Land of the Lost -
2 stars out of 5 - "FORCED" is the first word that comes to mind when describing this film. Will Ferrell plays Dr. Rick Marshall, a disgraced scientist who's prompted by cutie-pie scientist, Dr. Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel) to finish his "groundbreaking" work in time machines. The two hook up with con man, Will Stanton (Danny McBride) who is working at a 4th rate roadside attraction and the adventure begins. If you're familiar with the original 1970s TV show, you'll see that the director took some creative license with the property. The reason why the film's production team made those changes is what baffles me. Originally, Will and Holly were Dr. Marshall's kids, but they were changed so that Ferrell could have a love interest and (yes) a drinking buddy in the movie. I can't quite figure out who this movie is for. There are scenes of intense dinosaur action that would certainly appeal to the average 10-year old boy, but those are followed up with smarmy low-brow frat humor like the boys getting high on some toxic prehistoric fruit juice complete with psychedelic 60s background music and an endless number of sexual innuendos such as a suggestion for Holly to sit on a giant vibrating phallic-like crystal. Many of the jokes just seem out of place for the target audience, and what is worse, they aren't funny to anyone above 13 either. Overall, the script tries to wedge in as many references to the TV show and a few other popular films, but the results are amateurish and clumsy. If you have
nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon, then the movie could be a nice distraction, but other wise, you can skip it and never suffer a moment for having done so.
an additional 1/2 star was awarded because I found her incredibly hot
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3 1/2 stars out of 5 - I've seen a lot of bad films over the last few months. That might be the reason why I actually enjoyed this G.I. Joe movie. It struck me as good cartoon-like fun. Unlike this summer's Transformers 2, I was not bored by the excessive violence or irritated by the directors showy camera work. The movie moves at a decent pace, the characters are not forgettable although, I admit they're not terribly deep either. In the story, Duke and Ripcord join the shadowy G.I. Joe team after a run-in with the Baroness. Scarlett, Heavy Duty, Breaker and Snake Eyes come to the pairs rescue, and take them back to the Joe base where General Hawk allows them to assist in the recovery of some stolen weapons. More fighting, more special effects, more flash-back cut scenes that attempt to flesh out the characters. The most entertaining is the one about how young Snake Eyes and young Stormshadow became bitter enemies. Best of all, more of the hotness that is Rachel Nichols in the role of red-haired Scarlett. I admit she probably influenced my opinion of the film somewhat. I really enjoyed watching her performance in the role. Anyway, the rest of the story is ludicrous and over-the-top in that typical comic book style I remember from my youth. If I have one major gripe it concerns the helmet that Cobra Commander eventually wears. In my opinion, the film creators should have stuck with the traditional flat faceplate as opposed to what they went with. In the end, though, I had a good time with the movie. I had no pretenses to its quality beforehand so I wound up pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment I felt throughout. This is a good check-your-brain-at-the-door movie if you are willing to give in and be a kid again.
