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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 2.35:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer (RSDL 94:22)
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • English: Dolby Digital Surround
  • English: MPEG Surround
  Subtitles
  • None
  Extras
  • 9 Deleted scenes
  • Theatrical trailer
  • 2 Audio commentary - 1. Director Stephen Hopkins and Writer Akiva Goldsman - 2. Misc Techincal crew.
  • Cast/crew biographies
  • Animated menus - semi-animated
  • Music video
  • Interviews

Lost In Space

Roadshow Entertainment/Roadshow Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 125 mins . MA15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Lost in Space, the TV show with the bumbling Dr Smith and the classis "Warning, Warning" call from Robot, has now become a blockbuster movie. Not that I recall it busting many blocks in it's theatrical release. :)

This movie version of the show takes on a more dramatic role than fans were used to, mixed in with a 90's teenage attitude and boasting the most special effects scenes in history. (Ed: Star Wars Episode 1 was still a year away and would more than double the record on it's release).

The story begins with Earth's health and resources in a state of disarray so it is up to Professor John Robinson and his family to travel to Alpha Prime and colonise it in the hope of saving Earth and it's people. But, Doctor Smith has found his way on board and has reprogrammed Robot to kill the Robinson family. In the action that ensues, the family ends up in hyperdrive and Lost In Space.

From here we realise that they are not only lost in space, but also lost in time.

  Video
Contract

The video quality is probably the best you will see coming out of Village Roadshow at the moment. This is one sexy looking picture. Right from the outset we are treated to a visually stunning space battle that is filled with detail, colour and the blackness of space.

What really hits you with this picture is the sharpness and the detail in every section of the screen. I've seen bits and peaces of the region one disk and this is comparable, if not slightly better. There are no artifacts of any sort that I could find, but there is slight aliasing particularly in some scenes that show the grilled floor of the Jupiter 2.

Overall, I couldn't faulter the picture and consider it one of the best around.

  Audio
Contract

This soundtrack rocks. There is so much going on around you in every possible corner of the room, that it amazes me at the amount of work involved in creating this kind of experience. On my second viewing, I closed my eyes for a few scenes and I could picture what was on the screen with very little effort due to how discriptive the audio was. It's only when you open your eyes that the audio faulters. Two words, audio synch.

I hate to admit this, but this disc suffers from major audio synch. Not major as it's way out of synch, just that it's almost always slightly out of synch. This is most noticable in the first few chapters and also becomes very apparent mid way through the second half of the movie. I also noticed it when listening to the audio commentary tracks at the points where the audio returns to the movie for a moment.

Other than that, this would have been one great soundtrack.

  Extras
Contract

This disc has a whole swag of extras, the most for a Village Roadshow disc to date. Here's what you get:

  • Theatrical Trailer
    We get an anamorphic 5.0 trailer which looks pretty damn good.
  • Feature: Film Special Effects
    A 16 minute, 6 chapter look at the 700 plus special effects in the movie, and how they were created.
  • Feature: Future Space Travel
    A 10 minute, 3 chapter look at what scientists think about future space travel and how it is dipicted in the movie.
  • 9 Deleted Scenes
    These scenes are not final and it shows. They come with a brief intro as to where they fit into the movie.
  • Music Videos
    The band "Apollo Four Fourty" and a rock version of the Lost In Space theme song. - thanks for the clarification Scott.
  • Interviews
    Short interviews with Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt Le Blanc, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert, Jack Johnson, Stephen Hopkins & Akiva Goldsman.
  • Cast and Crew Biographies
    Brief one page bios.
  • Director's Commentary
    An insightful look from the director's perspective that sheds a lot of light during some interesting scenes.
  • Technical Commentary
    A look from the technical perspective of the movie with key special effects scenes described in all their technical detail by the respective effects person. Some commentary is pretty much a double up of what has already been explained in the 'Film Special Effects' section, particularly about lighting objects within CGI.

  Overall  
Contract

Lost In Space is a descent movie, although somewhat lacking in plot. It's characters have some depth but it seems that it's another case of look after the special effects rather than the movie itself. Grap you're pop corn, turn off your brain, pump up the volume, sit back and enjoy the ride.


  • LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=117
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      And I quote...
    ""
    - Steve Koukoulas
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Pioneer DV-505 Gold
    • TV:
          Hitachi CMT2979 68cm
    • Amplifier:
          Yamaha DSP-A1
    • Speakers:
          Peterson Labs 100Watts
    • Centre Speaker:
          Sherwood SC-60E
    • Surrounds:
          Sherwood LS-502
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
      Recent Reviews:
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