There's a thread over on trekbbs in their SF & F section about trashing the Lost in Space movie from 1998. Except for the blawp, I didn't think it was horribly bad, and loved a lot of the modelwork. I am getting slammed because I thought it was at least better than the parts of TITANIC I've suffered through.

Anybody want to share the love (or lack of outrigt disdain) for LIS? (and yes it is okay to trash Akiva Goldsman, he deserved it for many other 'contributions' to movies.)

I quitre enjoyed the movie.No I didnt care for Blawp,nor did I like william hurt as Mr.Robinson.But I enjoyed the many homages that they paid to the original series.I absolutly LOVED Gary Oldman as Dr Z Smith.I also thought that Billy Mumy shouldve played the future Will.But I enjoyed it none the less.

It was OK as a story unto itself. But the connection to LOST IN SPACE has me mystified. The only thing in this movie that reminded me of Lost in Space was the character names.

Above all else, the TV Lost in Space series was about a rock solid family exhibiting selfless dedication towards each other and the task of survival. The movie Robinsons were a cold, distant disfunctional group.

The movie is guilty of a a major sin: people didn't really care about the characters. We wanted the TV Robinsons to be safe and sound. We wanted them back on Earth...or to at least be happy somewhere. If the movie Robinsons had all died at the end of the film, I wouldn't really have cared. I didn't much like them and they aren't people I would want as neighbours (obvious attraction of Mimi Rogers and Heather Graham not withstanding). Major West was portrayed as lecherous dullard. Who gives a rat's ass what happens to the lot of them?

There was enough story, enough acting skill and enough special effects that it could have been crafted into a better movie...but not LOST IN SPACE. They could have made them into some other group of deep space explorers. But that bunch whiney-ass intellectuals were no Robinson family.

I liked it OK too, it could've been much more. I did like the robot design, not as the b-9, but a cool robot nonetheless. I also liked the shell of the J2 looking like the original.

I liked it fine, though they left the ending for an obvious sequel... something that irritates me no matter what movie I'm watching. Granted, I didn't really watch LIS the TV series, so I had no attachment to the characters or devotion to the franchise.

Plus Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham were nice eye candy. In the movie Lacey Chabert was a kid, but she grew up to be nice eye candy herself.

José

Liked the art direction, was dismayed by the casting, detested the story. The writing was absolutely abysmal on every possible level.

For what it's worth, I don't blame Akiva Goldsman entirely. The LIS movie was developed and shepherded by a knucklehead executive named Michael DeLuca, who was fired from NewLine shortly after the film opened (or rather, failed to open). DeLuca didn't know what he wanted, didn't have the sense to hire someone who did, and instead took what could have become a tent-pole franchise and flushed it right down the toilet.

I rather like the LIS movie. Great design, and good actors. I even like the Penny/Will dynamic.
The movie improves with more viewings.

If you get the chance look at the extras on the DVD.
The films original ending was much better, but fell victim to late and poor quality FX shots, and a fixed release date.

I'd love to see them finish the film as intended, it must've made money on DVD?

Jim

What was the original ending?

I've gone on about it before. One of the few original LIS fans who liked the design of the robot and J2, thought Oldman was a good Smith...and hated everything else, in particular the script by the Execrable Akiva and the awful direction. The fx varied wildly as well, some great and far too many lame. In all....aw, man, MST3K had a phrase for it:

DEEEEEEEEEEP HUUUUUUURRRRTIIING!

I have a pretty high tolerance for space movies but I thought it sucked. Writing was just pathetic and I didn't care for any of the FX.

It was every bit as good as the "Bewitched" remake.

Most brutal damnation ever spoken!
It was every bit as good as the "Bewitched" remake.

I quitre enjoyed the movie.No I didnt care for Blawp,nor did I like william hurt as Mr.Robinson.But I enjoyed the many homages that they paid to the original series.I absolutly LOVED Gary Oldman as Dr Z Smith.I also thought that Billy Mumy shouldve played the future Will.But I enjoyed it none the less.

