The sleestacks and Will Ferrell are not a combination I ever thought I would see. Will Ferrell stars in the movie Land of the Lost as a washed up scientist turned park ranger lost in time. This movie is going to be a lot of fun if it is remotely as good as the trailers suggest. Ferrell is absolutely perfect in the role as a somewhat slow park ranger that thinks he is smarter than he is. It is right down Ferrell’s alley when it comes to comedy.
Growing up, Land of the Lost was must-see Saturday morning television. It was the one show that both I and my sister could agree on, and we never missed an episode. The sleestacks, dinosaurs, and adventure filled silliness of the original Sid and Marty Croft television show made it a heck of a fun show to watch.
The dinosaurs were of course laughable but those sleestacks were downright scary to an eight year old. The way they slinked along and made those horrific sounds terrified me. I look forward to seeing the way they do the sleestacks with today’s graphics and advancements. The dinosaurs are already going to be the top draw for the kids, and they look fantastic in the trailers thus far. The dinosaurs will make or break a movie anymore. They simply have to be realistic for a movie to be taken seriously after the various dinosaur movies of the last decade.
The one thing I am most excited about however, is Will Ferrell interacting in this environment. His brand of humor is so often lewd and crude, and seeing him in this type of role is more like the type of comedy I enjoy. He was awesome in Green Machine, and I think he will be fantastic in Land of the Lost as well. Too often Ferrell is in movies that are not family friendly at all, and it is a waste of his true talent. His talent lies with kids in my humble opinion. The guy is a magnet for their funny bone, and this movie appears to maybe tap into that special talent.
Land of the Lost is set to be released on June 5th, and I would anticipate that it will be a huge hit. The releases around that time should not pull viewers away from seeing it, and the theaters will likely be packed as it is right around the end of the school year. Land of the Lost has some mighty big shoes to fill, however.
Making the top of the list of Saturday morning television speaks volumes about the original show. While it was rather silly and at times horribly acted, the show retained that childlike quality while still pushing the edges of childhood. For the first time I got to imagine something scary and see it on the television screen. I hope that Land of the Lost 2009 edition takes me back to that innocent time in my life.
Land of the Lost was all about wonder and imagination, and while I hope that the modern version is as funny as it seems, I hope they still tap into the adventure portion of the show. I guess we will all find out on June the 5th.
