrell is always Ferrell. He's funny but he's basically the same clueless guy in all his movies. Remember "Elf "(2003)? Ferrell was charming as Buddy, the human who had been raised by elves. Clueless but charming. McBride and Ferrell have good chemistry and together they are very funny.
If "Land of the Lost" made a disappointing showing in the box office Friday, it may be because it had to contend with serious competition.
Early reports place "Land of the Lost" in third place behind "Up" and "The Hangover". "Up" is in it's second week and is still going strong. "The Hangover" opened Friday and nothing draws an audience like a comedy about three hungover buffoons suffering from the results of a lost night of drunken debauchery in Las Vegas. And it is my belief that many who had to choose opted to see "The Hangover" instead. Still, if the Universal had released "Land of the Lost" on July 17, the film would have been pitted against "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". In which case, the "Land of the Lost" might have remained lost.
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