It's explained in the commentary on the DVD that they originally planned that, but, knew everyone would be expecting it.

I'd love to see them finish the film as intended, it must've made money on DVD?

I seriously doubt it. There were tons of those DVDs made that sat on lean back displays in video stores, Best Buys, Circuit Cities, Walmarts, etc and there still were rows left over many months later.

Most of them are probably buried in Mexico now, next to the E.T. Atari video game cartridges.

The movie is guilty of a a major sin: people didn't really care about the characters. We wanted the TV Robinsons to be safe and sound. We wanted them back on Earth...or to at least be happy somewhere. If the movie Robinsons had all died at the end of the film, I wouldn't really have cared. I didn't much like them and they aren't people I would want as neighbours (obvious attraction of Mimi Rogers and Heather Graham not withstanding). Major West was portrayed as lecherous dullard. Who gives a rat's ass what happens to the lot of them?

Exactly, that sums it up right there. I think the other big problem was that they totally relied on the FX and built a weak story. It didn't help to have time travel mixed into it either.

when they do a remake the writer should be a fan, watch some of the shows or listen to the fans for what they want not some generic weak story crap with a familiar name attached to it. i agree they should of made it closer to the orignal like the robinsons making it home or happy some where like their original destination . they should of used things closer to the orignals props espicially the robot and jupiter. it wasnt the worst movie ive seen but i was a bit disappointed with it. the cameos were cool.mark goddard who plays west on the orignal series is from massachuesetts. i run into him from time to time.it was weird running into him in a supermarket getting coffee for work. my work friend knew of him. he never knew i was a big fan and collector of the show.

I gotta agree with Brent Gair and Zorro ( even though I haven't even seen Bewitched yet ).

- GJS

BTW - My favorite part of the LIS movie was Penny. She rocked.

I disliked the movie intensely. The story, model and design work were as dysfunctional as the family of characters. I didn't care for any of it. I can't believe it actually knocked Titanic out of first place at the box office for a short time.

Titanic was a far better film that had a great story, characters, and pushed the limit of good modelmaking, design and effects. I saw it many times in the theater and have it on laserdisc. Lost In Space I saw just once - and that was one time too many. Absolutely dreadful. I bought many of the robot kits when they were being liquidated because they contain many detail parts perfect for kitbashing projects. The movie Jupiter 2 kit was not only based on a poor design, but contained absolutely nothing of value even for kitbashing, unless you use a baseball bat.

Movie studios tend to portray people and relationships in terms of the the then-current popular view. In the case of the original LIS TV series, it was popular to portray family relationships as essentially perfect. That is reflected in the way the original Robinsons got along so sickeningly well!

With the 1998 movie remake of the show, the popular view was that many families were less than perfect, sometimes far less. Deespite the fact that no sensible spece exploration coropration would ever send a dysfunctional group off on an extended mission, that dysfunctional nature was reflected in the family.

Having said that, I enjoyed the movie at the time. I liked the robot too.

Huzz

The LIS movie was developed and shepherded by a knucklehead executive named Michael DeLuca...

Warning, warning!... the aforementioned knucklehead currently owns the rights to "Forbidden Planet", which he failed to get off the ground at NewLine and DreamWorks, and is now trying to launch at Warner Brothers.

The LIS movie was a mess. Any time a big budget sci-fi movie resorts to half-baked time travel gimmics you know you're in for a bumpy ride.

Warning, warning!... the aforementioned knucklehead currently owns the rights to "Forbidden Planet", which he failed to get off the ground at NewLine and DreamWorks, and is now trying to launch at Warner Brothers.


Based on his resume, that's bad news indeed:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006894/

He's got a few good things like Boogie Nights, but a lot more stuff along the lines of the gawdawful Jackie Chan Around the World in 80 Days remake and BAPS. And wasn't he the guy that got a little too frisky in public at some famous party years ago? It was scandalous & well-known enough to rate a story in Premiere iirc.

And wasn't he the guy that got a little too frisky in public at some famous party years ago?

That's the fellow.

