Nobody expected the upcoming Land of the Lost movie to pack the same charming, wholehearted and sincere cheesiness as the Sid and Marty Krofft Saturday morning adventure show, but the latest publicity image hints that it’s leaning just for the cheap, easy and goofy cheese factor that ruins most remakes . (If you’re lactose intolerant, don’t read that last statement.)
Directed by Brad Silberling and written by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas, the 2009 release features Marshall, Will and Holly — "on a routine expedition" … sorry. We’ll get Farrell in a rare motion picture appearance (right, obviously) as a forest ranger (Marshall) who accidentally discovers a lost realm of dinosaurs and intelligent lizard people, the ever-hissing Sleestaks. Danny R. McBride and Anna Friel are along for the ride as Ferrerll’s wayward kids. It’s uncertain if there was ever an official explanation of what happened to Marshall’s wife. (Fans might want to check Grumpy’s dumpys for signs of very foul play. I’m just saying.)
The publicity shot has Farrell with what looks like Enik — a friendly, hyper-evolved Sleestak from the reptilian race’s distant future. You could recognize Enik because he talked like a PBS narrator and had the decency to wear more clothes than the standard Sleestak rope belt that allowed their prehistoric junk to flap around.
Unfortunately, in this reporter’s opinion, this creature design is less convincing than the Sleestak of 30 years ago. In my day, the baddies were creepy and lithe — with their heads draped casually over their shoulders. This new Sleestak looks like a costumed amusement park character (though they can be scary, too). And, fashion-wise, I’m not sure the shoulder pad tunic works. It calls attention to the tadpole-bearing hips.
More on Land of the Lost as it evolves.
Image courtesy Universal Pictures
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