Lost in Space - Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Based on the 1960s TV series of the same name (which itself is an updated version of The Swiss Family Robinson), Lost in Space is set in the year 2058, as the collapse of the Earth is imminent. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. John Robinson (William Hurt), scientist extraordinaire, is tasked with completing construction on a device used for instantaneous hyperspace travel to another planet, which will be the new home for humanity. Along for the adventure are his wife, Maureen (Mimi Rogers), son Will (Jack Johnson), daughters Judy and Penny (Heather Graham and Lacey Chabert), and cocky, ace combat pilot Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc).

Unbeknownst to them, also along for the ride is the cackling, mustache-twirlingly evil Doctor Smith (Gary Oldman), a spy for a group of mutated seditionists. Their ship is hijacked, and their robot is reprogrammed to kill the entire family while they slumber in hypersleep for the decades-long journey ahead of them. After a long, sustained action sequence, the family Robinson regains control of the ship, only to find themselves somewhere in the far reaches of the galaxy. For they are, you see… lost… in space.

During this time, the cast of the enormously popular TV show Friends had been cast in movies where they would play a rough approximation of their character, on the big screen, in their own vehicle. Matthew Perry played a version of Chandler in Fools Rush In. Jennifer Aniston was basically Rachel in Office Space. Lisa Kudrow was more or less Phoebe in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. Courtney Cox, to her credit, never really played a version of Monica on the big screen, she went against type as often as she could. David Schwimmer was basically Ross 2.0 with Gwyneth Paltrow in The Pallbearer. Within the Friends universe, Lost in Space feels like a movie that Joey Tribbiani would have starred in, and it would have been his big break.

To that end, it never really feels like a complete movie. It feels like the starting point for many good-to-great ideas that sometimes shine brightly, and sometimes fizzle out like a dying star. Stephen Hopkins, a director I’ve always been fond of, keeps the action moving quickly so the audience never has a chance to be bored. The look of the film is surprisingly ahead of its time in its aesthetic. It’s just ahead of the curve on a number of movies the internet brands as “Y2K Futurist” like The Matrix, in its time-slowed slow-mo sequence that feels like a precursor to bullet-time, and its sleek, modern set design would later be perfected by Minority Report.

The biggest issue with the film is in its screenplay, by Akiva Goldman. Surely, no one is watching Lost in Space for award-winning dialogue, but the dialogue here is especially bad. Gary Oldman, as the villain, is wasted, and spends the majority of the film’s run time off-screen, only to appear briefly and grumble a wicked line about how evil he is, under his breath. It’s a sin to waste a scenery-chewing opportunity from Gary Oldman.

Still, gripes aside, Lost in Space is a fun flick, despite its stumbles and fumbles.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Lost in Space finds its way home from Arrow Video in a single-disc release in a standard case with reversible cover art and slip featuring newly commissioned artwork from Pye Parr. Inside the case is a collector's booklet featuring new writing by critic Neil Sinyard, articles from American Cinematographer, and an excerpt from the original production notes.

While some of the CGI in Lost in Space has not aged well, through a lot of it, I was reminded of a video game of its era—even some of the effects of objects shattering break into polygon-shaped pieces. And some of the action setpieces, especially the holographic interface for the robot blasting an endless wave of bug after bug, looks like it was designed with a video game adaptation in mind. It’s a shame this nonexistent game never saw the light of day.

For physical application on the film’s aesthetic, I have zero complaints. I think it looks terrific, particularly Norman Garwood’s production design and Peter Levy’s cinematography. The film looks sleek in its presentation for this disc’s release, scanned in 4K from its original negative and graded in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). A slight layer of film grain is present, maintaining a lovely, filmic look. The colors are highly stylized and border on oversaturation, but it works well in shots that balance a number of extreme primary colors: Red, yellows, and blues all in perfect balance with each other. The biggest boost from the HDR grading is in the black levels, which look amazing in the film’s various lowlight segments.

Oh, the pain! The pain of it all! For the most part, Lost in Space has terrific sound design, and whether you’re listening to the 5.1 surround mix encoded in DTS-HD MA or the LPCM stereo mix, you’re in for a treat. If I do have a complaint, however (and I do), it’s with the surround mix. While the overall mix is busy and robust with effects, and rear speakers see constant activity with ambient effects, musical score, and bombastic fury, the dialogue level is mixed a little low. If you have a 5.1 setup, you may need to put the center channel up a couple of clicks. If you’re using a two-channel soundbar or your TV’s speakers, it may be best to use the stereo option.

Arrow has gone all out on its curation of supplemental features for Lost in Space, which dive into the film’s production history and how it refined its aesthetic, with numerous interviews from the crew.

• Audio Commentary - Director Stephen Hopkins and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman
• Audio Commentary - Visual effects supervisors Angus Bickerton and Lauren Ritchie, director of photography Peter Levy, editor Ray Lovejoy, and producer Carla Fry
• A Space Odyssey (HD 20:58) - Newly filmed interview with director Stephen Hopkins
• Lights in the Sky (HD 17:27) - Newly filmed interview with director of photography Peter Levy
• A Journey Through Time (HD 17:56) - Newly filmed interview with producer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman
• Art of Space (HD 32:17) - Newly filmed interview with supervising art director Keith Pain
• Crafting Reality (HD 6:54) - Newly filmed interview with Kenny Wilson, former mould shop supervisor at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
• Sound in Space (HD 9:20) - Newly filmed interview with sound mixer Simon Kaye and re-recording mixer Robin O'Donohue
• Lost But Not Forgotten in Space (HD 18: 32) - New video essay by film critic Matt Donato
• Building the Special Effects (SD 15:55) - Archival featurette with visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton and animatics supervisor Mac Wilson
• The Future of Space Travel (SD 9:47) - Archival featurette exploring the film's vision of the future
• TV Years (SD 7:34) - Q&A with the original cast of the TV series
• Deleted Scenes (SD 11:47)
• Bloopers (SD 2:44)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Image Galleries

While not an entirely successful outing, there’s a lot to admire about Lost in Space. It’s more of an ambitious mess than an outright failure, and it’s a shame that the movie wasn’t a bigger success, because Matt LeBlanc does show himself as a capable action star. Arrow’s release looks great, while the surround sound option is a bit overpowering of the dialogue. Boasting a wealth of special features that dive into its production history, Lost in Space is Recommended.