Let us not forget the look of the film. It is not all that impressive. The effects seem to have been developed for a 3D presentation that was stopped halfway through. The effects are on a level similar to the Brendan Fraser vehicle, Journey to the Center of the Earth. In other words, they're moderately fun, but nowhere near good. I could not tell if they were going for a sort of realism, or playing it as an homage to the show. The tone changes in alternating sequences. I would have preferred a more even tone. As it is, the Sleestak are not all that scary, what with the rubbery looking costumes, and some of the sets seemed under-dressed.
Now, while there was very little to like or enjoy about this movie, and I do not recommend this to anyone, I did enjoy some of what Anna Friel and Danny McBride bring to the screen. Danny McBride has been popping up in a lot of films, and much like Bill Hader, is always trying to elevate his game. In this case, he has a few funny lines and does his best to inspire interest and is therefore worth keeping an eye on. As for Anna Friel, my eyes were opened to her with Pushing Daisies (RIP), and at first it was odd hearing her speak with her natural accent, but she provides a captivating presence as she plays her role completely straight, thus delivering the best performance of the film.
Bottom line. This is not a good movie. Ferrell is full-on annoying, the story fails to deliver anything of interest, and I was glad when it was over. The tone is wrong, the content goes in the wrong direction, and the original show is disrespected (what were they thinking with Chaka?). Better luck next time.
Not Recommended.
Article comments
1 - Spider
"Ferrell is full-on annoying"
Can he be anything but? I mean did you watch ALL his other movies? Name one when he's not.
2 - Merely Me
This review is pretty much dead on. I was excited about Land of the Lost when I first heard is was being made into a movie, but it was terribly disappointing.
Low brow comedy, a poorly written script, and a bland set make for a movie that probably should have gone straight to DvD. I didn't like the Journey to the Center of the Earth remake either, but it was infinitely better than this load of garbage.
3 - Chris Beaumont
While I may not be a Ferrell fan, there are a few that I have liked where his talents have been focused like Elf, Stranger than Fiction, Talladega Nights, and Night at the Roxbury.