Land of the Lost poster & wallpaper

Will Ferrell, Danny R. McBride, Anna Friel

On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride). In this alternate universe, the t...( read more  read more... )rio make friends with a primate named Chaka (Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Can they all make it back to our world alive, and if so: Will Dr. Marshall can go from zero to hero with his discoveries?

Flixster Users

39% liked it

68,320 ratings

Critics

26% liked it

168 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Brad Silberling

Release Date: June 5, 2009

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: October 13, 2009

Stats: 14,859 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites
report incorrect info

Photos

Land of the Lost Land of the Lost Will Ferrell in "Land of the Lost" FIRST LOOK AT THE LAND OF THE LOST SLEESTAKS Land of the Lost Will Ferrell Land of the Lost Land of the Lost Sleestak Land of the Lost" Land of the Lost my idol
Upload a Photo |

View All Land of the Lost Photos (12)

Your Rating


clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (14,859)

  • Godless
    October 27, 2009
    Godless
    While I did laugh at times I was bored for 95% of the movie with a horrible story based on a horrible TV show.
  • PvtCaboose91
    October 16, 2009
    PvtCaboose91
    "If you don't make it, it's your own damn "vault." That's a bitch slap of truth right there."


    The 1970's television series Land of the Lost was ripe for hilarious parody. If a screen adaptation was produced that poked fun at the series and the low-budget, stop-m

    ...( read more)otion genre, a gem would be imminent. However, as it is, 2009's Land of the Lost is just a lightweight adventure in the form of a standard Will Ferrell movie. Throughout the feature, Ferrell's character runs from things and screams, and between these sequences he's engaging in semi-improvisational speeches designed to make himself look like a moron. One can watch Ferrell doing the aforementioned in literally any movie in which he features, so why would anyone want to see him repeat his same old routine under the guise of a cinematic reimagining of a '70s TV show? From the outset, it's unclear who this movie was meant to be pitched to. Was the aim to introduce the show's campy zest to a new generation of children? Or appeal to the now adult fans of the show with a combination of cheesy nostalgia and postmodern mockery? Unwisely, Land of the Lost tries to be both; peppering the story's juvenile antics with smutty adult humour. That said, it at least makes the cut in the dumb but fun department, and it's still watchable.


    In the TV series, a father and his two children on a rafting trip become sucked into a portal which teleports them to an alternate universe that fuses elements of the past (namely dinosaurs) with elements of fantasy and science fiction. This fundamental concept remains in the movie adaptation, but rather than a family of protagonists there's an unlikely trio of mere acquaintances - Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell), Holly (Friel), and Will (McBride) - who plunge into an alternate universe as the result of Rick's invention, a "Tachyon Amplifier", which was the cause of his banishment from mainstream science several years prior (following a career-ending appearance on The Today Show with Matt Lauer (who gamely played an extra-glib version of himself)).


    Once in this alternate dimension, the protagonists forge a tenuous friendship with a primate named Chaka (Taccone), and encounter the kind of scenarios that the two screenwriters (Dennis McNicholas and Chris Hench) were able to conceive when given $100 million to play with - namely, loosely connected skits tailored to the improvisatory skills and free-wheeling talents of the primary stars. There are rampaging dinosaurs, fast-crawling bugs, a race of lizard people (called the Sleestaks) and an assortment of cultural signifiers from different eras of human history (a Viking Ship, the Golden Gate Bridge, a roadside motel) scattered throughout the desert. Those involved with the production preserve creature designs and locations from the original series, as well as adding the occasional inside joke to please old fans. But the inconsistent quality of the special effects is jarring. The Sleestaks, for example, look very phoney, and the sets frequently look goofy. This is all well and good, since it's an obvious homage to the low-budget origins of the show. So why is it, then, that the dinosaurs were brought to life with state-of-the-art CGI? Early in the movie, Matt Lauer asks Rick Marshall in disbelief "You've spent $50 million studying time warps?". Meanwhile, the filmmakers blew $100 million making this motion picture when it could've been produced for half that amount to better effect.


    Contrary to common sense, Land of the Lost is absolutely not for children. Perplexingly, the filmmakers elected the hard PG-13/borderline R-rated route. Sex jokes, abrasive profanities, vulgarities, breast grabs, drug-induced hazes and a few expected bits of rather graphic violence are all incorporated into the film; imparting a darker edge to the material that's foreign to the franchise. It'd be one thing to fully commit to a gross-out, hilariously violent, curse-ridden R-rated send-up of the television program, but the filmmakers seem afraid to pursue this. The alienating approach they end up taking will most likely charm teenagers and young couples who enjoy such films as Anchorman or Talladega Nights, but it will appeal to very few others. Admittedly, there are several amusing moments scattered throughout Land of the Lost. A few one-liners delivered by McBride and Ferrell, which feel improvisational, at least achieve chuckles. The fact that this cast is better suited to a vulgar comedy environment and that the raunchiness affords the best comedic moments is compelling evidence that the filmmakers should have selected the R rating option.


