The Land That Time Forgot (2025) Review: Dinosaur Mayhem on a Mockbuster Budget

This the land that time forgot review looks at a low-budget 2025 creature feature from The Asylum, directed by Anthony Frith. It promises submarines, soldiers and dinosaurs, and it delivers all three with plenty of B-movie swagger. Whether that is a recommendation or a warning depends on what you want from movie night.

The Land That Time Forgot Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The film opens in the Bering Sea, where a Russian submarine crew attacks an Australian naval vessel. Survivors from both sides are left in the wreckage. Among the unaccounted-for personnel is Lee Larue, whose disappearance lands at a painful moment for her family, as her mother Margaret is in hospice care.

At the Pentagon, Admiral Jackman (Michael Paré) watches the situation with growing concern. The survivors capture a Russian sub, only to find themselves stranded on an island filled with deadly, prehistoric creatures. The tagline sums it up: "Trapped, 66 million years ago."

This is the 2025 Asylum version. It is separate from the 1974 Amicus adaptation and the 2009 film that shares the title. If you are after the film's plot in a nutshell, think war-movie setup followed by a dinosaur survival romp.

What Works in The Land That Time Forgot

The premise is the best thing here. Mixing a military standoff with a lost-world island is silly in the right way, and the 90-minute runtime keeps things moving. For fans of action movie reviews on the pulpier end, the pitch alone is appealing.

One reviewer says the visual effects are more polished than in earlier films of this type, and that the creatures look more convincing than before. That is a modest compliment, but it matters in a genre where the monsters carry the whole show. Another critic describes it as mindless dinosaur action with a throwback feel.

• A clear, high-concept hook that sells itself.

• Creature design that seems a step up from the studio's older efforts.

• A brisk pace that rarely lingers.

The Land That Time Forgot Cast and Performances

The cast is led by Lauren Koopawitz as Lee Larue, with David Margetts as Lt. Tim Olson, Jasmine Hope as Jennifer Bradley and Casmira Lorien as Leona. Jono Darby plays the Russian commander, Kapitan Remizov, and Jack Pearson appears as Bonnie Tyler. Michael Paré brings genre-veteran presence as Admiral Jackman.

Performances are in line with the budget. The actors commit to the material, and that sincerity helps when the dialogue turns clunky. Nobody here is rewriting the rules of acting, but a game cast is half the fun of a mockbuster.

One critic argues the film seems to exist mainly to justify casting Michael Paré and Michelle Bauer. That is a harsh read, yet it hints at how thin the supporting material can feel.

Where The Land That Time Forgot Stumbles

The script is the biggest problem. Film Blitz gave the movie a D+ and suggested Dan Telfer's screenplay is a bigger issue than the effects, making points that should be obvious feel muddled and unclear. A Letterboxd reviewer calls the plot unnecessarily convoluted.

That clash of opinions extends to the visuals. Some viewers see better creatures, while others call the effects lackluster. Expect the usual limits of a low budget: uneven compositing and scenes that rely on suggestion.

Audience scores are low as well. The film sits at 4.1/10 on TMDB from only 18 votes, and a MovieMeter-listed IMDb score of 2.5. Those samples are small, but the direction is clear.

Is The Land That Time Forgot Worth Watching?

Only if you already enjoy deliberately cheesy creature features. As a serious adventure movie it falls short, but as a throwaway night of dinosaur chaos it can be entertaining in short bursts. One reviewer called it exactly as ridiculous as you would expect, which is a fair warning and a fair promise.

The 90-minute length helps, since the story's confusion does less damage when you are not asked to stay long. Go in with low expectations and a sense of humor. If you want sharp writing or polished spectacle, look elsewhere.

For more background, the film's IMDb-linked listing on MovieMeter collects user ratings. If you want something with a more grounded tone, our review of The Bluff offers a different kind of action.

Who Will Enjoy The Land That Time Forgot

• Fans of Asylum mockbusters and so-bad-it's-fun creature features.

• Viewers who want dinosaurs and military action without much commitment.

• Michael Paré completists curious about his role as Admiral Jackman.