Lost in Space
(1998)ORIGINAL TV FORMULA The 1965-68 tale of a family whose spaceship is sabotaged by an evil doctor, leaving them all, well, lost in an outer space filled with good-enough-for-TV special effects and plenty of intergalactic peril.
BIG-SCREEN MAKEOVER A bigger budget — and loftier ambitions — result in amped-up F/X, a back story about the family patriarch (William Hurt) being an absentee dad (gah!), and roughly .08 percent of the series' fun.
LOW POINT Although Gary Oldman (right, with Matt LeBlanc) redefines the term ''chewing the scenery'' with a ham-tastic turn as the villainous Dr. Smith, it's the faux-cute antics of the Sméagol-like alien Blarp that are most irritating.
LESSON LEARNED Sometimes cheesy childhood entertainment is better left as a memory.
WHAT EW SAID ''Deadly despite decent special effects.... The kiddie-geared TV show had more suspense.'' D+