Warning, warning!... the aforementioned knucklehead currently owns the rights to "Forbidden Planet", which he failed to get off the ground at NewLine and DreamWorks, and is now trying to launch at Warner Brothers.

The LIS movie was a mess. Any time a big budget sci-fi movie resorts to half-baked time travel gimmics you know you're in for a bumpy ride.

Also, to save cost they redressed the "Event Horizon" sets for Lost in Space.

I saw it at the theaters with my son (now 13) We both liked it!!
It had some good Father and son moments too!

I enjoyed it although I would have liked to have seen something like "Lost in Space Forever" as a full length movie with the remaining actors playing their own parts. Too bad Jonathan Harris has passed as he was the highlight of the show for sure!

MMM

I disliked the movie intensely. The story, model and design work were as dysfunctional as the family of characters.
Titanic was a far better film that had a great story, characters, and pushed the limit of good modelmaking, design and effects. I saw it many times in the theater and have it on laserdisc. t.

That's hard for me to understand. The shot in daylight miniature shots in LIS are among the best I can recall in ANY era (steve begg) and I found the interiors and exteriors to be on the same page stylistically, which puts it way ahead of many other SF fxfests. I was no fan of the series, but I thought the movie at least handled the characters in a more mature fashion (if they'd stayed true to the series, you'd have had something like the BRADY BUNCH MOVIE in space, hopelessly out of date, anachronistic, even more unintentionally funny than the original series. I've probably watched LIS on homevid a dozen times (not as much as GALAXY QUEST, but more than EVENT HORIZON, a movie i watch ONLY for the visual effects.)

On the other hand, parts of TITANIC I've seen suffer from EXTREME stylization (the night stuff after the crash), like somebody was doing a Jim Cameron parody and turning up the blue even more than he usually does. The big ship departure part, while striking looking, had a painterly quality that did not convey verisimilitude for me personally.

[QUOTE=trevanianThe big ship departure part, while striking looking, had a painterly quality that did not convey verisimilitude for me personally.[/QUOTE]

And 10,000 bonus points to trevanian for trotting out the word versimilitude!

Personally, I liked the LIS movie, but then, never got into the original series in re-runs. It wasn't a great movie, but my friends and I enjoyed it.

I was no fan of the series, but I thought the movie at least handled the characters in a more mature fashion (if they'd stayed true to the series, you'd have had something like the BRADY BUNCH MOVIE in space, hopelessly out of date, anachronistic, even more unintentionally funny than the original series.

Actually, the thing I remember most from watching LIS (besides the cool ships and hardware) was what a great dad John Robinson was. He was tough but fair, he'd give you a lecture but still loved you anyway. Despite the cheesiness of the series(hey, it was the sixties!), the Robinson's always came off as a pretty great pioneer family, smart, resourcefull, loyal, and even religious(without being heavy handed about it). I think the mistake Newline made was thinking you couldn't make a movie about a family like that without it being "something like the BRADY BUNCH MOVIE in space, hopelessly out of date, anachronistic, even more unintentionally funny than the original series." William Hurt, who I usually like a lot, wasn't exactly magnetic. Ditto for Mimi Rogers, though she did nice things for the costumes. Surprisingly, I thought the kids were pretty good, albeit a little obnoxious. And my biggest dislike, the movie had none of the TV shows "pioneer spirit" or sense of discovery & exploration.

I don't think it captured any of the Magic that the series had. It seems the thing to do these days when comparing the first version of a Classic show to a remake is to bash the original.Using words like cheesy, Camp,cheap etc....When the original Lost in Space was made, it was made with the best of everything for it's time. Guy Williams was a Good Actor. Harris was a Good actor. The first season was first rate sci-fi adventure. In the film they changed too much. Although I like some of the designs like the ship, again the suits at HollyWood missed the point. The Jupiter Two was a saucer not a Millenium Falcon wannabe. Some of the effects in the original still stand up, The Jupiter Two's Crash landing for example. If they wanted a hit, they should have stayed closer to the original.

