Subject: Review: Lost in Space (1998)

From: "Andy Wright" <[email-masked]>
Date: 17 Apr 1998 00:01:24 GMT

LOST IN SPACE

Grade: C (Wait for Video)

Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Starring: William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Gary Oldman
Year of Release: 1998
Rating: PG-13

Capsule Review:
The ongoing quest to adapt every single television series ever made to =
the big screen (soon, only Manimal and She=92s the Sheriff will remain =
untouched) continues with this disappointing attempt at a franchise, in =
which a clan of eggheads roam the universe looking for a damned map. =
While there are some fun moments in the first half of the film =
(including some neat special effects and a nifty attack by some cool =
little spider monsters) they soon get swallowed up in a morass of creaky =
moralizing and ill-conceived cutesy elements - particularly the =
appearance of a badly animated galactic space monkey that=92s so =
blatantly designed for future merchandising profits it=92d make an Ewok =
hurl. The bulk of the blame for this movie=92s faults can be placed on =
the pointed head of screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (inexplicably able to =
remain employed after the horrendous Batman & Robin) whose one-liner =
intensive script seems to be hastily cobbled together out of old Laffy =
Taffy wrappers. Although Lost in Space has its surface pleasures (mostly =
supplied by a campily subdued Gary Oldman) and will probably be enjoyed =
by kids, it may leave the viewer with some dark and unlovely thoughts =
about just how calculated the whole Hollywood blockbuster process has =
become - if this is any indication, it could be a long summer at the =
movies, folks.

Copyright 1998 by The Critic formerly known as Andrew Wright
For more insanely biased reviews, check out http://www.seanet.com/~louk/
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