I'm not really sure what I was expecting when putting on Brad Silberling's big-screen version of Land of the Lost, a cult 70s show from Sid and Marty Krofft (who also produced the film). To be honest with you, I was never a regular viewer of the Krofft output: H.R. Puf 'n Stuff was a little before my time, and I can't honestly tell you that I've ever seen Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. If Land of the Lost ever aired on USA, there's an off chance I watched it sandwiched in between Lost in Space and that show about scientists in a land of giants (called, appropriately, Land of the Giants). Other than knowing what a Sleestak was, that Chaka was something's name, and a joke in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back about Will Ferrell's character name (U.S. Marshal Willenholly), I wouldn't call myself knowledgeable about Land of the Lost.
It turns out that this isn't really important, since the show is basically a back drop for jokes that constantly push the boundaries of a PG-13 rating. Perhaps because I wasn't attached to the original show, goofy references like the theme song didn't bother me so much, and instead I focused on the character interaction, which made the movie for me. If the film is funny, I tend to overlook silly or obvious moments and enjoy the actors. Land of the Lost has plenty to enjoy. it turns out, and the actors are a big component.
Will Ferrell is somewhere between his over-the-top parts in Talladega Nights and his really-low-key roles in Stranger Than Fiction or Winter Passing, and as a result Rick Marshall seems to be both goofy and credible as a scientist. I've never seen Pushing Daisies, but apparently Anna Friel was on the show and has quite a following, and she was a very endearing Holly, a character you need to believe is smart enough to hold her own but young enough to look up to Rick Marshall. Danny McBride is a dialed-back version of his "likable asshole" character type, but his everyman Will has many of the best lines, particularly a running gag about how nonchalant Rick and Holly are about seeing dinosaurs, giant bugs, and Chaka.
Oh, and then there's Chaka, a make or break "comic relief" character played by an unrecognizable Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island / director of MacGruber). I had no idea who Chaka was until the end of the film, but I somehow doubt the character was this sleazy on the show. Chaka fixates on Holly's breasts, and most of the running gags that don't involve him betraying Rick at a critical juncture seem to involve finding ways for Taccone to grope Friel in inappropriate ways. Even a "characters accidentally get high" scene that seems to be par the course for comedies these days works because Ferrell, McBride, and Taccone sell a cliche until you're laughing along with them.
Maybe Land of the Lost caught me in just the right way, but there's filthy fun to be had in this movie that I wasn't prepared for. Other than one enthusiastic recommendation from a friend, I'd heard almost no one mention Land of the Lost in any capacity, so the movie's decidedly kid un-friendly tone caught me off guard in a very good way. This is absolutely not the kind of flick you want to show around the little ones, unless you like saying "never repeat that" or "cover your eyes" for large chunks of the movie. They manage to get as close to an "R" rating as you possibly can without going all the way over, which is to the film's benefit.
This may also be why Land of the Lost failed to connect with an audience, though. It was sold as family friendly, accentuating the Matt Lauer cameo and creating a sensation that Will Ferrell was playing his "idiot blowhard" persona, typecasting the film as something it really isn't on any account. Families would be turned off, Ferrell fans probably didn't tune in because of the PG-13 (which likely also turned off Eastbound and Down McBride fans), so nobody turned up. Fans of the show probably didn't see much that interested them, so who was left to see Land of the Lost? Director Brad Silberling doesn't exactly inspire confidence, considering that Casper and City of Angels are on his resume. The only film I've seen of his I even liked was Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I appear to be in the minority in that category. Land of the Lost never really had a chance...
Two years later, it doesn't appear to be well liked on the Tomatometer and has middling reviews on IMDB. It's a shame, because I feel like Land of the Lost missed its audience, and people who would enjoy the film are going to be hard pressed to believe something that looks so stupid is actually very funny. Maybe this review is a helpful first step, but I sense it's an uphill battle to turn around the perception that Land of the Lost is anything other than lousy. Give it a shot, especially if you like Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Pushing Daisies**, or The Lonely Island. It's smarter than it looks, funnier than it appears, and more enjoyable than you'll want to admit.
* I chose those two at random, but in terms of when they were made as shows and as movies, Land of the Lost falls between both of them. Weird.
** That's really a guess on my part, but I didn't want to leave Anna Friel out. She's a big component of why the film works.
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