Land of the Lost (2009)

Directed by: Brad Silberling | 101 minutes | action, adventure, fantasy, comedy, science fiction | Actors: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone, John Boylan, Matt Lauer, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Sierra McCormick, Shannon Lemke, Stevie Wash Jr., Brian Huskey, Kevin Buitrago, Noah Crawford, Jon Kent Ethridge , Logan Manus

In November 2009, Forbes magazine calculated that Will Ferrell is one of the most overrated actors. It would even be an unfavorable investment for producers. He owes this title to ‘Land of the Lost’, among other things. The film cost more than $100 million, but grossed only $65 million. Another Ferrell film, ‘Semi-Pro’ fared even worse. Fortunately, he’s in good company: Ewan McGregor is second and even Leonardo DiCaprio is in the top ten.

‘Land of the Lost’ is based on an old American series in which a father goes on a camping holiday with his two children. An accident at a waterfall sends them into a prehistoric world. The series was broadcast by NBC from 1972 to 1976 and was extremely popular in its own country. A film version was therefore inevitable, although it only came after more than thirty years.

In ‘Land of the Lost’, Will Ferrell plays the paleontologist Rick Marshall. His latest book on quantum physics is not taken seriously at all and is mostly criticized. When he wants more money for research, it is rejected and instead he only teaches at a primary school. A young and charming research assistant (Anna Friel) visits him and tells him how his theories have inspired her. Together they finish his time machine. In a remote cave, they team up with Will Stanton (Danny McBride), a redneck and bomb expert, to test the device. The trio falls through a time portal and ends up in another dimension. A place where present, past and future come together. Of course, the time machine was lost during the journey, so if the adventurers ever want to return home, they must first find it. Of course they are not alone and the search is complicated by apemen, evil reptiles and an angry dinosaur.

For those unfamiliar with the old television series, “Land of the Lost” is just a genuine Ferrell movie: dry humor and bad jokes the way only he can make them. For fans of the series, it’s probably not what they expect, because this isn’t a serious remake. It’s mostly a movie to laugh about whether you like it or not. Precisely because ‘Land of the Lost’ does not take itself too seriously, this adventure film does get something nice and fresh. Visually, the film looks good and the cast is convincing. Will Ferrell plays his khaki outfit biologist as only he can. Whether a comedy is fun often depends on the prankster playing the lead. One just suits you better than the other, that also applies to Will Ferrell. If you can appreciate the good man somewhat, you know what to expect and the film is a must.