"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
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Director: Brad Silberling Writers: Chris Henchy & Dennis McNicholas Genre: Sci-Fi – Comedy – Adventure – Fantasy Country: USA Certification: 12+ Language: English DVD Release: TBC
MAIN CAST:
Will Ferrell [Dr. Rick Marshall] Anna Friel [Holly Cantrell] Danny McBride [Will Stanton] Jorma Taccone [Cha-Ka] John Boylan [Enik]
Dr. Rick Marshall, well known quack… um… scientist… expert, supposedly, in the field of tachyons, time travel, time warps… whatever… is ridiculed not only by his peers, but by his students as well – until Holly Cantrell, not such a bright light herself, approaches him with a discovery she made that proves that his theory is right. Holly urges him to create a tachyon amplifier, which he does, and together they head out to the Devil’s Cave [an attraction somewhere in the middle of absolutely nowhere] where Holly discovered an important artefact.
With the help of the tachyon amplifier, they manage
to open a time warp, and Rick, Holly and Will [there guide] end up in what can only be described as a ‘time dumping ground’ where all timelines seem to converge.
Coming face to face with an incredibly clever T-Rex, a prehistoric tree that loves human flesh, a prehistoric caveman who loves squeezing Holly’s breasts, fresh fruit that literally oozes with spiders and reptilian-like aliens intent on destroying earth, Rick, Holly, Will and their little caveman friend, Cha-Ka, will have to find the tachyon amplifier which they managed to misplace, fight off the T-Rex who holds a grudge against Rick, and thwart the aliens’ invasion plan… oh… and they need to find a way back to their own time too.
‘Land of the Lost’ possesses some of the best special-effects I’ve seen since ‘Jurassic Park’. The dinosaurs are amazingly realistic, and given a modern CGI tweak, they also possess expressive features that are, at times, incredibly funny, but the special-effects, CGI and makeup don’t stop there... each and every scene literally oozes with fantastical creatures, prehistoric beings and reptilian-like aliens, not to mention the scenery which goes from desert-like wasteland to luscious jungle.
Adding to the ‘fantasy’ aspect of this movie is a literal vision of a dumping ground where people, buildings, vehicles and all manner of products simply fall from the sky and land in a massive desert-like wasteland that is overrun by dinosaurs waiting for a free meal! It’s totally absurd, but it works incredibly well.
Most of you will be asking why I gave this movie a 2-star when I obviously seem to have enjoyed the special-effects, scenery and the storyline. The truth is, this is a movie I could have loved… had it not been for the most pathetic display of acting I have ever seen.
Will Ferrell, an actor that I absolutely despise, manages, once again, to ruin what could have been an amazing movie. As far as I’m concerned, he is totally useless as a comedian, and worthless as an actor. He played in ‘Step-Brothers’ and ‘Semi-Pro’, two movies that turned out to be box-office flops, and I sincerely doubt that ‘Land of the Lost’ will do much better.
Alongside Will Ferrell, is the lovely Anna Friel who did passably well in the TV series ‘Pushing Daisies’, but is in no way what we could ever call a ‘serious’ actress. She simply does not possess the talent to be convincing in any role, and she simply isn’t funny enough to be in a comedy.
Danny McBride [Will Stanton] and Jorma Taccone [Cha-Ka], on the other hand, did incredibly well, and were a pleasure to watch. The two were credible, likeable, and genuinely funny.
This is an incredibly entertaining movie that is deserving of a 4-star because of the story, special-effects and scenery, but totally lets the viewer down with its really pathetic script and second-rate actors.
I still have mixed feelings about this movie… I REALLY wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t give it more than a 2-star. However, the kiddies will love it and parents will appreciate the fact that it’s non-violent and entertaining.
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Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Jun 29th, 2009
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