Watching the show as a kid I remember thinking of John Robinson as a real hero figure. No matter what trouble Will and Smith got into I always felt that as soon as "dad" found about it he would get them out of it and everything would be ok. Hey, come to think of it, I thought the same about my dad. No wonder I loved the show so much.

I enjoyed the movie and can still watch it and enjoy it (just don't go out of my way for it). I remember being disappointed by the ending (speaking of cheesy!) where they fly through the planet. Up to that point, the story was pretty good and exciting.

I couldn't relate it much to the original. The attitudes were too obnoxious for me, overall. I didn't care for the hardware except for the Jupiter I which should have been their spaceship instead of that rounded creek bed pebble they wound up with.

The seriously evil Dr. Smith was great and his turning into a spider was cool, too.

Personally, I rather enjoyed it. I thought the FX were well done, except for the planet sets, which had the same problem as the series sets--they looked like sets. The ending was rather lame, as well. All in all, though, not nearly as bad as many feel, IMHO.

Chuck

The LIS movie suffered fom the WRONG CAST. Don, Penny and Dr. Smith were passible, but the rest were waaay off target. The interpersonal relationships weren't there and the chemestry was gone. The robot was reduced to an RC car, (or a Great Garloo if you like). The SPFX, and craft designs were boring and lame. The plot was really stupid, and about as unwatchable over time as "The Great Vegetable Rebellion"

Picking up after 30 years with the Original Jupiter 2, still on the Junk Yard Planet, but with a lot of modified gadgets keeping them alive, and they had discovered a way to get rid of the food blight might have been a better place to start. They might have discovered the remains of a crashed fuel barge and been able to refuel and were just about ready to lift off when new travellers/rescue folks showed up and after finding out how crappy things were on Earth, they all voted to go to Alpha Centauri. Just my $.02

Picking up after 30 years with the Original Jupiter 2, still on the Junk Yard Planet, but with a lot of modified gadgets keeping them alive, and they had discovered a way to get rid of the food blight might have been a better place to start. They might have discovered the remains of a crashed fuel barge and been able to refuel and were just about ready to lift off when new travellers/rescue folks showed up and after finding out how crappy things were on Earth, they all voted to go to Alpha Centauri. Just my $.02

THAT would have been a great storyline!

Although I don't share the critical view that some here have of the 1998 remake of Lost in Space and rather enjoyed it as others here did, at the same time I think that Y3A's sugestion could have given a fine movie.

Huzz

Funny that we're blasting the LIS movie given the spotty record (mostly bad mind you) of the Trek films. I actually enjoyed the movie, nothing extremely deep or thought provoking, but entertaining. They at least had the stones to try something different and considering the tongue-in-cheek background they had to work from, I don't think they did too bad with it.

Unfortunately, they never had a chance at bat again. Sometimes it's hard to find your "legs" with one film-look at the recent Star Wars trilogy. I'm sure Lost In Space would have gotten progressively better. Pehaps some of the pessimistic "armchair critics" should try their hands at filmmaking and show everybody else how it's done.

Pehaps some of the pessimistic "armchair critics" should try their hands at filmmaking and show everybody else how it's done.

Yeah! And those who complain of bad eggs should try their hand (cochlea?) at laying! :p

Pehaps some of the pessimistic "armchair critics" should try their hands at filmmaking and show everybody else how it's done.

Hey, you don't have to be Stanley Kubrick to know the LiS feature isn't firing on all thrusters.

Unfortunately, they never had a chance at bat.

When your movie costs north of $100 million one chance at bat is all you get (if you're lucky).

Pehaps some of the pessimistic "armchair critics" should try their hands at filmmaking and show everybody else how it's done.

God, how I hate that ridiculous cliche of an argument.

That's like telling somebody who buys a poorly made Chrylser that maybe they should try building their own car and show everybody else how it's done. If you don't like George Bush, maybe YOU should run for President. If you don't like CNN, start your own TV network. It's an infinitely pointless argument.

Every field of endeavour has professionals who are expected to perform to a standard which exceeds the capability of people who are not trained in that area of expertise. Professional movie makers are entitled to no more or no less consideration than any other professional. I built airplanes engines for many years...nobody every said, "Hey, you lost one but we'll let you find your legs and hope you get progressively better at it".

