Land of the Lost - Blu-ray Review

Land of the Lost may just be the most overlooked, underrated comedy of 2009. A bit of a flop in its summer release, the film should hopefully find a second life on Blu-ray, where viewers can better appreciate what the movie is trying to do outside of the hype and competition of the summer movie season. It doesn't hurt that the Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific, offering up an excellent home theater experience with a bunch of worthwhile and funny extra features.

Revisiting my original review for the 2009 comedy Land of the Lost, I realize that I didn't fully appreciate the Will Ferrell comedy's odd, funny, funny oddness. While I applauded the film for being a unique and unexpected bit of sci-fi comedy, I wasn't really able to see how all the pieces fit together -- the way the science fiction content gelled with Will Ferrell's usual know-it-all buffoon, or the ways that the '70s series the film is based on was tweaked to make it a comedy while still staying faithful to the original source. With the summer movie season behind me and more time to digest Land of the Lost, I realize now how much I underestimated the movie. The further away I've gotten from it, the more I've grown to really like it.

Seeing the movie again on Blu-ray, I'm better able to see Land of the Lost for the movie it is instead of reacting to my own surprise over the movie that it isn't. It's such a strange movie for a big-budget special effects comedy, but that's much of what I love about it -- the movie has the conviction of its own crazy ideas and is willing to see them through. And I really like that Will Ferrell, who has been coasting somewhat since the success of Anchorman, took a chance on a film this funky and out-there. Though he's doing a lot of his usual shtick, it seems to work a lot better in Land of the Lost than it has in his other efforts. Maybe it's because he's allowed to actually be a brilliant scientist (in addition to a foolish blowhard), or maybe it's because his comic persona is being pitted against raging dinosaurs and evil lizard people instead of some new arena in the world of sports. It's his funniest work in several years, and is quickly making the short list of my favorite Will Ferrell comedies.

Fans of Land of the Lost (I know I can't be totally alone, though I fully expect the movie to be much more of a cult hit than a mainstream one, which may be why the movie didn't do so well in its initial release -- it was never going to be embraced by much of the moviegoing public) will find plenty to like on the Blu-ray release of the movie. In addition to stellar picture and sound, there's a boatload of extras featuring Ferrell and his equally funny co-star Danny McBride. An almost feature-length making-of documentary features a lot of interview and behind-the-scenes footage featuring both comedians who rarely drop character; they're always being funny. A collection of deleted scenes offers some funny material that didn't make the cut, and a mock "Day in the Life of a Big Movie Star" featurette showcases a lot of McBride and Ferrell goofing around during their free time. Plus, if you're a fan of the movie beyond just the comedy (like myself), there's an interesting and academic commentary track by director Brad Silberling.

Though not for all tastes, Land of the Lost is actually my favorite kind of comedy: the kind where you feel like the cast and filmmakers are getting away with something. Consider me a big fan.