Lost in Space

"Danger, danger, Will Robinson!" At the age of 12, I sprawled in front of the TV every week, loaded up with milk and cookies, to watch the exploits of the Space Family Robinson. Thirty years later, I squeezed into a multiplex, loaded up with water and a small popcorn (no butter, no salt), and saw My Favorite TV Show turned into--and, yes, I say this with no irony--utter tripe. The original Robinson family, though they had their share of problems (uninvited aliens, as I recall), were basically we-can-work-it-out types; the new Robinson's are a bunch of dysfunctional dorks. See William Hurt (Dad) work too much, at the expense of family relationships! Marvel at Mimi Rogers' (Mom) frigid, strikingly non-maternal performance! Listen to the kids whine about fighting parents, and the hassles of moving to a new galaxy! Here, the special effects take center stage, as the episodic plot moves the cardboard Robinson family from one crisis to the next. Even Gary Oldman, as the villainous stowaway Dr. Zachary Smith, can't lift this marooned mission beyond pedestrian space opera. Very optional. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 14, 2010—New Line, 130 min., PG-13, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1998's Lost in Space boasts a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include two audio commentaries (the first by director Stephen Hopkins and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman; the second with visual effects supervisors Angus Bickerton and Lauren Ritchie, cinematographer Peter Levy, editor Ray Lovejoy, and producer Carla Fry), a “Building the Special Effects” production featurette (16 min.), deleted scenes (12 min.), “The Future of Space Travel” behind-the-scenes featurette (10 min.), a Q&A with cast members from the original TV series including June Lockhart, Angela Cartwright, and Marta Kristen (8 min.), the “Lost in Space” music video by Apollo Four Forty, and trailers. Bottom line: a sharp-looking Blu-ray debut for a so-so film.]