And if anybody disagrees with me they can start their own bulletin board and show everybody else how it's done :).

I hate that argument too. The answer is "No, I could not have made a better movie...but plenty of other filmmakers could have."

I liked a lot of the design and effects work in the LIS movie, the Jupiter 2 included--and I like the kit that was made of it. There was some great miniature work in the film and it had an interesting look, different than most of the other space movies I'd seen up until that time. I agree it was terribly miscast and the script was terrible though. But I think they faced an impossible task. Star Trek lasted as long as it did because it set up a "logical" future with some internal consistency, and you couldn't say that about Lost in Space. I love the original series as a children's show--it had charming characters and a great Sixties look. But its science and plotting and its entire sensibility was tied to the fantasy world of Sixties TV where you accepted all sorts of outlandish ideas that make no sense today.

I think they faced an impossible task.
SNIP
...its science and plotting and its entire sensibility was tied to the fantasy world of Sixties TV where you accepted all sorts of outlandish ideas that make no sense today.

Yes and no. The general premise of the original series (a family of pioneering space travelers struggling to find their way back home) is as sound today as it was in the 60’s. Unfortunately for the feature film, that premise was poorly executed.

As much as I loved the series when I was a kid, the appeal is now purely one of nostalgia. Most of the episodes are dreadfully written and somewhat painful to watch in their entirety -- at least, to me they are.

I dunno. I still think it was a fun movie. Yeah, it had some dark elements and wasn't Yer Daddy's Space Family Robinson, but I really liked this different take on the characters and the plot wasn't so bad, IMO. I can handle the suspension of belief w/the Time Travel thing and was looking forward to seeing how it might be handled in a sequel. My only major beef is the whole contrived "we have to fly thru the planet to break orbit" BS. Oy! :rolleyes:

I'm sure a better story line could have been created, and a good script from that, and then the shooting script from that.

As far as cast:

Judy - the woman who played "Ellie Mae" in the Beverly Hillbillies" remake
Will - either the kid from AI, or Bill Mumy's own kid
John Robinson - Stephen Segal or Bruce Boxlitner
Maureen Robinson - Suzy Plaxon??

Using the original hardware would have kept development costs down so the sets and SPFX should have cost less.
The story should have been more of a personal drama insted of a SPFX fest.
The dramatic scene of a correctly built 60 foot Jupiter 2 sitting on it's gear, or even partly hidden by a pile of rubble as it skidded in from the original bad landing would have been enough to cause applause from the audience. Maybe even someone like Ian McKellar could have done a good job as the Dr. Smith chartacter?

I find myself in the position of agreeing with most everyone here. Just being analytical about the movie, I offer these comments.

Were parts of the movie well done? Yes.
Were parts of the movie poorly done? Yes.
Could it have been better? Yes.
Should it have been better? Yes.

The problem comes when one must make the emotional assessment "did you like the movie?"

For me and some others, we can say "sure I liked it despits its flaws. I would prefer it had been better but I enjoyed the film anyway".

For others, their view is different. They didn't like it for their own quite valid reasons.

And that's simply the way it is!

Huzz

John Robinson - Stephen Segal or Bruce Boxlitner


You just lost my ticket money. :o

I dunno. I still think it was a fun movie. Yeah, it had some dark elements and wasn't Yer Daddy's Space Family Robinson, but I really liked this different take on the characters and the plot wasn't so bad, IMO. I can handle the suspension of belief w/the Time Travel thing and was looking forward to seeing how it might be handled in a sequel. My only major beef is the whole contrived "we have to fly thru the planet to break orbit" BS. Oy! :rolleyes:

That's about where I stand with the movie. I like well done time-travel stories and that one was pretty darned good and exciting. It was just the ridiculous flying through the planet that disappointed me, storywise.

