LOST IN SPACE

SYNOPSIS:
In the middle of the next century, Professor John Robinson (William Hurt), his wife Maureen (Mimi Rogers), daughters Judy (Heather Graham) and Penny (Lacey Chabert), and son Will (Jack Johnson) are selected to be the first family to colonise outer space, as Earth’s resources are dwindling. One of two hypergates, when completed, will allow instantaneous space travel to the other side of the universe. Just as they are beginning to settle into their critical work, the Jupiter Two, their state-of-the-art spacecraft piloted by Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc) strays dangerously off course. The Robinsons do not realise they are marooned with a sinister saboteur, Dr Zachary Smith (Gary Oldman), whose traitorous tinkering lands him and the Robinsons in a perilous corner of the cosmos. This space age family must band together and use their unique skills to complete their mission or risk certain death while lost in space.

"I must be suffering ennui from the excitement of watching spacecraft breaking light speed, the fascination with inexplicable space battles eludes me, the jaded jargon of the pseudo-future is tiresome and boring characters just bore me. Unlike Paul (above) I don’t see this as any improvement on the original. The original was original (certainly at the time) with the bulk of its undemanding lounge room tension built around human predicaments – if in alien territory. The interaction between Will, his family and the robot were paramount. This is no relation: the character count is the same (Robinson family, robot, evil Zachary) but the characters aren’t. The notion of the tv series has been buried, but that wouldn’t matter either, if only it were done with a modicum of intelligence. But I suspect I’m in the minority. Previewing the film in a cinema full of real audience-people, I saw many were clearly entertained. I think most 8 - 12 year old boys will be entertained. It’s a pop up cartoon, best seen on a Saturday arvo, or taken as a high tech eye-ride. Except for the turgid parents, who seem to have jumped on board from a parental guidance course."
Andrew L. Urban