Review: Land of the Lost (2009) ****
Captain Kirk’s nipples! We got killed at the box office.
Make no mistake: Land of the Lost is stupid.
Stupid awesome.
If you’re tired of Will Ferrell’s persona, particularly his “dumb guy who thinks he’s a smart guy” character – or if you never liked it to begin with – then the 92 minutes you spend here (assuming you don’t walk out) are going to drive you up a wall in a pink and purple minivan with scary clowns painted on the sides. Seriously, go see the flaccid Vegas bachelor party movie instead. Your girlfriend will even like it.
On the other hand, if you’re in the mood for some pure foolishness, you’ve just stumbled upon the funniest movie of the year so far. That’s right. Don’t listen to the critics. Let your mood and your enthusiasm for Will Ferrell and Danny McBride be your guide. Land of the Lost is funny.
Forget about the story and forget about the fact this is based on a beloved kid’s show from the 1970s. It’s all just an elaborate (and unfortunately for Universal, very expensive) excuse for Will Ferrell to be a dumbass. Some actors would be intimidated by the expensive sets and special effects, but Ferrell uses them as a giant playground for a sustained and unrestrained level of sublime foolishness that has been sorely lacking in his last several pictures. There’s almost an innocence and a purity to the film’s conviction in its own idiocy which is more than can be said about the typical Hollywood comedy.
Humor is subjective of course, but I laughed pretty consistently for 90 minutes. I’m not talking about crescendos of spleen rattling merriment, but a constant flow of chuckles. What’s even better is that not all of the humor is contained in the trailer. There are comic surprises to be had.
That’s not to say this is a perfect movie. The beginning especially threatens to derail itself by humor aimed at 7-year-olds – you know, jokes about whether dinosaurs have boobs and stuff like that. Luckily the movie quickly rallies and it slips into a crass groove more appealing to an older audience that hasn’t completely left childish things behind.
Another problem is that virtually none of the $100 million spent on this movie went toward making it funny and humor is the real drawing card here. The special effects are adequate, and the sci-fi element never detracts from the comedy, but I’m not sure it really adds to it either. If anything, it enhances the schizophrenic feeling the movie has. Is it aimed at kids or adults? Is it sci-fi or comedy? Even the trailers that played before the film didn’t seem to know what kind of audience would turn up for the movie. There was one for the kid-centric Aliens in the Attic, but another one for the more adult Funny People. In a business predicated on making simple and direct appeals to the lowest common denominator, this spelled disaster at the box office – especially on a weekend that offered movies more purely aimed at kids (Up) and adults (The Hangover).
One of the great things about Land of the Lost though is the sheer innocence of its insanity. Unlike The Hangover, it never promises to deliver something it doesn’t and unlike so many comic adaptations of old TV shows, it never winks at the audience with a lot of pop cultural references designed to let you know the film is smarter than it looks so you don’t have to feel like an idiot watching it. This movie isn’t trying to raise itself up to your level, it’s trying you to bring you down to it and in my case it worked like a charm.
It’s important to note that Land of the Lost isn’t trying to capture the spirit of the original Sid and Marty Krofft TV show either. Complaints that it liberally abuses its source material completely miss the point. This is more of a playful homage from people who loved the show as kids, but who now have more entertaining things to keep them occupied like gambling or driving cars or having sex or getting stoned. That was my one bid for a movie ad pull quote right there. Wish me luck with that. It’s important to note however that this movie earns its PG-13 rating with some language and some sexual and drug references. Parents with small children shouldn’t be fooled by the trailer.
I realize this review comes far too late to make a difference. Land of the Lost is destined to be remembered as this year’s Speed Racer – the tent-pole bomb of the summer. They’re both movies that took on happy parts of my childhood, but they each took different approaches. One was respectfully earnest and innocent while the other was giddily crass and playful. Unfortunately, both of them cost too much and neither one of them was properly sold to audiences by the studios. It’s too bad because they both gave better than they got and most people will never know it.
(Note: I realize the 4-star rating I’ve given Land of the Lost is higher than the 3.5 stars I recently gave Up. This does not mean Lost is a better movie, but it benefits a bit from diminished expectations. As always, star ratings are a loose guideline of on-the-spot reactions. They’re not useful for apples-to-oranges comparisons and they would not hold up in a court of law.)
Land of the Lost. USA 2009. Directed by Brad Silberling. Screenplay by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas. Edited by Dion Beebe. Music score composed by Michael Giacchino. Edited by Peter Teschner. Starring Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone, John Boylan and Matt Lauer. 1 hour 32 minutes. MPAA rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference. 4 stars (out of 5)
Filed under: Reviews, Trailers
Tags: Anna Friel, Brad Silberling, Chris Henchy, Danny McBride, Dennis McNicholas, Dion Beebe, John Boylan, Jorma Taccone, Matt Lauer, Michael Giacchino, Peter Teschner, Will Ferrell
Aliens in the Attic:
Kevin Nealon was so great in Saturday Night Live and HBO’s “Weeds”. Now his performance in this movie makes my choice to see this movie easy. With Andy Richter and Tim Meadows this movie has depth of seasoned actors. Then when I watched the trailer I saw the lady from “Everybody Loves Raymond”, her flips and kungfu was truly enjoyable. Then I see the kid from “Surface”, Carter Jenkins, Nim’s buddy, and my daughter loves the girl Ashley from High School Musical. I believe this movie will do very well. My kids have not stopped talking about it. We’re going. I even know the date it opens July 31st. My kids have made that quite clear. Just got back from seeing “Night at the Museum”, we saw the trailer to “Aliens in the Attic” along with about 6 other movies and it seemed like the crowd had more positive reaction to this movie than any of the others. Even my 9 year old stated the same thing after the movie in the car ride home. I think this could be a real big hit, See ya at the movies.
