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

"Big screen sci-fi family entertainment is back with a vengeance: Lost in Space is a comic book romp with big bangs, dazzling effects and characters that are grounded by their very humanity. Being one of a very small minority who never saw the TV series, I had no preconceptions or expectations. It’s a journey of anticipation and discovery through the red hot sun to far away lands in distant galaxies where alien creatures blend in with the flowers. And there’s something for all age groups. Tops is the relationship between Will and the robot, but there’s Penny’s digitised diary (although Lacey Chabert’s Penny is totally incomprehensible), a cutsie alien cartoon-like mouse called Blawp for the young at heart, the Princess Lei/Han Solo type of mini-romance between Judy and West, the men’s testosterone challenges, the evil Zachary (Gary Oldman doesn’t have enough to get his teeth into) and the marital joust by way of verbal repartee between John Robinson (William Hurt is terrific) and his wife Maureen. It’s a solid cast that keeps this family together, as they adventure through space and time. Lost in Space shouldn’t be taken too seriously - it’s a fun journey into escapism with minimal violence and swearing, so even Grandma can experience hi-tech effects without being offended. But without a doubt, it’s the little boys (of all ages) who will really fly on this ticket - a B film with an A grade cast and effects."
Louise Keller