You just lost my ticket money. :o

Yes, replacing William Hurt with the clearly superior acting talents of Steven Segal would improve any movie. Man, imagine what Segal could have done with "Body Heat"! :tongue:

Yes, replacing William Hurt with the clearly superior acting talents of Steven Segal would improve any movie. Man, imagine what Segal could have done with "Body Heat"! :tongue:

Yeah, and if Segal had starred in Altered States, he could have punched down the walls when he transformed at the end. Instead of just hitting them repeatedly like that wuss Bill Hurt.

My problems with the film stemmed from two sources:

Both John Hurt's and Jared Harris' sleepwalking thru their parts.

John Hurt has one performance in him and he did it to perfection in "the big chill" but he keeps repeating that sleepy half-stoned delivery.

Jared Harris. who? If you're going to introduce a new character in the last half hour of the movie, would it hurt to go with somebody a little more likeable/recognizable?

Secondly, the film was a big loser in the old style vs. subtance war. The designs were artsy for the sake of artsy. If you are trying to tell a story where the Earth is in dire need and resources are running out and all..Why would you send one family out in this 4 story behemoth? I like the design from the outside (although I would have like to see the chase lights in the circular bit on the bottom. Just an homage to the original J2), but if this was just "the family camper" I would love to see what they considered big. You need to see cramped, tiny spaces if you are trying to express that these kids were in any hardship.. You know like actual pioneers..come on..an entire medical bay for 6 people? for a flight they would sleep thru?

I've often thought there should be a person on the set of every motion picture who's job it is to be the logic police. Of course, there probably is but they're overruled by everybody

My problems with the film stemmed from two sources:

Both John Hurt's and Jared Harris' sleepwalking thru their parts.

John Hurt has one performance in him and he did it to perfection in "the big chill" but he keeps repeating that sleepy half-stoned delivery.



John Hurt is the chestbuster victim in Alien. William Hurt is the guy in Big Chill and LIS. It used to be really confusing in the eighties, when they and John Heard were all starring in movies.

My problems with the film stemmed from two sources:

Both John Hurt's and Jared Harris' sleepwalking thru their parts.

John Hurt has one performance in him and he did it to perfection in "the big chill" but he keeps repeating that sleepy half-stoned delivery.

Jared Harris. who? If you're going to introduce a new character in the last half hour of the movie, would it hurt to go with somebody a little more likeable/recognizable?

Secondly, the film was a big loser in the old style vs. subtance war. The designs were artsy for the sake of artsy. If you are trying to tell a story where the Earth is in dire need and resources are running out and all..Why would you send one family out in this 4 story behemoth? I like the design from the outside (although I would have like to see the chase lights in the circular bit on the bottom. Just an homage to the original J2), but if this was just "the family camper" I would love to see what they considered big. You need to see cramped, tiny spaces if you are trying to express that these kids were in any hardship.. You know like actual pioneers..come on..an entire medical bay for 6 people? for a flight they would sleep thru?
Because they were going to be the only "colonists" on the planet and likely would need to us the ship as a more permanent living space. You need room to spread out a bit, after all, and if you've got the resources to do it, why not? The reason a lot of early American Pioneers didn't have huge homes and such was because of materiel and time limitations. They didn't always have the time to make a huge-emongous house or there just weren't enough trees around to do so. Necessity often rules that you can only make what you've got to have, not what you'd like to have. That's especially true of any long-distance survival situation where you likely won't have anything other than raw materials to patch your ships hull, for instance, or where you might need room to build some hydroponics bays, etc....
I've often thought there should be a person on the set of every motion picture who's job it is to be the logic police. Of course, there probably is but they're overruled by everybody
Nah, they're not overruled by everyone - just the suits from the studio. I definitely agree, tho. That's always been my biggest complaint about Star Trek - some of the "science" they've thrown out there has been only for the sake of the story and doesn't pass the common-sense test. On the LIS movie, someone should've kicked the studio dude/ette in The Jimmy, smacked the director upside the back of the head and said "Hey! Go take a phsyics course and then come back and tell me how much sense it makes for the J2 to fly thru the frikkin' planet so it can break orbit. I know it looks kewel, but it's stupid!"