Land of the Lost (2009)

Directed by Brad Silberling. Starring Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone, Matt Lauer, (voice) John Boylan. [PG-13]

Director Silberling, from a script by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas, has loosely updated the cheesy but fondly-remembered Sid & Marty Krofft television show, but instead of making it a family film aimed at children, it’s turned into a Will Ferrell vehicle aimed at older audiences fond of scatology and puerility (bad idea). Paleontologist Ferrell, hanger-on/love interest Friel, and McBride (just…McBride) go through a time warp, end up in a lost world full of dinosaurs, monkey-men, and so on. Not really a parody version of the source material (or if it is, just an exceptionally unfunny one), but certainly not an authentic tribute either, with unexciting adventures, lazy gags, undeveloped characters, uninspired performances, and atrociously misfired special effects (worse than being merely bad CGI, but not bad enough to qualify as comically awful CGI). Add it all up: one heckuva colossal dud. Even the Ferrell faithful stayed away from this one, and although the Kroffts are listed as producers, it’s difficult to imagine they influenced or approved of much of what ended up on screen. Leonard Nimoy has a voice cameo, but it ain’t worth it.

23/100