Danger Will Robinson! Last year, Netflix launched a reboot of the classic 1960s sci-fi series Lost in Space, and now it’s available on Blu-ray and DVD.
It’s the year 2048, and the Robinson family has been selected to be part of the 24th colonist group to leave Earth in hopes of establishing a new colony on a remote planet. Maureen Robinson (Molly Parker, House of Cards, Deadwood) is a brilliant aerospace engineer. Her husband John (Toby Stephens, Black Sails) is a Marine, whose job has often kept him away from his three children—the brilliant Judy (Taylor Russell, Falling Skies), sarcastic middle child Penny (Mina Sundwall, Freeheld), and 11-year-old son Will (Maxwell Jenkins, Sense8). Everyone in the family has gone through rigorous training for this mission, and each brings some sort of skill to the table, or at least that’s how it is supposed to be. Maureen had secretly manipulated some test results in order to keep the family from being separated, but that may mean that not everyone will be truly prepared for what lies ahead.
The Robinsons are aboard the Resolute space station when a commotion breaks out and they are forced to evacuate. The family boards the Jupiter 2 ship and quickly takes off. However, the ship is damaged and they end up crash-landing on a mysterious, unknown planet. Immediately upon their arrival, the Robinsons face one deadly danger after the next, but are able to use their minds and skills to quickly find solutions. Will befriends a strange robot with special abilities. While it looks like this robot could be of great assistance to the family, the Robinsons are a bit wary of whether or not they should trust this unknown creature.
Meanwhile, another Jupiter ship also crash lands on the planet. This one containing a roughneck/smuggler named Don West (Ignacio Serricchino, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Bones), and a mysterious woman secretly assuming the stolen identity of Dr. Smith (Parker Posey, Search Party). It is only a matter of time before these two groups cross paths and decide to work together in order to survive their harsh new environment. But who can really be trusted? Everyone seems to have secrets they are hiding… even the robot!
While the characters and the core of this series remain the same as the original 1960s show, the rebooted series feels much more serious and exciting, and less campy than the original, with a significantly higher production value. As the series opens, viewers are immediately thrust into the thick of the action as the Robinsons struggle to survive their harsh new environment. Through flashbacks, the series slowly reveals the characters’ backstories, unfolds several mysteries, and pieces together the events that ultimately led up to the Robinsons’ crashing onto this unknown planet.
Where are they? How did they end up here? Who is the real and fake “Dr. Smith”? Where did the robot come from? And what happened on the Resolute space station that caused the crash in the first place?
Each episode of this show ends in a way that makes you anxious to see what happens next. While the series is made to be enjoyed by the whole family, it never feels dumbed down—there are some really tense moments and unexpected twists. The cast is great—especially Parker Posey in a gender-swapped role as the deliciously evil and manipulative Dr. Smith. There is also this relationship that forms between Will and the Robot that becomes the true heart of the series. The first season builds to an exciting conclusion that will make viewers eager for the second.
Today Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has released the first season of the Lost in Space reboot on both Blu-ray and DVD, so a Netflix subscription is no longer required to check out this fantastic series. All ten episodes of the season are split across three Blu-ray discs, and the quality of the presentation is quite good. The video is pristine, with a clean, detailed picture that looks amazing. From the stark white and metallic furnishings of the ship, to the blue and orange shades of the uniforms, the colors look beautiful. The detailed picture also nicley captures surface textures, reflections in glass, and the Robot’s unique starry “eye”. The show’s visual effects also look seamless and natural. The disc’s audio track provides clear dialogue, but at times felt a little front-heavy. That said, it does utilize the surround channels at times to provide some immersive moments like storms brewing overhead, or the sound of a burning forest. And the film’s constant/delightful score sounds great. The discs are packed in an multi-disc HD keepcase, without a slipcover. All of the bonus material resides on the third disc. This includes 3 short deleted scenes, and about 25-minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes. The disc also includes the unaired/colorized pilot from the original 1960s series.
What’s Included:
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Episodes: (9:11:06)
- All 10 episodes of the first season:
Disc 1: “Impact”, “Diamonds in the Sky”, “Infestation”, “The Robinsons Were Here”
Disc 2: “Transmission”, “Eulogy”, “Pressurized”, “Trajectory”
Disc 3: “Resurrection”, “Danger, Will Robinson” - 1080p / Widescreen 2.00:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Deleted Scenes (3:42)
Collection of three deleted scenes that play back-to-back without any reference as to where they fit into the series. - No Place to Hide (52:12)
The unaired pilot episode for the original series, colorized and presented in widescreen format. The Robinson family sets out on a 98-year voyage aboard the Gemini 12, to explore a planet in the Alpha Centauri system. However, the mission doesn’t go as smoothly as planned and the family soon finds itself crash-landed on an unknown planet. This is exclusive to the Blu-ray version of this release. - Bill and Max: Lost and Found in Space (10:10)
The two Will Robinsons, Maxwell Jenkins (2018-) and Bill Mumy (1965-1968) sit down for a fun discussion of the similarities and differences between the two series. They take a look at the orchestra recording the new theme song, discuss the origin of the series and how it went from black and white to color, and point out some of the Easter Eggs and homages to the original series hidden in the new show. They have fun joking about the obvious differences in production quality between the two shows, and ultimately leave viewers on a cliffhanger. (To be continued on the next season’s special features?) - Bill Mumy Visits the Jupiter 2 (7:00)
The original Will Robinson, Bill Mumy, gets a tour of the new Jupiter 2 set from showrunner/executive producer/writer Zack Estrin and production designer Ross Dempster. He also meets the cast, and the Robot. - Designing the Robot (5:20)
Executive producer/writer Matt Sazama, executive producers Jon Jashni & Kevin Burns, and showrunner/executive producer/writer Zack Estrin talk about the bond between Will and the Robot, and discuss the process of designing the Robot. - Lost in Space Sizzle (3:38)
In this promotional featurette, the producers talk about the show’s premise and characters, and take a look at the sets, ship and vehicles. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producers Zack Estrin, Jon Jashni, Kevin Burns, Matt Sazama, & Burk Sharpless, and stars Molly Parker (“Maureen Robinson”), Toby Stephens (“John Robinson”), Maxwell Jenkins (“Will Robinson”), Taylor Russel (“Judy Robinson”), Mina Sundwall (“Penny Robinson”) & Parker Posey (“Dr. Smith”).
Extras:
Bonus material can be found on the third disc.
Final Thoughts:
This Lost in Space reboot is a fun and exciting new take on the classic sci-fi series. While accessible for the whole family, the series doesn’t feel dumbed down—there’s lots of action, adventure and mystery, and the production value is top notch. TCFHE has put together an excellent Blu-ray release which features an great video and audio presentation as well as a nice assortment of bonus material. If you haven’t checked out the series, now is the time to do so. Once you watch the first episode, you won’t want to stop.
