Lost in Space

Details

The Robinson family are chosen to embark on a deep space mission to prepare a new world, Alpha Prime, for human colonisation. With Earth on the brink of collapse, the success of their mission is critical. However, not everyone is keen to see them succeed and several attempts are made to sabotage the launch.

When those attempts fail, it falls to an insider - Dr. Zachary Smith - to carry out the job. He reprogrammes the ship's robot to destroy the crew while they are in cryostasis. Unfortunately for Smith, things don't quite go to plan and he ends up stranded on the ship along with the very people he was supposed to eliminate.

With the robot on a rampage and the navigation system destroyed, the mission quickly spirals out of control. The crew are forced to awaken early to find themselves drifting helplessly through space and on a collision course with the sun. With no safe alternatives, they engage the hyperdrive blindly - with consequences that send them hurtling into the unknown.

Picture & Sound

The picture quality is impressive for an early DVD release, offering rich and vibrant colours throughout. The image is generally sharp, although this does occasionally highlight the limitations of the CGI effects. One particular computer-generated character stands out for all the wrong reasons - and not in a good way.

The sound is exactly what you would expect from a big-budget sci-fi film. Dialogue is clear and firmly anchored in the centre channel, even if some of the accents are occasionally questionable. The surround channels are used effectively throughout, particularly during the action sequences where they really come into their own.

Menu & Extras

The menu system is cleverly animated and was quite advanced for its time, being one of the earlier DVDs to feature dynamic menus. It's a shame that the Region 2 version didn't receive the same treatment, as the film itself certainly needs all the help it can get.

Overall

Overall, the film is... well... not great. Matt LeBlanc never really escapes his Friends persona and it's almost impossible not to see Joey Tribbiani every time he appears on screen. At any moment you expect him to turn to Heather Graham and deliver a "How you doin'?" instead of saving the mission.

That said, Heather Graham does at least provide some welcome screen presence and manages to lift certain scenes, even if her efforts are largely undone by the rest of the cast and the rather uneven script. Gary Oldman at least seems to be enjoying himself, even if the film around him isn't quite sure what it wants to be.

Criticisms aside, there is one area where this disc excels - the extras. If ever a film needed a strong set of bonus features to justify a purchase, this is it, and thankfully it delivers in abundance. It's just a pity the film itself couldn't match the effort.

Special features

• Deleted Scenes
• Two audio commentaries - Director and Writer + Visual Effects Supervisors, Director of Photography, Editor and Producer
• Building the Special Effects Featurette
• The Future of Space Travel Featurette
• The Television Years Featuring Synopses of all the Original Episodes and Interviews with the Original Cast Members
• Production Designs
• Apollo Four Forty Music Video
• Theatrical Trailer
• Biographies and Filmographies of Current and Original Cast Members
• Trivia Game that Unlocks Some Secrets
• DVD-ROM content