LOST IN SPACE (1998) * I liked the tv series, even as an adult, but I don't like this. I guess they share in some way a stupidity, but the tv one is way more appealing. This tries too hard to mimic too much that came between; Matt LeBlanc's early attempt at a Harrison Ford-style delivery perfectly sets the stage for a performance in which he convinces beyond any doubt that no one should ever consider casting him as any kind of hero, ever again. Weight-lifting librarian or accountant, maybe, so long as he lives with his mom and fears the impurities in yogurt. His romantic stuff with Heather Graham is unbearable, even though you know the stupid scriptwriters are going to do it: Just awful, but unfortunately doesn't stand out as that much worse than any of the rest of it. It's also never been so obvious so early that the writers aren't going to be able to handle the hefty load of time travel. I'm surprised that Gary Oldman couldn't do more with the villain, but maybe he took a look around and figured he'd better play down to the league. Lacey Chabert didn't, she's actually pretty good, even though she doesn't get enough screen time as a nutty (normal) teenager to even begin to save anything. It's just a film with a cool borrowed premise, a decent budget to make cool looking sets (though they couldn't think of much original to do) and effects (one cool one), recognizable actors...most threatening of all they leave the path to a sequel very, very clear. We've made some mistakes as a culture, but thank goodness we didn't fall for that one.
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