Not much left of the original TV
series, but that may be no bad thing: gone are the wobbly sets, replaced by
highly impressive production values. The budget here is certainly up on the
screen. However, the characters are largely the square-jawed heroes of the
show (the kids are the only ones really updated), and the attitude is more
retro than futuristic: the men go do things, the women sit at home and
manipulate switches. Oldman,
sporting his Fifth Element facial fuzz in a mutated form, hams it up as
Dr.Smith, while Hurt and Rogers play it dead straight - with the emphasis unfortunately on
"dead". At 130 mins, it does overstay its welcome, and the time-travel
shennanigans might not bear close inspection. Still, it deserves some
credit for a brave attempt to replace the kitsch of the original with
something only slightly naff.
C-
