This “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow Video is now available for purchase.
As we all know, many of the hit studio pictures of the 1980s and early 1990s were action and/or adventure films with massive budgets. By the mid-90s, disaster movies and science-fiction tales were also making a comeback with titles like Independence Day (1996), The Fifth Element (1997), Men in Black (1997), as well as the big-budget feature Starship Troopers (1997), which initially underperformed at the box office but became a massive cult hit.
Just about every studio wanted in on the action, including New Line Cinema, a smaller studio who had recently been absorbed into Time Warner Entertainment. They attempted to make inroads into blockbuster territory and gave it their best shot with the science-fiction epic, Lost in Space.
This picture was based on the popular 1960s TV series that was created with a Swiss Family Robinson-in-space storyline. With a huge cast and significant budget, the movie was poised for success, but didn’t quite land during its original release. Reviews were middling and audiences didn’t turn up in numbers large enough to warrant a sequel. However, the movie made a big impression on DVD and Blu-ray, building a bigger and bigger following as the years went by.
Now, Arrow Video is presenting a 4K Ultra HD “Limited Edition” of the popular title, which boasts significantly improved picture quality and a treasure trove of bonuses both new and old. The original camera negative was scanned at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging in 4K and is presented in Dolby Vision, and approved by director Stephen Hopkins. This impressive edition will definitely please anyone who enjoys the movie and it may even win over a few more converts who missed the feature some 27 years ago.
The year is 2058, and pollution and the destruction of the ozone layer are about to make the Earth completely uninhabitable. After the discovery of a planet that may be similar to our own, workaholic professor John Robinson (William Hurt) agrees to a space mission to visit the site and set up a “Hypergate” so others from home can quickly travel there. His conditions for going are that his family must accompany him, so his wife, Professor Maureen Robinson (Mimi Rogers), daughter Doctor Judy Robinson (Heather Graham), teen Penny (Lacey Chabert) and boy Will (Jack Johnson) are roped into the adventure. Piloting is Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc), a last-minute replacement after an original crew member is murdered by a Global Sedition force. This group doesn’t want the mission to succeed and enlist Robinson family physician Dr. Zachary Smith (Gary Oldman) to sabotage the ship. His attempts are thwarted, but all are sent through the Hypergate into uncharted territory.
There is a lot going on in this film, so much that it is a little crowded. All of the characters have their own storylines, but a few end up being resolved too quickly. An extra 10 or 15 minutes might have helped clarify a couple of elements and helped give viewers a breath here and there, but it’s unlikely that this type of movie would have been permitted to be that long in this era. There are a few CGI effects that don’t hold up particularly well, but other fantastic moments still look quite impressive.
Overall, the movie is visually striking. The production design and sets are enormous and, at times, jawdropping. Will’s companion, Robot (voiced by Dick Tufeld, who also did the original’s show’s character), is a practical creation that looks and sounds incredible. There is plenty of impressive action as the characters find an abandoned spaceship and investigate, as well as a unique time-travel element that is introduced late in the feature. For this reviewer, the spider attack from the middle section is the most exciting sequence in the film and makes a lasting mark on the viewer.
One of the best things the film has going for it is its cast. The family are all distinctive, with Hurt providing more dramatic gravitas than this type of film would normally possess. The kids are well developed, much stronger in this title than others of its ilk. LeBlanc gets in some amusing moments as the overly confident pilot who is consistently rebuffed by Graham’s Judy Robinson. And, of course, Gary Oldman steals the show as the gleefully sinister Zachary Smith, constantly attempting to manipulate events to his own advantage and maximizing every moment he’s onscreen.
It should also be noted that the score is enjoyably bombastic. It appropriately captures the big sweep of the story with memorable melodies that were much stronger than I had remembered.
Admittedly, it’s not a perfect film, but it is a fun one. In fact, it’s a little surprising that the end results didn’t resonate with the public as strongly as one might expect. Perhaps it was due to the property itself. While the original TV-series was beloved by those who saw it back in the 1960s, the brand recognition probably wasn’t as strong as many believed it to be. Whatever the case, no sequels were produced. However, the DVD and Blu-ray of the film were huge sellers and over the years many did catch up with the title and come to appreciate it.
This 4K Ultra HD release looks much sharper than those previous editions, with a very clean and sharp picture. It certainly highlights how amazing the sets, costumes and the Robot look, even if it also points out a flaw or two in other visuals (the CGI Blarp creature being a primary example). You’ll certainly get a bigger sense of scope and the film’s epic storytelling with the upgraded picture.
