Some things in the world are polarizing. Such is the case with Hilary Clinton, Maui Jim Sunglasses, and Will Ferrell. The last of those stars in Land of the Lost, an adult take on a ‘70s children’s show.
I recall a couple of years ago Will Ferrell being a guest on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Naturally, Will was the first guest. The second guest was a very confusing man. He walked out in a karate gi to sit next to Conan. He gave his name as Fred Simmons and was shockingly bitter toward Conan. When Will interrupted him, he threatened to the point that a fight nearly ensued… or so I thought. Fred Simmons was a character of Danny McBride’s. It was a unique promotional idea for The Foot Fist Way, a movie that saw the light of day in part thanks to none other than Will Ferrell. I discovered the hoax days later amid a whirlwind of speculation at the forums on IMDB. That’s the believability these two bring to their comedic roles, and their noticeable chemistry is evident in this, their latest romp.
Will Ferrell leads the film as one-time renowned paleontologist Rick Marshall. After a debacle over a perplexing theory called quantum paleontology erupts a feud between Rick and Today Show host Matt Lauer, Rick is exiled from the scientific community. A young aspiring scientist named Holly (Anna Friel) approaches him and rekindles the spark in Rick, urging him to continue his research. With his machine constructed out of found parts, like an iPod set to play Broadway show tunes, the two set out for a test site. This is where they meet Will (Danny McBride), a scheming tourist trap manager. The three take part in an ill-fated boat ride, which thanks to Rick sucks them into a mysterious world filled with sci-fi creatures and dinosaurs.
Without a doubt, the most troubling thing about Land of the Lost is that it has no specific audience. It’s based on a children’s show. The kids who enjoyed it while it was in production would be of age by now to be planning college for their teens. So with the dilemma of being far removed from it’s installed based, it aims to bring an adult flavor. At times the PG-13 jokes, which are certainly edgy given the source material, are funny. Just as often, it feels like a poor concept. I do particularly like how the central characters are always making light of the situation, and how the world’s peril is receptive to gags. However, seeing vibrant colors, which don’t appeal to adults, mixed with cursing, just doesn’t mix right. There are some great sets and CGI work to be seen, and it feels like some of that talent was put into use on the wrong film, but at other times the juxtaposition of these elaborate conceptions works well as parody to the dodgy camp value of the original TV series.
Land of the Lost may have conceptual issues, but it’s a comedy that boldly goes in a direction that I didn’t expect. In all likelihood, it’s more entertaining than a direct translation of the source. Confused parents may want to keep the littlest away, while the older child doesn’t want to see a kid’s movie. It’s perplexing to gauge a movie when the audience that might enjoy it would assume they wouldn’t. **½
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