

"Lost in Space" - Lack of Thrust Throws Movie Off Course
by Homer Yen
(c) 	1998

"Danger, Will Robinson, danger!"  These mere four words may have been
among the most venerable that survived the fickle decade of the '60s.
Although only verbal remnants from television's past, Hollywood hopes
that this familiar phrase will entice a generation of adults and their
children to watch one more adventure featuring the space-faring
Robinsons.  Dr. Smith, Father John, Mother Maureen, sisters Judy and
Penny, young Will, and Robot have all been resurrected in the '90s
version of a family who gets lost in space.

In the future, with Earth dying and her natural resources at dangerously
low levels, ongoing efforts have been made to find a suitable sister
world to colonize.   The only one that they know of is half way across
the galaxy.  To complicate matters, a rival humanoid species
(Seditionists) is also trying to be the first to colonize that planet.
John (William Hurt) is a leading scientist and has decided that their
family will be the first to make the long 10-year journey across the
galaxy.  At the helm is Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc), an accomplished
fighter pilot as seen in the beginning, visually spectacular, fight
sequence.  If they safely arrive, the Robinsons can construct a space
portal that will link to another space portal, currently being
constructed in Earth's orbit, which would make transportation between
the two planets almost instantaneous.  But the Seditionists want to
thwart their attempts and use Dr. Smith (Gary Oldman) as their saboteur.

Suffice it to say, while it is an interesting premise that gets the
Robinsons into space, it is a contrived sequence that eventually brings
the entire cast together on a ship that has been thrown off course, lost
in the galaxy.  And despite the fact that it might seem that this film
would focus on the wild dangers and life-threatening hazards that would
face any pioneering family, at its core, it is a film about family
values (togetherness, sacrifice, et al.) buried under layers upon layers
of special effects.  Presumably, children may learn something valuable
but not even realize it.  But given the gravity of the Robinson's
situation, the movie seemed too tame to be an effective science-fiction
thriller and too 'tense' to be a story for children.  It fell somewhere
into the murky middle.

A lot of territory in "Space" is left unexplored.  The beginning battles
suggest that even greater dangers await, but most of the following
action is tepid at best.  As a family ripped from their roots on Earth
and forced to travel light years across the galaxy, all except one
seemed all too willing to just leave everything behind.  There was lots
of room for more drama and more excitement.  The film only devotes 'just
enough' time to showcase young Will's budding genius or John's search
for balance between his mission and his family.  I was also disappointed
with Judy, who spoke, perhaps two lines in the whole film.  Played by
Heather Graham, she was worlds away from her unique performance as
Rollergirl in Boogie Nights.  Here, she is reduced to shooing away the
egomaniacal Major West, whom, of course, she eventually gives in to.
Oldman, however, seemed to enjoy his role as the malevolent Dr. Smith.

There's a scene that perfectly encapsulates the tone of this film.
After boarding a drifting ship, the party soon discovers that it is
infested with metal and flesh eating, spider-like creatures.  Young
Will, using a 'holographic interface', assumes control of the robot.  It
looks like one huge video game as he zaps the oncoming critters.
Consequently, there is as much thrill here as there is playing Space
Invaders.  "Lost in Space" is full of imaginative special effects, and
may turn out to be the next big simulation ride at Universal studios.
But as a major film, it comes across looking and feeling like an
overblown Saturday morning cartoon.

Grade: C