Variety on ‘Land of the Lost’: A lost cause?

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When you spend $100 million on a big summer special-effects comedy, you’d like to think you made more than a one-quadrant movie. But according to Variety’s Brian Lowry, Universal Pictures could be in big trouble with its upcoming Will Ferrell-starring ‘Land of the Lost’ extravaganza, which Lowry predicts will appeal to a woefully narrow target audience: 12- to 14-year-old boys, which he describes as ‘about the only demo likely able to endure this laborious mess.’

In many ways, the film has the air of a failed attempt at corporate synergy. As Lowry describes it in his review: ‘ ‘Land of the Lost’ feels as though someone at Universal was already planning the theme-park ride spinoff before taking a painfully wrong turn with the movie. Modernizing a 1970s children’s TV show known for its cheap special effects offered certain possibilities, but the filmmakers have traded in any kid-friendly elements for bathroom humor of dinosaur-sized proportions.’

How unfunny is the picture? Here’s how Lowry put it: ‘It’s a never a good sign when ‘Today’ host Matt Lauer (more synergy here, given the NBC-Universal connection) delivers the least irritating performance in a movie.’ Ouch!