Great Escape in the Summertime?
Once you decide to make a film version of the Sid and Marty Kroft’s classic Saturday morning kids show, you only have two choices. You could make a very dark dramatic film about a family trapped in time with danger at every turn, or you can cast Will Ferrell and camp it up for cheap laughs.
Choosing the latter is interesting because unlike The Brady Bunch or Starsky and Hutch, this adaptation would have work dramatically. The one thing that kept every kid coming back week after week was those Sleestaks! They were effectively creepy and the one element not changed in the screen adaptation.
If you’re expecting a remake of your beloved Saturday morning TV show, you’ll be greatly disappointed. If you’re looking for silly potty humor, cool effects, show tunes and tons of Will Ferrell, then this will fit the bill for you. Ferrell is not stretching himself as an actor here. He’s giving the same performance we saw in Anchorman, Talledega Nights and Old School. He’s a boob, but we love him anyway.
All Will Ferrell movies seem to come in at a solid “B” on the comedy level. A few huge laughs are guaranteed, but it never quite reaches the classic comedy level of a Young Frankenstein or Animal House. The exception to this is Elf. Elf is still Will Ferrell’s best work to date. He was able to transcend his character to lovable yet genuine no matter how unrealistic the plot seemed. It’s ironic that this is his most believable character when the ones with realistic jobs, come off so cartoonish.
You may think I don’t like Will Ferrell and that’s wrong. I enjoy all his movies and I think he’s hysterical. However, I’m ready for him to step up his game. I want him to go from making good comedy to great comedy. If you like Will Ferrell and low-brow humor, Land of the Lost is going to fit the bill for fun summer entertainment.
Choosing the latter is interesting because unlike The Brady Bunch or Starsky and Hutch, this adaptation would have work dramatically. The one thing that kept every kid coming back week after week was those Sleestaks! They were effectively creepy and the one element not changed in the screen adaptation.
If you’re expecting a remake of your beloved Saturday morning TV show, you’ll be greatly disappointed. If you’re looking for silly potty humor, cool effects, show tunes and tons of Will Ferrell, then this will fit the bill for you. Ferrell is not stretching himself as an actor here. He’s giving the same performance we saw in Anchorman, Talledega Nights and Old School. He’s a boob, but we love him anyway.
All Will Ferrell movies seem to come in at a solid “B” on the comedy level. A few huge laughs are guaranteed, but it never quite reaches the classic comedy level of a Young Frankenstein or Animal House. The exception to this is Elf. Elf is still Will Ferrell’s best work to date. He was able to transcend his character to lovable yet genuine no matter how unrealistic the plot seemed. It’s ironic that this is his most believable character when the ones with realistic jobs, come off so cartoonish.
You may think I don’t like Will Ferrell and that’s wrong. I enjoy all his movies and I think he’s hysterical. However, I’m ready for him to step up his game. I want him to go from making good comedy to great comedy. If you like Will Ferrell and low-brow humor, Land of the Lost is going to fit the bill for fun summer entertainment.
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