Those of you in their thirties and forties may remember a kiddy science-fiction quaint series where a family gets lost in time and space in a white-water river ride. It's called the Land of the Lost and it's most famous creatures are the Sleestak - bug-eyed lizard men with low intelligence except for one or two who can speak English. That was in 1974 when the series started and it was how many young fans of dinosaurs were led to being palaeontologists.

Land of the Lost got a reboot in 1991. It was less fantasy-like than the original series, using outdoor shoots instead of specially-crafted studio sets and stop-motion photography. The Sleestak were made more lizard-like by giving them long snouts, and while the dinosaurs were computer-generated, they were somehow less believable. The characters also had a jeep which they used to ride in, but the landscape looked no different than that of an average national park.

Director Brad Silberling's movie version is obviously a spoof of the original series and it's quite obvious in the movie trailer. Thus, while retaining much of the imagery and premises of the old one - like the presence of a pesky T-rex and little ape men - it is never serious, especially with Will Ferrell in the lead role. In a way, it's a toast to the original scriptwriters, set designers and directors of the original. Old fans will want to watch this movie and relive their childhood. It's really made for them as an audience in mind, but some fans might not like it at all with it's adult humor. In one scene in the preview, actress Anna Friel is groped by costars as she introduces herself to the ape man Chaka.

So, Land of the Lost 2009 is not really for kids like the original but it will certainly make for great sales of dinosaur movie props and memorabilia.