    Director Brad Silberling - who was responsible for the 2004 screen adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - serves up a wonderful visual feast, supported by the efforts of production designer Bo Welch. A peculiar universe has been accomplished here, so it's a shame that the movie built around it isn't up to standard. Another key problem with Land of the Lost is that of unbelievably sloppy filmmaking. The editing in particular is simply ghastly. For instance, whenever the Tyrannosaurus Rex is chasing the characters, the spatial relationships are a mess. One moment the T-Rex is within biting distance of the characters...then in the following shot the characters have magically jumped forward about 10 or 20 metres. In a scene towards the climax, Marshall and Will rescue Holly from about eight or nine Sleestaks...they end up dispatching three or four, and suddenly they're all gone. Do the filmmakers assume we're not paying attention?


    It's possible to see the flop-sweat of desperation on Will Ferrell's forehead as he battles to mine laughs from this barren screenplay. However Ferrell's ability to play self-deluded and conceited is admittedly somewhat amusing. Danny McBride has his moments and happily pings off Ferrell, while Anna Friel delivers a pretty stoic performance as the scientist incarnation of Lara Croft...which is all the script asks of her. The only other member of the cast worth mentioning is Leonard Nimoy, who is given a cameo.


    Land of the Lost has its pleasures - the always-charming Anna Friel in small outfits, a few funny Will Ferrell moments - but it's ultimately forgettable and uneven. It's too schlocky and adult-minded in its humour for a family audience, but too dumb in its broad strokes to appeal to adults. To its credit, though, it's still enjoyable fluff, and it qualifies as one of the trippiest movies of the 2009 summer season - think the prehistoric version of Anchorman as written by Hunter S. Thompson...except it's no-where near as awesome as that sounds.
  • stuartb1234
    October 8, 2009
    stuartb1234
    Amusing but not great
  • kiriyamakazou
    August 17, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    It's has the feel of a family film, but some of the humour usually associated with McBride and Ferrell. This makes for something too smutty for the youngsters, but too lighthearted and fancy free for adults. It's still an entertaining ride, but where exactly did that budget go? I...( read more)f you're going to spend $100 Million on something, you better have the results on screen. Monty Python didn't even need horses, so quite why so much effort went into creating the effects is beyond me. This is no worse than Ferrell's more mediocre efforts, such as Blades of Glory, and the premise does add a new domain for his comical talents. It's still uneven, awkward and a bit confused.
  • stopitgoaway
    August 8, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    Land Of The Lost
    Expected: 7 August
    Will Ferrell and director Brad Silberling tackle a comedy movie version of the cheesy ?70s kids? TV show. Ferrell plays discredited Park Ranger Rick Marshall, who discovers there?s a portal to an alternate world and ? because there wouldn?t be ...( read more)a movie without it ? goes exploring. Anna Friel and a load of dinosaurs co-star.

    I have just watched 'Land of the Lost' and i was curious to find out what everyone else thought about it. As i was expecting to see a family, comedy film i was pleasantly surprised that it was not just your ordinary clichéd family movie but something aimed for a slightly older audience. This maybe why it was so poorly received.

    Looking at trailers and TV spots, this movie did really look like just another pointless summer blockbuster, which may have appealed to all you people looking for something family friendly. But for me i was so thrilled to be watching something that is just plain FUN! That's all it is! just fun, fun, fun!

    You people that have posted nothing but negative comments about this title don't know a great movie if it slapped you in the face. so relax a little, sit back again and realise that your watching another fantastic movie from will ferrell, and lets face it: when has will ferrell released a movie for families? (excluding ELF)

    Just stop your complaining and enjoy a non-stop, exciting, unpredictable movie that has everything you could ask for. and even more---- what do you really expect from a movie based on a TV show created by someone who practically lived off acid? Three words to sum up this movie: trippy, adventurous and fun!
    Look out for: Tropic Thunder?s Danny McBride also appears as their redneck fellow explorer
  • remesheleyon
    November 7, 2009
    remesheleyon
    it loses half a star for being vulgar but was so funny and unpredictable. I loved it
  • charlenebonnici86
    November 7, 2009
    charlenebonnici86
    They said he was crazy. They were wrong.
  • lightsofhappiness
    November 7, 2009
    lightsofhappiness
    this one was hilarious
  • halorocker44
    November 6, 2009
    halorocker44
    i don't know what is with the negative feedback, i though it was a pretty funny movie
  • palejewel
    November 6, 2009
    palejewel
    it loses half a star for being vulgar but was so funny and unpredictable. I loved it

