Will Ferrell's comedy has always been a numbers game. Throw out jokes like crazy and count up the laughs. It's the ratio of hits to misses that determines whether his films are successful.
He's the comedic equivalent of a power hitter in baseball. You stop to watch, because it's either going to be a towering home run or an embarrassing whiff.
"Land of the Lost," on the other hand, is a rarity: a solid double. It's equal parts "ehh" and guffaw. There's no real memorable moment, no equivalent to the anchorman street fight, but neither is there anything as pitifully bad as just about everything in "Step Brothers."
Ferrell plays Dr. Rick Marshall, who is, you'd imagine, something of an outsider in the scientific community, what with his theories on "quantum paleontology" and all. He makes a fateful visit to the "Today" show, and a botched interview with Matt Lauer later, he's an outcast. As per usual for Ferrell's characters, he's a self-absorbed douchebag who believes his own press.
Enter Holly Cantrell, most likely Marshall's last remaining supporter, who encourages him to finish building his Tachyon Amplifier, which is of course the device that ultimately hurls them into a parallel dimension, along with the crass Will Stanton (Danny McBride), where dinosaurs and strange lizard people rule.
And of course there's Chaka (Jorma Taccone), a primate who takes a liking to our trio, especially Holly.
There are some one-off bits that are chuckle-inducing, and Rick's bitterness toward Lauer is amusing, especially in the film's closing payoff joke, and a bit involving Ferrell, a banjo, and a mutant mosquito works as well.
"Lost" is, of course, a special effects bonanza, with giant T-Rexes and insects and various monsters roaming around, terrorizing our heroes. None of it is especially interesting and is occasionally what we'd call exciting, but is kiddie stuff for the most part.
The strange part is McBride and Ferrell's schtick, which tickles that line between innuendo and downright profane. On the surface this may seem like a kid's movie, but the dialog tells a different story. Swear words of the PG-13 variety fly freely, as does breast-groping, and in one sequence the suggestion that Chaka, Will and Rick had a liaison of their own.
That leaves a strange target audience, cutting out most kids under 13 but being a bit too juvenile for (most...okay, some) adults. One has to conclude Ferrell and company decided on making a film for fans of the original series, warts and all.
That being the case, "Lost" should have been closer to Tim Burton's take on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; a trippy thrill ride that decides if it's going to be wacky, let's be wacky.
Instead, we get a ride on the kiddie coaster, except there are two boorish guys in the back car yelling things about each others' johnsons, leaving us conflicted as an audience.
We can't enjoy the profane parts seeing as how it's a children's ride, but neither can we embrace our inner 12-year-old with the two yay-hoos cursing the whole time.
Read Chris' take on "Land of the Lost" here.
Read Nick Rogers' review of "Land of the Lost" here.
