After Will Ferrell’s surprisingly adept foray into the realm of straight-faced cinema with Marc Forster’s “Stranger than Fiction” (2006), I had expected continued, and increasingly fruitful artistic diversification from the comic icon, much in the way that “The Truman Show” (1998) effected Jim Carrey’s escape into drama. Of course there would be missteps, e.g., “The Number 23″ (2007), but I think it’s entirely plausible that we could have ended up with some gems, a la, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004).

Sadly, Ferrell has opted to not only return to his comfort zone, but revel in it with reckless abandon. “Blades of Glory,” (2007) “Semi-Pro,” (2008) and “Step Brothers,” (2008) were the immediate successors to “Fiction.”

Brad Silberling’s “Land of the Lost,” marks a new level of banal, inanity in Ferrell’s canon.

Adapted from the cringe-worthy, low-budget campy-ness that was the 1974 TV series created by Sid & Marty Kroft, “Land of the Lost” centers on an awkward, delusional, bumbling man-child, Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell), who has somehow developed a sophisticated device called the tachyon amplifier able to open a portal to a new dimension that’s neither the past, present, nor future, but a mash-up of all three.

Joining him in this world of hyper-intelligent dinosaurs, deceptive, tunic-wearing space-aliens, and half-baked primates, are the unbelievably naive Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel), and the delightfully schlocky Will Stanton (Danny McBride). Together, they must recover the tachyon amplifier and warp back home so that Dr. Marshall can tell the skeptical Matt Lauer to “suck it.”

The script, penned by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas, can barely be classified as such, likely consisting of 10-15 pages of action description followed by a simple command for Will Ferrell to ad lib. Based Ferrell’s considerable talents that’s not such a bad idea.  Most of his jokes work in spite of the awful writing resulting in a passable 101 minutes of mindless entertainment.  But it could have been so much more.

Will Ferrell, as brilliant as he is, needs more than a costume and 101 mintues to ad lib.  His best work has come as part of an ensemble that is firmly anchored by a cohesive narrative.

This film is a disjointed mess that lacks not only a cohesive narrative and a capable ensemble cast, but also a clearly defined audience.  It’s part hilarious commentary on its cheesy origins, part unnecessarily expensive, bloated, CGI-laden commercial vehicle.  Name recognition can only go so far, especially when you’re counting on people recognizing an obscure, 1970s, children’s television show.

(3 out of 4 stars)