Land of the Lost (2009)

The original Land of the Lost was a serious television show for kids created by Sid and Marty Krofft, the same minds behind The Bugaloos, Wonderbug, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. The Will Farrell remake is anything but serious, so anyone hoping for the tone of the old show runs the risk of being disappointed. If, however, you’re looking for a briskly-paced comedy filled with absurd humor, dependable special effects, and plenty of action, then you might want to give this latest version a try.

Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is a paleontologist specializing in the study of tachyons. He believes that by learning to control them, mankind can travel “sideways” in time and space and solve the world’s energy crisis. When his funding runs out, and he nearly attacks a skeptical Matt Lauer on the set of The Today Show, his credibility in the scientific community is destroyed.

Three years later, he’s been consigned to the hell of working at a tar pit and answering countless questions from annoying students. Enter Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel), a former Cambridge student who believes Marshall to be the most brilliant man alive. She urges him to finish his tachyon device, even showing him an ancient fossilized imprint of a cigarette lighter as proof that other worlds do exist. When Marshall realizes that his own lighter fits the imprint perfectly (as well as the inscription of “Big Cat”), he decides to finish the work he started years ago.

To test the machine, the two take a “routine expedition” to a tourist trap which radiates strong tachyon signals. The proprietor, an uncouth redneck by the name of Will Stanton (Danny McBride), takes them on a tour, allowing Marshall to successfully test his device. But it works all too well, and the trio is hurled through space and time into a prehistoric landscape populated by ape men, dinosaurs, and the slow-but-dangerous Sleestaks. The two most notable residents of this land are a T-Rex nicknamed “Grumpy,” who develops an intense hatred for the taunting Marshall, and a horny ape-man by the name of Cha-Ka (Jorma Taccone).

I’ve always been fond of Will Farrell’s ability to turn a phrase. While keeping that same mystified deadpan glued to his face, he cuts loose with exclamations like “Jupiter’s thunder!” and “Captain Kirk’s nipples!”. You never know what nonsense he’s going to utter, but that’s half the fun of his act. In Land of the Lost, he’s surprisingly subdued; at times, his character even seems halfway competent. Oh, he still shouts and carries on in classic Farrell tradition, but it’s usually triggered by events such as unexpected dinosaur attacks. His relationship with Cha-Ka is especially amusing, as Marshall wastes no time in proclaiming himself master of the ape-like creature and then cursing him for one imagined betrayal after another. At one bizarre-yet-hilarious point, he even looks into a portable video camera and outlines his plan for eating Cha-Ka if the food situation worsens (noting how Bobby Flay would prepare Cha-Ka meat on Iron Chef).

Danny McBride is starting to make a habit of stealing the show. His Will Stanton is pure white trash, but he’s also the type of harmless yokel you could imagine having a few beers with and swapping dirty jokes. McBride looks born to play the part, and it’s no coincidence that most of his characters tend to behave as though they just walked off the lot of a trailer park. As I watched him on the screen, I was reminded of how a younger (and lighter) John Goodman used to dominate every scene he was in. I wonder how long before McBride gets his own shot at a solo career? Let’s just hope he turns out higher quality material than King Ralph.

The remaining member of the trio is Anna Friel as Holly. She’s the sensible one of the group, which means she’s there to function as the straight man (or woman, in this case). She’s easy on the eyes–especially when she adopts the Lara Croft look–and delivers her uninspired lines with conviction. It’s too bad she didn’t get to stretch her comedic muscles, but there’s only time for so many gags in a film barely over 90 minutes.

Most of the film is just an excuse for the characters to run around and make funny, although there is a weak Sleestak subplot tacked on. It’s not exactly effective, and these scenes are the weakest in the film. Second place would go to the extended scene where Marshall, Will and Cha-Ka get stoned on a local fruit. This drags on too long, although Will grilling Cha-Ka about being a possible undercover cop makes it worthwhile.

The special effects are solid, but you’d hope for as much in a film with a reported budget of $100 million. I’ll admit to feeling old as I write this, as I remember a time when only the rarest of films actually reached that lofty budget. While I’m sure Land of the Lost will make its money back, one does have to wonder exactly where it all went? The effects were great, but does it take that much cash to create a CGI dinosaur and dress an actor up in an ape suit?