Land of the Lost (2009)

27% of critics liked it
(181 reviews)
38% of users liked it
(514,715 ratings)

This big-screen adaptation of Land of the Lost stars Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall, a quantum paleontologist who has been discredited in the scientific world due to his strident belief in time travel as the cure for all of humanity's problems. After hitting an all-time low, giving a lecture to… More This big-screen adaptation of Land of the Lost stars Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall, a quantum paleontologist who has been discredited in the scientific world due to his strident belief in time travel as the cure for all of humanity's problems. After hitting an all-time low, giving a lecture to elementary school kids, Dr. Marshall meets an ambitious young scientist named Holly (Anna Friel), who tells him she has followed all his work and believes he's a genius. Spurred on by her enthusiasm, he finishes building the device that will allow him to time travel -- something he promptly does along with Holly, and white-trash fireworks salesman Will (Danny McBride), after Will leads them into a cave that seems like a promising place to test the new machine. They end up in a world full of dinosaurs, sand, and scary lizard-like creatures known as Sleestacks. They quickly lose the machine that brought them to this alternate universe, and if they ever want to return home, the trio must recover it with the help of Chaka (Jorma Taccone), the monkey-like friend they make in this strange place. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Brad Silberling
Written By: Chris Henchy, Dennis McNicholas
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 5, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Oct 13, 2009
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
[A] gigantic chunk of scat.
James Rocchi, MSN Movies
The interesting thing, though, when you actually see "Land of the Lost," is that it ... essentially functions as a high-cost, high-gloss parody of itself.
Ben Lyons, At the Movies
Farrell and McBride are great together at times in this movie.
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
Danny McBride is funny in the movie, not nearly often enough.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
The movie is 90 minutes of bickering and blase under-reaction to outrageous events, interrupted by gross-out scraps such as Ferrell's run-in with an enormous mosquito, which ends with a tremendous amount of blood and guts.
Colin Covert, 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.
Sarah Sluis, Film Journal International
Danny McBride and Will Ferrell make it worth a trip to Land of the Lost.
Peter Sobczynski, eFilmCritic.com
Who is this movie being made for in the first place?
Mike Edwards, What Culture
By stringing together a bunch of campy retro set-ups and witty improvs, Land of the Lost manages to be a watchable comedy with plenty of laughs.
Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
Land of the Lost is a terrible family film - let's just get that out there - but it is certain to live on as a staple of bleary-eyed uni students' movie nights; sandwiched in-between repeat viewings of The Wall.
Chris Bumbray, JoBlo's Movie Emporium
Ladies and gentlemen- this is it. This is the moment where Will Ferrell's shtick (already wearing thin after his last couple of films) officially got old.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Better than "Bewitched," if only for its straightforwardness. Then again, even Nora Ephron didn't turn Will Ferrell into a colonoscopic agent for a dinosaur. Depending on if you like him, that may be a comic equivalent to the Berlin Wall's collapse.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...the film boasts a pervasively puerile sensibility that's reflected in virtually all of its attributes...
James Rocchi, Common Sense Media
Ferrell's reboot of '70s show is rife with gross-out laughs.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Boasts a lewd monkey man fond of fondling human private parts without permission, apparently not a felony in prehistoric times, boob sign language chuckles, Tyrannosaurus tongue baths, and moments of humor that seem to arrive centuries apart.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Not really a film version of the oft-rerun '70s Saturday morning staple that happens to star Will Ferrell, but rather a Will Ferrell movie that happens to bear the title and some concepts of the show.
Sonny Bunch, Washington Times
Will Ferrell's and Danny McBride's natural charisma isn't sufficient to save Land of the Lost
Scott A. Mantz, Scott Mantz' Movie Reviews
An odd film, which will hardly be enough to turn it into the massive hit that it needs to be.
Jordan Hoffman, UGO
There are genuine thrills, gross-out moments, zingy lines and a Will Ferrell in solid form. No one asked for this movie, but now that it's here, we should be pleased.
Edward Porter, Times [UK]
By and large, it's knockabout kids' stuff (and has been advertised on that basis), but it has some quite risqué smut.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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

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Featured Audience Ratings

Directors C

Apart from the chosen actors, the movie handled its money SO badly. The effects were adequate and instead of being a family film it's instead decidedly mean. A bad choice. Still I enjoyed the acting from Ferrell and Bride and it was exceptionally funny. And this made up for its… More
Apart from the chosen actors, the movie handled its money SO badly. The effects were adequate and instead of being a family film it's instead decidedly mean. A bad choice. Still I enjoyed the acting from Ferrell and Bride and it was exceptionally funny. And this made up for its flaws. Good for one viewing, just watch it with low expectations.
Brad W

Matt Lauer and this movie can suck it. Dont get me wrong, I love Will Ferell as much as the next guy, but come on this movie sucked! It had very few funny jokes, bad productions, the plot was hopelessly stupid, and it is the worst thing that happened to Will Ferell since Roxbury.… More
Matt Lauer and this movie can suck it. Dont get me wrong, I love Will Ferell as much as the next guy, but come on this movie sucked! It had very few funny jokes, bad productions, the plot was hopelessly stupid, and it is the worst thing that happened to Will Ferell since Roxbury. Sorry but I hated this movie.
Bethany M

