The special effects are impressive and exciting, but can't make up for an unfocused story and characters who fail to involve the viewer. With an all-star cast, hostile alien spiders, self-destructing planets, and state-of-the-art special effects, this big-budget remake of the goofy 1960s TV series should have been great fun. Unfortunately the movie's grim mood squashes the humor and adventure. Nearly every aspect of LOST IN SPACE, from Penny's outrage over being forced to leave the Earth, to barren planets and abandoned spaceships, emphasizes this harsh approach. The dark tone culminates with the confrontation with the older Will. Without the rollicking excitement of many space epics like Star Wars, these dark themes of loneliness, death, and abandonment may leave viewers feeling more depressed than uplifted

There are, however, some bright spots amidst the misery. Gary Oldman gives a delightfully smarmy performance as Dr. Smith, and it's fun to hear Dick Tufeld (the voice of the robot in the original series) once again exclaim "Danger, Will Robinson!" Nevertheless, the film will probably only be of interest to sci-fi buffs.