Look what I found: Robinsons: Lost in Space(2004)

[Brent]

I loved the 1998 movie btw

Well it's about time. And here I thought I was the only one. Even my best friend, who is a die-hard fanatic of the 1965 series, doesn't think much of the movie.

I bought the DVD after it came out, and I've watched it several times since I've owned it.

 

[Trent Roman]

I suppose I'm half-and-half: I quite enjoy Lost in Space, in large part because I think it's not much of a movie so much as an amusement park ride. To me, it's what a B movie would do if it actually had a budget. I love how they manage to cram every science-fiction trope--from space fighter craft to rampaging robots to alien spiders to time travel--into a single feature, just seamlessly cascading from one to the other as soon as the pace begins to slacken. It's a film that's almost all thrill with next to no technique.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Noname Given]

This pilot was pretty weak. On the other hand, the rejected Time Tunnel remake pilot which was also on YouTube a while back had a lot of promise, and I wish that one had gone to series.

And lastly, I guess John Woo's worst work wasn't the Hulk.

John Woo never did anything involving the Hulk. Are you thinking of Ang Lee?

Yep - you're correct, I had a brain fart there and confused John Woo wth Ang Lee. My bad.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I've yet to see this but loved the 1998 movie for it's cheesiness and one of my favorite bits of dialogue delivery "This cold war, just got hot!". It's a guilty pleasure movie.

 

[RAMA]

Story wise the issues I have are:

1) They send a colony ship out with no protection (and sorry if Don West's fighter squad was there for escort; WHY werent they escorting?!

2) The Captain of the Colony ship waits AN HOUR before calling John Robinson - and doesn't think to look out the window himself?!

The worst episodes of the original LIS had better writing then this garbage. That this script got funded and produced to the tune of 2 million is amazing. I guess someone was looking for a mjor writeoff on their taxes. And lastly, I guess John Woo's worst work wasn't the Hulk.

1) All they had were fighters, they were probably short range, why would they be wasting their fuel flying a CAP when they didnt think there was immediate danger?

 

[RJDiogenes]

Ah, yes, nuLIS. I saw this a while back. The Robinsons go D&G. They added a war, militarized the characters, made everybody immature and stupid, threw in lots o' shit blowin' up-- they even added an additional Robinson offspring just so they could kill him off. It was completely retarded. I'm surprised it wasn't a huge hit.

I'm still holding out hope for a proper LiS series though. The idea of a family of explorers being stranded on the other side of the universe, completely cut off from home (with nothing but a kid's cool robot for backup), is about as compelling as it gets I think.

It's a shame no one's really been able to do that idea justice yet.

As much as I enjoyed the original show when I was a kid, I often wish that the entire series had maintained the feel of the first five or six episodes (which were an expansion of the original pilot). That story of this family trying to survive in a hostile and mysterious alien environment combined both the immediate intimacy of Humans in peril and the sense of wonder of real science fiction. It was a really good story.

 

[Roshi]

Wasn't the Robinsons once attacked by a giant space carrot?

 

[Christopher]

As much as I enjoyed the original show when I was a kid, I often wish that the entire series had maintained the feel of the first five or six episodes (which were an expansion of the original pilot). That story of this family trying to survive in a hostile and mysterious alien environment combined both the immediate intimacy of Humans in peril and the sense of wonder of real science fiction. It was a really good story.

I agree, that was the series at its best. Dr. Smith was a better character then too. He was essentially Iago from Othello, but with the one redeeming quality that he had a soft spot for those who could provide him with intelligent companionship; he initially tried to kill the Robinsons but then turned around and saved them when he realized he didn't want to be stuck with only the Robot for company.

There was a Lost in Space comic book that ran for a couple of years in the '90s, mostly written by Bill Mumy, which was a pretty good example of what LiS would've been like if the whole series had been in the vein of the early first season. It was cancelled in the middle of its second year (a 12-issue arc by Mumy), but a few years ago there was a TPB collecting and completing that entire arc.

 

[davejames]

As much as I enjoyed the original show when I was a kid, I often wish that the entire series had maintained the feel of the first five or six episodes (which were an expansion of the original pilot). That story of this family trying to survive in a hostile and mysterious alien environment combined both the immediate intimacy of Humans in peril and the sense of wonder of real science fiction. It was a really good story.

Agreed. And the show also looked lightyears better in black and white too. Even if you didn't have that crappy writing later on, the garish color still would have made everything look a lot more cheap and ridiculous.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I loved the 1998 movie btw

Well it's about time. And here I thought I was the only one. Even my best friend, who is a die-hard fanatic of the 1965 series, doesn't think much of the movie.

I liked it quite a bit too, but I was never a big fan of the original. It's absolutely true that the movie is a lot smarter than the TV series, but that is not to say that the movie is smart. I got it on DVD a few years ago and must admit that the CG effects have held up...terribly.

I'm still holding out hope for a proper LiS series though. The idea of a family of explorers being stranded on the other side of the universe, completely cut off from home (with nothing but a kid's cool robot for backup), is about as compelling as it gets I think.

As an ongoing premise it runs out of room pretty quickly for anything other than really creepy porn - so, a natural for fanfic.

 

[RAMA]

I loved the 1998 movie btw

Well it's about time. And here I thought I was the only one. Even my best friend, who is a die-hard fanatic of the 1965 series, doesn't think much of the movie.

I liked it quite a bit too, but I was never a big fan of the original. It's absolutely true that the movie is a lot smarter than the TV series, but that is not to say that the movie is smart. I got it on DVD a few years ago and must admit that the CG effects have held up...terribly.

