LAND OF THE LOST

LAND OF THE LOST (2009). Director: Brad Silberling.

Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) and colleagues wind up in another dimension where prehistoric animals roam and there are bad-tempered savages to boot. This is a grossed-up comedy version of a TV series but it is strictly for the mediocre Ferrell's two or three remaining fans. Great seamless FX work -- including a sensational T-Rex -- and some stunning scenic design are wasted on a silly, sporadically amusing time-waster. Matt Lauer has an amusing cameo as himself, and Jorma Taccone makes an impression as the other-dimensional Chaka. The screenplay is so bad that there are not one but two jokes about gays and show tunes! And if you're making a comedy, is it necessary for some poor snack bar guy to get his arm torn off?

Verdict: Watch the dinosaurs and fast-forward past everything else. *1/2.