Land of the Lost

Should Have Stayed Lost

By Martin Malloy (Jun 04, 2009 )  

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

There are only two reasons to see Land of the Lost: Will Ferrell and Danny McBride. This isn’t a shining moment in either’s career, but they are both inherently funny and manage to lift up an otherwise disastrous film into watchable territory. The blame on this one doesn’t fall with its stars but rather director Brad Silberling who concocts a story of perpetual plot conveniences devoid of almost any character development. The only conclusion is that all those involved wanted to have fun making a multi-million dollar film while caring less about how it turned out.

There’s honestly not much more to say about this film. The plot is fairly obvious: a washed up scientist, Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell), who is ridiculed about his theory of time travel and alternate dimensions eventually proves his theories true when he enters a new dimension. Thrown haphazardly in is a story about how he must save the universe from destruction and a love story with colleague Holly (Anna Friel). But the background isn’t important as it’s just injected to try and give the film some sort of weight, when really the film is just an excuse for Ferrell to be silly in a new environment. He does manage to elicit quite a few laughs, but it’s simply not enough to warrant an enjoyable viewing.

McBride is also a gifted comedian and manages to hold his own against Ferrell. However like Ferrell’s nonsensical, obviously improvised outbursts, McBride is also settling into the steady character of "redneck friend". Here he’s no different as a filthy tour guide who leads the two scientists to the place where they are able to cross over. As the third wheel he offers the required tension breaking and is the character who’s the most out of place in his new surroundings. Despite the humor the two manage, it’s almost a pity to see such talent wasted.

Obviously, it’s not necessary for a fantastical comedy to be grounded in reality but there are just too many “deus ex machina” moments and overtly numbing plot conveniences such as how Holly can magically speak to their newfound ape friend Chaka (Jorma Taccone) but can’t decipher his language when they’re in immediate danger. Perhaps it’s petty, but it’s moments like these that drown the film. No one’s asking for a smart film with Land of the Lost but some consistency and intelligence would be welcome.