Mad and really unusual!
KJ P

Land of the Lost, is weird, stupid and really has no explanation of how or why Will Ferrel's character is smart enough to create a time warps millions of years into the past. The visual effects look like they are back in the beginning stages of production, and the visuals are as… More
Land of the Lost, is weird, stupid and really has no explanation of how or why Will Ferrel's character is smart enough to create a time warps millions of years into the past. The visual effects look like they are back in the beginning stages of production, and the visuals are as cheesy as hell. There are sparks of comedy here and there and the story is so laughable that you can't say it's bad. I liked parts and I didn't like parts. This movie is very strange and starts way too fast. The cast holds this film together, as the movie stumbles on poor dialogue, laughable effects and emotion/comedy. This movie has everything and nothing if you know what I mean. This film is in serious need of restructure. It's not bad, but it's just not good. Land of the Lost is just plain weird!
Mike S

Crappy jokes galore! Will Ferell used to be a funny guy, but with movies like this and Anchorman on his credit, I've now grown to associate him with words like "lame" and "unfunny". What could have been a great family film, instead became a… More
Crappy jokes galore! Will Ferell used to be a funny guy, but with movies like this and Anchorman on his credit, I've now grown to associate him with words like "lame" and "unfunny". What could have been a great family film, instead became a cascade of poorly written humor attempts. Why then, you might ask, did I still give it an "okay" rating? Well, despite it's annoying shaky cam and bad sense of humor, there were enough funny parts to have me chuckle a few times. Also, it has the advantage of including time travel and dinosaurs (two themes I have a childish predilection for). Heck, I even saw the stink-bomb A Sound of Thunder for the very same reasons. That's why I probably enjoyed this more than the average joe. Or rather to say, was a little more tolerant with it. In any case, we can only hope Ferell gets his act together soon. Because I believe I speak for most of us when I say: we do not need to see another dud of its kind.
Justin Y

Based off of the television series by the same name, Brad Silberling's Land of the Lost is a bag full of hits and misses.The advancement of the 90 minute story is swift, as the film moves into the "Land of the Lost" in a matter of minutes.… More
Based off of the television series by the same name, Brad Silberling's Land of the Lost is a bag full of hits and misses.The advancement of the 90 minute story is swift, as the film moves into the "Land of the Lost" in a matter of minutes. From then on, most of the picture stays here and this is a good thing, since this is where all the fun happens.The laughs are sporadic in nature and these will obviously vary depending on the viewer. The visuals are cheap and campy, which isn't a huge imperfection given the nature of the film. The CG and bodysuits are seemingly juvenile oriented; however, some of the humor is a little mature for the younger audience.Will Ferrell is liable for most of the laughs. He is the lead character after all. Thanks to his character, Danny McBride is responsible for more of the mature humor. The appealing Anna Friel is a breath of fresh air with the likes of Ferrell and McBride hogging all the comedy.Land of the Lost is nowhere near a film to take seriously, but even with that approach it is undistinguished. Approach with caution. "It's a donut stuffed with M&Ms. That way, when you've finished the donut, you don't have to eat any M&Ms. "
Spencer S

Pretty strange, not altogether funny, and full of plot holes. The best scenes feature Matt Lauer.
Alexis N

funny!! i loved it. i didn't go in expecting it to be anything other than dumb and a good time with cheap laughs. it didn't disappoint.. will ferrell can do no wrong.
Richard C

"matt lauer can suck it." I actually thought this movie was funny. I'm suprised it has many bad reviews. i'm not saying it's a great movie cause it's not but I don't think it's bad. I had fun watching it. B-
E.J. B

Less than twenty minutes in, I was ready to turn it off. The concept s so lame it's ridculous, the effects are awful, and the movie can't seem to muster a laugh beyond it's opening title. I like Will Ferrell, but this film was a big step back for him. His comedy is… More
Less than twenty minutes in, I was ready to turn it off. The concept s so lame it's ridculous, the effects are awful, and the movie can't seem to muster a laugh beyond it's opening title. I like Will Ferrell, but this film was a big step back for him. His comedy is too crude for kids, and this movie is definitely not family friendly. It's also too kiddie-ish for the Old School, Anchorman crowd. No one there wants to see Will Ferrell cracking lude jokes in a fantasy with magical creatures and a T-Rex. Nothing works in this movie, and as quirky and unique as it wants to be, it just comes off as utterly stupid.
Red L

I haven't seen the whole movie, but the ten minutes I saw on TV convinced me that I will never watch this all the way through. It is just too stupid.
Michael G

