Land of the Lost : Delusions of Manhood

Will Ferrell's lock on macho infantilism retrofits the '70s relic Land of the Lost

Rhythm & Hues

Tall hero in short pants... which he will eventually remove, along with his shirt.

When kids play games, they pretend to be adults: soldiers, spacemen, cops and robbers or, for the more precocious, doctors and nurses. The theme is, Be what you want to be. Then when they grow up, go to Hollywood and make movies, they often create characters that are emotional adolescents, infants, kids. The credo of so many action films and comedies is, Be what you used to be or what you still, secretly, are. This tendency could be the film industry's wise acknowledgment that inside every adult is a backward child ruled by fears and cravings. Or it could just be...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!