LAND OF THE LOST

CONTAINS SPOILERS AND NOT MUCH ELSE

This was original a 70s American TV show: I don't know whether it showed up in this country or not. Then it was a 90s American TV show which again may or may not have made it to the UK. Now Land Of The Lost is a big summer blockbuster spectacular showcasing the mighty comedic talents of Mr Will Ferrell, and that's the point at which the wheels fall off the wagon.

Because basically the mighty comedic talents extend to little more than wee jokes, poo jokes and crotch jokes (strangely enough there's no farting - presumably they thought they should hold something back for a sequel). Implausible crackpot boffin Will Ferrell and cute British scientist Anna Friel (in a thankless role as the crumpet in tight shorts and target of a running gag about having her boobs groped) join up with a redneck halfwit and get sucked into an alternative dimension filled with CG dinosaurs and an army of lizard men intent on conquering the universe. The other jokes, the ones that aren't directly related to wee, poo or crotches mainly consist of Will Ferrell stating an inviolable fact about dinosaurs, and then being proved completely wrong.

The IMDb claims that the estimated budget was a hundred million dollars and to be honest it doesn't look as if it cost a tenth of that - where exactly did the money go? It's very ramshackle and the narrative is only there to string along a series of lowbrow gags, none of which are very good. Only tolerable in fleeting moments.

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