In the original “Land of the Lost” TV series, Marshall, Will, and Holly befriended three Pakuni named Ta (Joe Giamalva), Sa (Sharon Baird), and the young Cha-Ka (Phillip Paley). Cha-Ka spent a lot of time with Rick, Will, and Holly and became something like a sibling/child to the family.
Because the ethos of the 2009 film was to be an adult-skewing comedy version of “Land of the Lost,” Chaka (now re-spelled) was altered to be a horny doglike caveman played by Jorma Taccone from The Lonely Island. Naturally, the film version of Chaka is given a musical number, and proves to be adept at singing “I Hope I Get It” from “A Chorus Line.” When the central trio first meets Chaka — rescuing him from being murdered — Chaka responds by grabbing Holly’s chest. Later, Chaka dances with a series of obscene pelvic thrusts. At the end of the film, Chaka even provides a bevy of buxom beauties for Will as a reward for his capabilities as an adventurer. It’s not X-rated, but the 2009 Chaka is a far cry from the 1974 version.
Henchy admitted that making Chaka more crass wasn’t smiled upon by everyone. The decision, “which we got in a little trouble for,” was even noted by certain critics, who felt that the humor in the film fell flat. Henchy didn’t specify if he got into trouble with the studio or if he was referring to the negative reviews (the film sports a mere 26% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but the new Chaka was looked at a little askance.
The original “Land of the Lost” TV series is available on the Roku Channel and several other streaming services. The movie is on Prime Video. One is not required viewing to enjoy the other.
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