LOST IN SPACE
Broadly aiming this space epic at a larger family audience, Netflix has thrown some considerable cashola behind it. Irwin Allen (who created the original series) is credited as 'Creator' here though the writer/executive producers behind the show (Matt Sazana and Burk Sharpless) have a frankly terrifying CV as screenwriting partners, with a litany of awful genre flicks stinking up their resume (Gods of Egypt, The Last Witch Hunter, Power Rangers and Dracula Untold) though here they seem to know what they're doing. The show-runner is Zack Estrin, who performed the same duties for the series Prison Break. So, it's a mixed bag behind the camera - though Neil Marshall (The Descent, Centurion, the upcoming Hellboy reboot) directed the first few episodes and they tread a really satisfying line between family friendly adventure and serious sci-fi that feels more adult-aimed.
Essentially, its reminiscent of The Martian with a Star Trek tone and style. It's nicely plotted and adheres petty closely to the original show. Most of the original elements remain intact. The Robinson family: patriarch John (Toby Stephens from Black Sails - and son of Maggie Smith), his smart and pragmatic wife Maureen (Molly Parker - from House of Cards & Deadwood) accompanied by their children Will (Maxwell Jenkins), Judy (Taylor Russell) and Penny (Mina Sundwall), find their ship, Jupiter II, marooned on an Earth-like alien planet, when the interplanetary colonisation convoy they are a part of is involved in an accident. Escaping the extreme temperatures and fixing their broken vessel will require serious ingenuity and smarts. Luckily they're a family of geniuses and they have each other - and a robot.
Stephen Hopkin’s 1997 reboot saw recent Oscar winner Gary Oldman chowing down on the scenery as Doctor Zachary Smith, though here the character is played by Parker Posey and she's very much the same simpering, opportunistic sociopath from the original show. Argentinian actor Ignacio Serricchio plays Don West, the dashing pilot who joins the family on their quest to get 'un-lost'. The production values are great, it's nicely written and it's undemanding sci fi adventure that won't freak out your kids.