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Movie Review: Land of the Lost

Rated PG-13 for a couple of swear words, some action movie violence, some adult-oriented innuendo, and some naked Pakunis.

Rating: C

The good thing about this LAND OF THE LOST film is that it really does a great job of filling in the blanks that the classic Sid & Marty Krofft television show left out in their original plot.  Some liberties had to be taken, of course, to explain why Marshall, Will, and Holly were on a routine expedition (and how the three got together, considering they don’t start out as taking a family vacation in the movie like they did in the TV show).

Everything you would want carried over from the TV show is here:  Chaka, Grumpy, the greatest earthquake ever known, and dozens of rubber-suited slow-moving Sleestaks.  I applaud the fact that the producers didn’t try to CGI the Sleestaks and make them into something they weren’t.  If you were a fan of the show, there are plenty of homages to places, lines, and events that should be familiar to you.   On the flip side, there is no need to be familiar with the show in order to enjoy this version. 

While there are some laughs to be had and some decently amusing scenes that really show how the show would have needed to transform for today’s audiences, the film focuses too much on Will Ferrell doing the stereotypical Will Ferrell schtick.  But instead of a race car driver or a newscaster, you have a slightly inept scientist calling the shots.  If Will had played the character a little bit more straight up, the film still could have been funny without resorting to his already-seen style of slapstick.   That said, I did chuckle throughout, but at nothing that seemed overly inspired. 

LAND OF THE LOST does have a Closing Credits Alert, with a scene shown after the credits have rolled and most people have left the theater.  Those who stick around for it will get the last laugh.