Rating: 
Summary: Guilty Pleasure #2 (3½ Stars)
Review: I don't know, maybe it was that severe blow to the head I suffered when I was six, but something has given me a weak spot for hard luck cases- those movies that are so terrible that I actually like them, sort of like a good-bad movie. It's kinda hard to explain properly, like 'Independence Day', you know it was silly and contrived, but you liked it despite of that? This is pretty much what I felt like watching this turd of a film- about half way through it I found myself really liking it. I wasn't really old enough to watch the original series, and it never saw much by way of reruns, at least where I was living at the time. However, I did see episodes later and life, and well, the movie is a distinct improvement. They also played it straight instead of for laughs, though with a particularly wooden William Hurt as Dr. Robinson, it wasn't much of a stretch.Matt LeBlanc takes a welcome departure from 'Friends' to assume the role of the Jupiter II's pilot, Major Don West, a part that he was made to play. In fact, he's probably my favorite character, even beyond Gary Oldman's portrayal of the inept saboteur, Dr. Smith. The women of the movie were cast by virtue of how well they appeared in tight fitting rubber and/or spandex outfits, this of course only adds to the film's overall visual appeal. Mimi Rogers portrays John Robinson's equally wooden wife, Maureen, and actually comes across as a fairly extraneous character, since it appears her only job appears to scold the men when they get out of control. Rounding out the kid quotient of the film is Heather Graham as Judy Robinson, who appears to be a graduate of the Robert A. Heinlein school of women, and Lacey Chabert plays the delightfully cute n' snarky Penny Robinson. Lastly is Jack Johnson, who plays young Will Robinson, and it pleased me because he scored very low on the Jake Lloyd Annoy-O-Meter. That about covers it for the cast, now for plot... Just kidding. The technology in this film is far in advance of what 2050 stuff will be like, and I had the same feeling watching this as I did with 'Event Horizon'. Anyway, the Earth has become one massive stink bomb, because we have simply over populated and over polluted the planet to the point where it can no longer sustain us. Not too hard to believe, really, we're almost there now. So they conceive a plan to build a space craft that will carry a family to a planet called Alpha Prime (don't ask me, I figured it was Proxima Centauri), where they will build a hyperspace gateway that will allow mass transit there by the rest of humanity so we can stink up that planet as well. The catch is there is a terrorist faction on Earth that wants to do all this for themselves, so they hire Dr. Smith to sabotage the Jupiter II and its mission. He does this by reprogramming the ships robot, (called: Robot), but is abandoned by his benefactors, stunned unconscious and is onboard when the Jupiter II launches. Oopsee. This film has a lot of really silly moments in it, but, there is much her to enjoy. The effects are wonderful, especially the eye-popping fly by of the exploding Proteus star ship-a sequence that takes a full 20 seconds from start to finish. And while the technology is too advanced, it has a wonderful high tech look it. Though I am given to wonder what kind of moron builds space craft with hyperdrive systems that do not allow you to plot a destination, I am willing to overlook such flaws. This movie is fun, has lovely visuals in both the effects and the cast. Matt LeBlanc and Gary Oldman together make up the best parts of the cast, and their interplay is good fun. This isn't really science fiction, rather it's SCIFI (pronounced sciffy), but it's light and easily digestible.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent Adventure and Tribute to the Old Series
Review: "Lost in Space" purists probably had a problem with the "updated" version of the 60's show. However, the movie basically reworks several of the better episodes from the "more serious" first season. There are remnants of "The Reluctant Stowaway" which introduced the nefarious Dr. Smith, "The Derelict" wherein the crew discovers a seemingly abandoned ship, and "Island in the Sky" featuring the crash of the Jupiter II. Also, the film expanded the role of the Judy Robinson part (Heather Graham) by presenting her as a doctor with skills essential to the success of the mission; the television show never really effectively utilized the character. The film also makes better use of the Maureen Robinson (Mimi Rogers) character who is seen as an equal to her scientist husband played by William Hurt. As played by June Lockhart on the show, the character was often relegated to the background as the damsel in distress. Matt Leblanc is appropriately "macho" as gung-ho pilot Major Don West. The two younger roles of Will and Penny Robinson are handled well by Jack Johnson and Lacey Chabert. Cameos by Lockhart, Angela Cartwright, Marta Kristen, Mark Goddard, and Dick Trufeld (the Robot's voice) are welcome. Gary Oldman as Dr. Smith gives a very understated performance. This is due, perhaps, to the over-the-top performance of the series doctor played by Jonathan Harris. Even with the plot inconsistencies and some "effects" that don't work, the movie is still a fairly enjoyable "journey."
Rating: 
Summary: FUN!
Review: If you still have the heart of a child and a sense of wonder you'll love this. Some are too "adult" for this type of movie, but it's got the same style of fun that comic books, Ray Harryhausen, and Irwin Allen used to serve up. Nothing earth shattering, but fun. A lot of the characters are far more interesting than they used to be too. In the old show I was never sure why the women were there accept to make lunch.
Rating: 
Summary: Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!