I'm still holding out hope for a proper LiS series though. The idea of a family of explorers being stranded on the other side of the universe, completely cut off from home (with nothing but a kid's cool robot for backup), is about as compelling as it gets I think.

As an ongoing premise it runs out of room pretty quickly for anything other than really creepy porn - so, a natural for fanfic.

I think they're uneven...but in terms of CGI tech, 1998 was only 5 years after Jurassic Park! In any other point in movie history, the technology did not move that fast...it even took 16 years to go from motion control to CGI dinos.

RAMA

 

[Agent Richard07]

Leaving out Dr. Smith seemed like a bad move, unless they planned to bring him in later.

The actress playing the daughter (Adrianne Palicki) was cute though, that was the only good part

I thought I recognized her, but couldn't place her. She looked quite different.

 

[Christopher]

Leaving out Dr. Smith seemed like a bad move, unless they planned to bring him in later.

Probably their thinking was that Dr. Smith was a campy, comical character and they wanted to avoid such things. A lot of people don't realize what a serious, cunning character he originally was.

 

[Aeon]

That was just... bad.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I remember the script being a lot better than this garbage. I guess they must have made some changes before shooting. Thank Rao this wasn't picked up.

 

[Galileo7]

A lot of people don't realize what a serious, cunning character he originally was.

Agree, the Dr. Smith character was best in the early black&white episodes of the first season of the original Lost In Space television series 1965-68.

 

[SpaceLover65]

I must be different from everyone else...or saw the wrong pilot! LOL!

I actually LOVED the idea of the 2004 Pilot: The Robinson's - Lost In Space.

What did I love? Practically everything about it. I was a HUGE fan of the original growing up. It was wacky and at times korny. But it was one of my all time favorite shows...an still it.

I liked that the 2004 version was so different from the original. First thing different...this series was going to more serious. Kind of like how the first season of the original show.

I liked how they shook things up by making John Robinson a Colonel in the military...and that he had saved the Earth from aliens 15 years before. I liked how Maureen was shown actually being a doctor and is seen giving inoculations. I loved the idea of adding a new character, David, the teenage son of the Robinsons. David is just this normal teen boy, who can't relate to his military father who is worshipped by the masses. Not only that but he has a brainy genius ten year old brother, Will (although Will and David get along fine.) Judy is also a teen and she's upset about leaving Earth and a bit boy-crazy. (I've wondered if David and Judy aren't fraternal twins due to being so close to the same age.) I like that Judy snuck out of the house before they left Earth and went to a party and hooked up with Pilot Don West, who didn't know she was his revered idol, Coronel John Robinson's daughter. I thought it amusing when Don discovered that Judy was John's daughter...and got scared witless...then he tells Judy that he can's see her anymore! Of course the two were thrown together in the Jupiter II, in order to escape the aliens. I also thought it a wonderful idea to make Penny an infant. What a surprise to know that Will actually has a baby sister.

I've read many argue that it was stupid to bring a baby into outer space...where evil reptile like aliens run about. However, the aliens had been defeated over 15 years ago...and hadn't been seen or heard from since. The space travel to the planet Nova was expected to be quite calm and peaceful. John was moving to Nova with his family so he could retire and spend some peaceful and much needed time with his family. People don't move somewhere and just leave their infant baby behind.

Okay...the lack of weapons. I don't know if the Jupiter II Pod had weapons or not. But the Space Station Jupiter, which they were aboard did not. Why? Because it was an unarmed station set on a peaceful mission....to relocate Earth colonist to a new planet. When I travel out of town...I know that there's always the possibility that I could come across somebody dangerous...but I don't pack a gun or a rifle for the trip. I assume if I'm careful...stay on the right course...and not do foolish things that I'll make it to my destination safe and sound. This is what the Jupiter Space Station thought. They did have a few military personnel onboard just in case. That's why Don West was aboard, along with his regiments. However, the aliens surprised everyone by showing up when least expected.

Anyway, I have to admit. I liked the pilot. I liked the plot, the characters...the entire idea. There was so much to explore in this pilot....including outer space, the universe...and family issues. I for one would have loved this pilot...and it would have become one of my favorite tv shows.

 

[SpaceLover65]

Dr. Smith was an interesting character. I liked him despite that he was campy and always doing the wrong thing. However, the character of Dr. Smith took over the entire show. The show was supposed to be "Lost In Space", not "The Dr. Smith Show." Guy Williams and June Lockheart were extremely disappointed in how the show turned out. They were meant to be main characters, however they were overshadowed by Dr. Smith and quickly became secondary characters. The entire show ended up revolving around Dr. Smith, the Robot, and Will. I don't think that the 2004 version of Lost In Space needed a Dr. Smith. There were just so many other possibilities to explore besides a one-sided view of Dr. Smith. Maureen was a very competent doctor in the 2004 version. So why need a Dr. Smith. I loved Dr. Smith, but was very happy he wasn't a character for the 2004 version. The Robot, was going to become a main character. As time went by, the robot would have resembled more of a human than a robot...I guess more like an android. But this interesting fact was never made known since the pilot did not sell.

 

[RAMA]

Wow, people keep finding this thing...

RAMA

 

[DarthTom]

Probably their thinking was that Dr. Smith was a campy, comical character and they wanted to avoid such things. A lot of people don't realize what a serious, cunning character he originally was.

I think Gary Oldman fused the seriousness and cunning of Smith with the humor his character portrayed in the original series very well in the film.