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Parents' Guide to

Land of the Lost

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Ferrell's reboot of '70s show is rife with gross-out laughs.

Movie PG-13 2009 99 minutes
Land of the Lost Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 48 parent reviews

DinoLover4242
DinoLover4242 Parent of 8-year-old
February 15, 2023
age 17+

A terrible, inaccurate, and inappropriate movie!

This film is so stupid, inaccurate, and inappropriate! It is not only filled with now-horribly-outdated and inaccurate dinosaurs and pterodactyls, but the film is not suitable for families being filled with sex jokes, violence, drug mentions, urine drinking and bathing, foul language, and product placement throughout. I will never recommend this to children.
Kalmer1
Kalmer1 Parent of 12, 14 and 17-year-old
January 28, 2021
age 16+

Inappropriate and cheesy

Bad graphics and the entire movie was based on sexual innuendos. Waste of time, not entertaining at all!
See all 48 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After his bizarre theories about time-travel and inter-dimensional wormholes earn him the scorn of the scientific community, Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is exiled to working as a tour guide at the La Brea tar pits. Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel), the one person who believes his theories, finds him, encourages him to build his dimension-spanning equipment, and then leads him to a souvenir stand in the desert run by Will (Danny McBride) that just happens to be at a weak spot between worlds. Soon, the three are transported to a strange primitive world full of dinosaurs, friendly primates, and scary lizard men.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (48 ):
Kids say (64 ):

What saves LAND OF THE LOST from being annoying or overblown is the naked transparency of its low ambitions. This isn't a serious-minded reinvention of the series or an attempt to make a work of art out of '70s TV. Instead, it's a chance for Ferrell and McBride -- two talented comedic improvisers -- to do their thing in a world of dinosaurs and dangers, peril and parody.

Director Brad Silberling, working from a script by two ex-Saturday Night Live writers, knows this, so he goes easy on spectacle and heavy on slapstick. Land of the Lost is hardly the most original comedy -- Ferrell's playing another of his arrogant airheads, McBride another of his roughneck buffoons -- and yet something about the sci-fi setting makes what could have been tired moments fresh, as if a familiar restaurant redecorated while still serving old favorite recipes. A broad, foolish comedy, Land of the Lost has more than a few laughs, even if it is somehow both expensive and disposable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the phenomenon of '70s TV shows coming to the big screen. Does this represent the fact that these shows have wormed their way into the public consciousness because they were worthwhile -- or is it just about making money?

  • Families can also talk about Will Ferrell -- what do all of his characters seem to have in common? What's behind his comedic appeal?

Movie Details

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