View All Land of the Lost Reviews

Critic Reviews

July 31, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Will Ferrell capers earnestly through a Journey to the Center of the Earth-style comic romp witless of script, wan of invention and pasty of imagery. full review

June 7, 2009
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

This big screen re-invention of the hokey old saturday morning series is a passably silly summer guilty pleasure thanks to the antics of Will Ferrell and Danny McBride. full review

June 5, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

This isn't the Land of the Lost you remember from childhood, but get on its antisocial wavelength and it's fitfully laugh-out-loud funny. full review

June 5, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

It all amounts to a certain brand of comedy -- something closer to long-form Dada than conventional humor. full review

June 5, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Land of the Lost is harmless enough. It just isn't, with the exception of a few odd air pockets, particularly funny. full review

June 5, 2009
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

This dramatically, thematically and artistically bankrupt comic fantasy cost something in the neighborhood of $100 million to make and isn't worth the celluloid it's printed on. full review

June 5, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The only discernible intention in Land of the Lost, the latest comedy starring Will Ferrell acting like Will Ferrell, seems to have been to take a slight idea and make the least of it in a very expens... full review

June 5, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Will Ferrell and Danny McBride can find the dumb fun in anything. Too bad that Land of the Lost is so much less than anything. full review

June 5, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Not exactly a hundred million dollars' worth of classic comedy. full review

June 4, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Genially terrible, Lost is lazy, sloppy multiplex filler, good for a few solid giggles and not much more. full review

View more Land of the Lost reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • sportboy
    August 7, 2009
    sportboy
    It will be a kids movie and will always be it wasn't offensive enough for it to be an adult one.

    However the story was bad the effects were awful this was a bit like Jurassic Park but 2 times worsed the dinasours were awful in it this doesn't stand a chance to win an award.
  • thomasbrown87
    June 25, 2009
    thomasbrown87
    Damn funny, but otherwise stupid. Should be considered a kid's movie if it didn't have as much swearing.
  • josephdunphy
    June 11, 2009
    josephdunphy
    Fun fact - the movie wasn't released until June 5, yet we have somebody reviewing it in May. This movie would seem to have been prejudged, a lot.
  • gengaligo7
    May 23, 2009
    gengaligo7
    it sucks!
  • welice93
    January 30, 2009
    welice93
    Space-time vortexes suck.

    Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into one and spat back through time. Way back. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world—a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.

    Sucked alongside him for the adventure are crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) named Will. Chased by T. rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally—a primate called Chaka (Jorma Taccone)—to navigate out of the hybrid dimension. Escape from this routine expedition gone awry and they're heroes. Get stuck, and they'll be permanent refugees in the "Land of the Lost".

  • Grimjack1
    August 4, 2008
    Grimjack1
    I thought it sounded cool before it had Will Ferrel's stink all over it. Now I hope it bombs.
  • markclarno1
    May 1, 2008
    markclarno1
    Please do not rate movies you have not seen. If you want to see it or not interested use that feature. Please rate movies that you have actually seen. If you walk out after the first ten minutes please do not rate either. You are not interested.
Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

All Rotten Tomatoes content is used under license from Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes, Certified Fresh, and the Tomatometer are the trademarks of Incfusion Corporation, d/b/a Rotten Tomatoes, a subsidiary of IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Official Trailer

View Larger Land of the Lost Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Spy Kids
    Spy Kids (60%)
  • The Land Before Time
    The Land Before Time (100%)
  • Back to the Future
    Back to the Future (100%)
  • Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams
    Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (67%)

More Movies like Land of the Lost

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings

Land of the Lost Trivia

  • In the movie "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" the character Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly (played by Will Ferrell) is a veiled reference to what 70's TV show?  Answer »
  • In the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly's name is a direct reference to which 70's children's show?  Answer »
  • "Batman" (1966)- The props used in this show, (such as the computers and guns) also were used in "Lost in Space" (1965), "Time Tunnel" (1966), "Land of the Giants" (1968), and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1964).   Answer »
  • Will Ferrell movie quotes: Name the movie. "Matt Lauer can suck it!"   Answer »
More Land of the Lost Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Land of the Lost. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Land of the Lost Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Land of the Lost to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View Land of the Lost News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?