In the Lost Lands Got 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, But Is It Really That Bad?
A criminally dull fantasy western by Paul W.S. Anderson, based on a short story by George R.R. Martin.
Paul W.S. Anderson's new project, In the Lost Lands, looks like a cross between Mad Max and The Chronicles of Riddick, but more than anything, it's an old-fashioned throwback to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Anderson and his distinctive style emerged.
His approach to storytelling hasn't changed at all: pretentious chaos, videogame-like precision, and slow motion remain in their usual places.
What Is In the Lost Lands About?
The witch Gray Alys has a peculiarity or a curse: she fulfills every wish without question, no matter what is asked of her. The action takes place in a post-apocalyptic reality: the earth is scorched, the remnants of humanity live in a city whose ruler is dying.
The king's wife, Melange, wants to turn into a werewolf to be reunited with her mysterious lover. Alys and the mercenary Boyce set out to find the monster and deliver it to the queen.
In the Lost Lands Doesn't Have Enough Running Time to Do Justice to the Universe George Martin Created
Anderson was provided with material by George R.R. Martin, who wrote a story of the same name in 1982. The main problem that ruins the whole idea is the basic lack of time to develop a completely new world, characters, motivation and other key elements of the screenplay.
The path of Alys and Boyce is completely devoid of intrigue, leaving room only for bad computer graphics and clumsy editing.
The final twist is foreshadowed in the first few seconds, when Boyce promises the assembled audience a fascinating story.
In the Lost Lands Will Disappoint Even the Director's Devoted Fans
Anderson's long-proven affection for slow motion has become a shadow of its former greatness here: the director wastes it on a good half of the episodes, filming Milla Jovovich running and falling without his usual enthusiasm and poetry.
Who was In the Lost Lands made for? The armies of a few fans ready to forgive Anderson for all his sins? It seems that even they will be disappointed.
Alys and Boyce approach the end of the movie without any logic or chemistry, laughing at the dozers in the audience and hoping for a sequel.