Today at work a co-worker asked me, "Do you remember that old show Land of the Lost?" to which I furrowed my brow and replied, "You mean that one with the family that lived in a weird world full of lizard men, giant apes, and dinosaurs?" He confirmed that was in fact the show to which he was referring, and I inquired why he might ask such an obscure question. Then the bomb shell dropped. "Because they're turning it into a movie starring what's-his-face from Semi-Pro - Will Ferrel." A movie based on a semi-popular sci-fi drama from the 70s, marketed to kids, and starring the most overused comedic actor of our era. What an awesomely unmotivated and ill-fated choice. Way to go Hollywood, another instant classic.
Even though the show aired before I was born (1974-1976) I still got in on the 1991-1992 remake series, so I feel like I have a bit of history with the show. I know, I know - a statement like that must sound trite to any fans who have been holding the torch for 30+ years. Still, I knew enough about Land of the Lost to keep up in conversation with my trivia-soaked co-worker. I still remember any time the tension needed to be heightened they would throw in a T-Rex attack.
However, any respectable fan of Land of the Lost will tell you that, even though the remake series had the same basic story/plot/characters, the tone was completely different from the original show. The 70s show, even though marketed towards kids, had a very depressing, survivalist feel to it (at least, that's what it seems from what I've read - I still haven't seen any of it.) The 90s show, which I got in on, definitely had a Harry-and-the-Hendersons feel to it. It was very tongue and cheek. This trend toward diluting the potency of the original will almost certainly continue into the movie version. I'm thinking, like, Will Ferrel in Bewitched. Hey, wasn't that also a movie made from an old, obscure TV show?
I've never fully understood Hollywood's thinking in matters like this. The Land of the Lost franchise only exists today because of dedicated fanboys. Why, then, would you take that franchise and make just the right amount of changes to piss off everyone loyal to it? Believe you-me, you do not want to piss of Land of the Lost fans. Just look at Land of the Lost dot com! Utter insanity, comparable even to the madness displayed here at Analog Medium. I guess the producer/master-minds behind the project figure the fans will see it no matter what, so they might as well water it down for John Q Public. Once again, good choice Hollywood. Way to come up with an idea that no one will enjoy. Bravo.