I had no intention of seeing Land of the Lost but after being told my 2 1/2 year-old daughter say still for it from beginning to end I had to find out why. The movie was better than I expected. Will Farrell and Danny McBride play off each other very well, but if you're not into… More
I had no intention of seeing Land of the Lost but after being told my 2 1/2 year-old daughter say still for it from beginning to end I had to find out why. The movie was better than I expected. Will Farrell and Danny McBride play off each other very well, but if you're not into the whole odd goofy awkward humor thing that Farrell does you may do well by skipping Land of the Lost altogether. Land of the Lost isn't really the kids movie the trailer boasted for whatever that's worth...
Eric S

In this land of the lost, Will Ferrell stars as Dr. Rick Marshall who gets sucked into a time-space vortex on his latest expedition with his assistant(Anna Friel), and a redneck survivalist portrayed by Danny McBride. I don't believe you can go in with the idea of coming out with… More
In this land of the lost, Will Ferrell stars as Dr. Rick Marshall who gets sucked into a time-space vortex on his latest expedition with his assistant(Anna Friel), and a redneck survivalist portrayed by Danny McBride. I don't believe you can go in with the idea of coming out with some intricate, meaningful review of a film that is meant to be silly. That would basically take away from something that isn't supposed to shake any cinematic levels in any way. There are some funny moments good for a few cheap laughs, so that's one thing this film has going for it along with the inane idea which you know of before viewing.
Candy R

Silly movie about a Dr (Will Ferrell) who invents a time machine that takes him back to the land of the dinosaurs. The dinosaur is believable but not the lizard alien types.
Dean M

I just liked this fantasy movie adapted on the 1974 TV series and I generally don't like Will Farrell. The plot isn't all that cohesive and it feels almost like a sketch comedy based film with one zany situation after the next. When Matt Lauer, playing himself, is the… More
I just liked this fantasy movie adapted on the 1974 TV series and I generally don't like Will Farrell. The plot isn't all that cohesive and it feels almost like a sketch comedy based film with one zany situation after the next. When Matt Lauer, playing himself, is the funniest thing in a movie, you know that something went horribly wrong. The laughs are childishly inane. Ferrell is forced to embarrass himself considerably, in one scene drenching himself in, and yes, even drinking dinosaur urine. Dino poop and gross insect infections also get high regard. Then you have Chaka, a supposedly lovable primate who's big comic bit is molestation. Hilarious! And this is the big-laugh stuff. The rest is hard to even remember. That this movie manages any chuckles at all is due to Ferrell and Danny McBride's improvisation abilities. Ferrell is the arrogant goof-off and McBride the brash sidekick, but they're facing an uphill battle with this screenplay.
Jani H

"It's a donut filled with M&Ms... So you don't have to eat M&Ms after you eat your donut." Wow. This film got really lost. Entertainment value? None. Funny? No. Brad Silberling, the director of one of my favourite movie for kids, 'Casper', fails… More
"It's a donut filled with M&Ms... So you don't have to eat M&Ms after you eat your donut." Wow. This film got really lost. Entertainment value? None. Funny? No. Brad Silberling, the director of one of my favourite movie for kids, 'Casper', fails in every aspect you can think of. But the fault is not entirely his.The screenwriters, Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas, have come up with something beyond crapness. There's two funny scenes in the movie, at the beginning and the end. In those scenes, I believe that Will Ferrell improvised all of the dialogue. Later on, Will Ferrell, whom I consider to be one of the funniest men alive, isn't even recognizable to me. He's not himself. The budget of this film was 100 million USD's. I can't really understand where the money has gone. The production values, CGI and all that, ain't that spectacular. It ain't a surprise to me that the film bombed at the Box Office. I just hope that the film companies take this film as an example of money wasted. With this money, a dozen of small budget movies could've been made. I can't recommend this movie to anyone. Not even the biggest Ferrell fans, like me. 'Land of the Lost' is utter crap and should be avoided by all of you.
Conner R

Kind've what I expected, it was really corny and flat with a lot of one liners. Chaka was really disturbing on too many levels and Will Ferrell has just become a parody of himself. There were some interesting visuals including some really odd Sleestaks that were honestly the best… More
Kind've what I expected, it was really corny and flat with a lot of one liners. Chaka was really disturbing on too many levels and Will Ferrell has just become a parody of himself. There were some interesting visuals including some really odd Sleestaks that were honestly the best part of the movie.
Dead A

Not so funny.
Daniel P

I'm still in disbelief that I watched this. Absolutely stupid, but with a few really funny moments. I want to quote one, but I'm worried it will ruin the movie's best gag. Good job of parodying bad early TV (like Galaxy Quest or Starsky & Hutch before it), but… More
I'm still in disbelief that I watched this. Absolutely stupid, but with a few really funny moments. I want to quote one, but I'm worried it will ruin the movie's best gag. Good job of parodying bad early TV (like Galaxy Quest or Starsky & Hutch before it), but not much else to see here. Will Ferrell yelling... funny enough, but just.
A.D. V

Officially the worst theatrical release of the year. Year One was funnier than this wretched rape of the no budget cheesefest I watched in reruns when I was little.