And the bonuses are absolutely fantastic. Seemingly, all of the archival extras have been included, like a commentary with director Stephen Hopkins and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, as well as a secondary track with crew members (including the visual effects supervisors, director of photography, editor, and producer. Both are really informative, going into great detail about the problems they face making the picture and how they overcame various obstacles that one might not have initially thought of.
Apparently, the Robot was a major challenge. It was real and weighed more than a ton. Naturally, the crew had to figure out how to make it move around. The creation was very dangerous to be in close proximity to, especially if it fell over. With robotic elements, digital effects, and costumes featuring lights, every time one aspect went sideways, everyone would have to sit and wait for things to be corrected. And this caused mounting delays and expenses. These are fascinating tracks.
Director Hopkins also notes his frustration at losing a subplot in the final act involving Judy, Penny and Maureen due to time and budget constraints that were eventually imposed on the production. But the archival extras also include deleted scenes that reveal some of the lost plotline. While Will, John and Zachary Smith end up in one future, the female family members enter a second time zone. It would have been nice to see all this in the final film, and Hopkins shares that disappointment.
The great archival features also include bloopers, a special effects featurette, a look at this film’s vision of the future, a Q&A with the cast of the original TV series (several of whom have cameos in the movie) and more.
If that wasn’t enough, this disc contains new interviews with crew members. Stephen Hopkins recalls shooting the movie, sharing some of his minor quibbles with the end result (he also believes it’s overstuffed), but also noting how much fan mail he continues to receive for it. He has realized that kids really love the picture, and notes that it feels good that they connected to the story, and that children related strongly to the younger characters in the movie. In particular, he mentions young Will’s issues with his father. Hopkins was also in the middle of raising his own daughter at the time, who would be annoyed that he worked so much away from home.
There is an insightful talk with writer Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man), who remembers this picture being personally important to him. He had once mentioned to a producer how much he adored the original series as a kid. When the rights unexpectedly fell to the same individual, Goldsman was offered the screenwriting job. The scribe mentions that the film was broken into three segments… an introduction to the characters, followed by an episode featuring the family finding a spaceship, and then another with them landing on an alien planet (these were the two kinds of tales that the TV show usually featured). He goes on to agree that maybe there was too much going on. He also notes problems with the CGI Blarp character and why that minor element didn’t work as well as hoped for. But overall, he was pleased with the end result. He also describes the story for the planned sequel that didn’t materialize.
Director of photography Peter Levy talks about his friendship with Hopkins, in addition to shooting the movie and what a challenge it was, although he does mention that he still had a great time working on it. He talks about unusual lighting challenges, like at one point making the nearby sun blast through the enormous ship’s bridge. Levy also speaks about other pictures he worked on, including many of Hopkins’ titles, as well as others including Cutthroat Island and Broken Arrow.
Art director Keith Pain is another great interview subject, as he discusses the difficulties in making visually original and distinctive sets for a movie set in space. One of the funny discoveries he made was in creating a walking platform for the mystery ship that the characters move across. He found that the bottom of plastic storage pallets at the studio had an interesting look. So, he took them, flipped them over and spray-painted them gray to get the walkway’s stylish look. Pain discusses the sets in great detail and offers wonderful tales about overcoming various obstacles.
There is also a good, recently recorded interview with the sound mixer and the re-recording mixer, who tell the tricks they used to try and create mood and atmosphere in the sound design.
And there is also a visual essay with a critic and enthusiast of the movie. The individual offers his personal opinions on why the film is effective, and makes some good arguments. He does spend a lot of time defending the visual effects, saying that this element shouldn’t be criticized. While there is some truth to the charge that films are a product of their era, it is amusing when the filmmakers and screenwriter themselves take issue with the CGI Blarp and note that it disappointed them at the time of the film’s original release.
Additionally, the release comes with a reversible sleeve containing new and original art for the film, as well as a booklet with new writing on the movie, articles from American Cinematographer on the imagery, and production notes.
Lost in Space is a fun picture with plenty of popcorn thrills and a few effective dramatic moments as it deals with the family dynamic between the characters. It also includes a memorable villain who is endlessly entertaining to watch and it fits in nicely with sci-fi titles from the era like Men in Black. Arrow Video’s 4K Ultra HD “Collector’s Edition” of the movie offered vastly improved picture quality, a ton of informative archival extras, and wonderful new discussions with production team members. They all relay informed and fascinating analysis of the movie and its place in cinema history. This highly enjoyable release is highly recommended.