I wouldn’t have thought it possible… but you actually made me want to check this out.
Yeah, I’m with Hedwig on this one… never thought it would happen for this film, but your review has lit a spark of interest.
This is a very entertaining review… probably funnier than the movie itself. I can’t stand Will Ferrell so I would probably never consider seeing this if not for your review and the fact that my daughter is obsessed with dinosaurs.
I respect your willingness to go out on that limb there, Craig, especially considering the star review you included. And I’d agree with Hedwig and K that your review intrigues me enough to make me curious.
Oooh…scary. Never imagined someone might actually listen to me.
Know that my impression may have been enhanced by a pre-movie cocktail (I’d suggest you do the same) and the star rating might be a teeny bit inflated in reaction to the unfairly negative treatment this film is getting. Other than that, I hope I included sufficient warnings in the review to steer away people who I know will hate this movie.
Which brings me to Geoff. Thanks for stopping by! You’re also probably going to hate this movie. I can’t even say your daughter is going to like it, but then I understand little girls even less than I understand the big ones so anything is possible. But, I do know if she wants to see it, you’re locked in.
My suggestion: lots of booze or something harder. Good luck to you.
“There’s almost an innocence and a purity to the film’s conviction in its own idiocy which is more than can be said about the typical Hollywood comedy.”
Bingo – it’s not trying to be something it’s not, namely clever, hip, relevant, and above all, smart. It’s an absolute circus, and anybody who enjoys seeing Will Ferrell try to play an earnest character in that setting should enjoy it.
Heck, you’ve almost made me want to see it again…
Yes! It never once tried to convince you it was smarter than it was which sounds like faint praise, but I’m soooo sick of movies that are always winking at the audience.
I won’t say this compares to a Three Stooges level of classic lunacy (that would just be asking for trouble), but it’s similar in its total commitment to it’s own childishness.
Just like the Three Stooges, its not for all tastes and will piss off as many people as it makes laugh, but there it is.
A great piece of writing, and certainly a stellar example of playing defense with fervor. But I must admit I am in shock, and would have never in a million years believe that you would come in with a four-star review for a film that has received some of the worst reviews in many a year.
I deliberately avoided it, but now I will see it. I am more than skeptical that I will agree, knowing what i do of the film, but you are an extremely important voice that can’t be denied. In any case, it’s a celebration that you had such a good time laughing your ass off.
Seriously Sam, go with caution. Don’t just go by the star rating.
I tend to like Ferrell, though I haven’t liked any of his recent movies. Still, I enjoy his manchild character. Your results may vary.
Well, I did like ALEXANDER far better than the reviews, and I can’t count the number of times I have embraced films that were roundly trashed. I recently remember THE LIBERTINE with Johnny Depp for one, and then there was ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, which was not exactly loved.
Heck, you may have this called right!
Well, consider yourself warned. :)
I’m the other guy (alongside Armond White) who liked Alexander, Sam.
Sam, just remember Craig referenced Speed Racer as a sort of comparison and as I recall, you really didn’t like Speed Racer. I think Craig is making a more general comparison between the two, but be warned.
I can’t wait to be reincarnated, so in the year 2121, when I’m 12 again, I can download this classic for my iEyeballs.
Interesting Jeff, i didn’t remember that you had liked it.
Armond White. Ha!
Joel: That’s true what you say about SPEED RACER, I was a rare disenting voice on that one here at LIC. But I will go in cautiously.
Ha Ryan!
Wasn’t kidding about Land of the Lost becoming a classic of silliness as years go by. Laurel & Hardy and The Three Stooges get a lot more respect today than they ever did when they first had audiences yucking it up 60 years ago.
Craig makes it clear that the movie has enough purity of spirit and simple intent to age well, and Will Ferrell will too. The wacky lunacy of Monty Python takes on the sheen of a museum quality treasure now that we’ve seen the genius of Gilliam, Cleese, Palin, et al, develop their full potential. Ferrell’s movies will achieve the same sort of retrospective patina, I feel sure.
Yesterday’s lowbrow is tomorrow’s PhD thesis.
But I’m equally sure that this is not the sort of humor that makes me laugh anymore, and that’s too bad — for me. I decided to become a snot too many years ago, and that easily-tickled part of me has shut down. :-( Once I went aloof, I forgot how to goof.
So I’m serious about wishing I had another shot at being a kid. I’ll try to hold onto my innocent openness longer in the next life. Lacking a time machine, coming back in another body is my only option. Movie reviews like this make me want to be a better Buddhist.