Review: LOST IN SPACE is one terrific looking film. Every penny spent on special effects pays off in spades. The production design is well represented on screen. The salaries must have been high... William Hurt and Mimi Rogers are the Robinson parents with Heather Graham and Lacey Chabert as 2 of the children... Matt LeBlanc does his best Han Solo as Major West and perrenial bad guy Gary Oldman gives a surprisingly subdued performance as the 'could've-been-over-the-top' Dr. Smith. The money put into the films screenplay would have been better spent on deoderant. It stinks. And that isd enough to totally strip the film of any heart. It becomes a series of episodes strung together by circumstance and a too often used time travel scheme. In addition to the screenplay, there is an annoying pet discovered on a derelict ship. "Blarp" puts "Jar Jar Binks" to shame in the annoying comic releif department although he is a great special effect, especially for the time. the film is aimed at the younger crowd. Ironically, the filmmakers worked hard to get 4 of the original television cast to make cameo appearances and visual references to the series, these wasted on people who were born 20 years after the show went off the air. So the pacing, direction and screenplay were enough to crash the JUPITER 2 forever. But, is worth noting for its special effects and production alone.
Rating:
Summary: A flawed but exciting space epic
Review: Making a beloved TV show into a feature film is always a risky proposition. Director Stephen Hopkins and company have done a pretty good job with "Lost in Space," a big budget revisitation of the campy 1960s kid-centric space opera. Like the series, the film follows the adventures of the Robinsons, a spacefaring family who leave earth on a colonization mission. Along for the ride are their hunky pilot, the scheming Dr. Smith, and a muliti-purpose family robot (known simply as "Robot"). There's a lot to like about this film. The performances range from satisfactory to very good; I especially liked Heather Graham's smart 'n' sexy portrayal of elder daughter Judy Robinson. The special effects truly rock. The design of both spacecraft and Robot are inspired: clearly based on the 1960s originals, but upgraded with flair. And Bruce Broughton's symphonic score captures a sense of both epic space adventure and intimate family ties. What really hurts the film is the overly-complex plot. Without giving away too much, the script contains just one two many "high concept" sci-fi plot contrivances. I think that an attempted relaunching of a potential science fiction franchise should have stuck with a more straightforward adventure plot. And the "90s dysfunctional family" schtick strikes me as overdone. Overall, the positive elements of the film far outweigh its shortcomings. I recommend "Lost in Space" both to fans of the original and to those who like visually striking space operas in general.
Rating:
Summary: Return of the Robinsons
Review: The classic tale of the Robinson family (Swiss Family Robinson) was moved to a science fiction setting on television. That show is now a movie. But some of the ideas have been lost from the original and this would better be called Swiss Family Dysfunctional. The Robinson family is not a happy one and neither is Earth. Pollution got out of hand and the planet is dying. A new planet must be found. The Robinsons are going to fly a ten-year mission to a distant planet and set up a warp gate that will allow easy colonization. The world is depending upon them. But there are those who are against the idea and want the plane for themselves. They have hired Dr. Smith to sabotage the mission. To keep things quiet, Smith is trapped on the doomed ship. Well, the family manages to survive and goes through a series of harrowing adventures. All the while their internal squabbles grow more and more heated. In the end, they manage to rebuild their family but they have blown up a planet, committed genocide, and possible doomed the Earth. But there is still something fascinating about this film. Mimi Rogers has one of the best scenes when she takes on her husband (Hurt) and the pilot (le Blanc). This can be an enjoyable film but if you are looking for a film rendition of a television show you loved, I think you will be a bit disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A flawed but exciting space epic
Review: Making a beloved TV show into a feature film is always a risky proposition. Director Stephen Hopkins and company have done a pretty good job with "Lost in Space," a big budget revisitation of the campy 1960s kid-centric space opera. Like the series, the film follows the adventures of the Robinsons, a spacefaring family who leave earth on a colonization mission. Along for the ride are their hunky pilot, the scheming Dr. Smith, and a muliti-purpose family robot (known simply as "Robot"). There's a lot to like about this film. The performances range from satisfactory to very good; I especially liked Heather Graham's smart 'n' sexy portrayal of elder daughter Judy Robinson. The special effects truly rock. The design of both spacecraft and Robot are inspired: clearly based on the 1960s originals, but upgraded with flair. And Bruce Broughton's symphonic score captures a sense of both epic space adventure and intimate family ties. What really hurts the film is the overly-complex plot. Without giving away too much, the script contains just one two many "high concept" sci-fi plot contrivances. I think that an attempted relaunching of a potential science fiction franchise should have stuck with a more straightforward adventure plot. And the "90s dysfunctional family" schtick strikes me as overdone. Overall, the positive elements of the film far outweigh its shortcomings. I recommend "Lost in Space" both to fans of the original and to those who like visually striking space operas in general.
Rating: 
Summary: Really, really bad.
Review: It hurt. I loved the original series when I was young. This is SO bad by comparison. OK, the special effects are decades beyond it, but the writing stank.
Rating:
Summary: FUN!
Review: If you still have the heart of a child and a sense of wonder you'll love this. Some are too "adult" for this type of movie, but it's got the same style of fun that comic books, Ray Harryhausen, and Irwin Allen used to serve up. Nothing earth shattering, but fun. A lot of the characters are far more interesting than they used to be too. In the old show I was never sure why the women were there accept to make lunch.
Rating:
Summary: This leaves Nemesis and The Prequels Behind
Review: This movie was most enjoyable for me to watch when I was in middle school! I can't think of a better science fiction movie around. Star Trek has lost all hope of beciming good again. Star Wars no longer has a story. This movie was superb. I wish a sequel was made. The action and effects were great. I didn't like the guy from friends, but he did have the best equipment designed for any movie. The story was interesting. I believe the time warp scenes were tight!!! This movie deserves glory because there hasn't been any other good science fiction in a long time. I hope you enjoy it too.
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