Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images
Film rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Moral rating: Better than average

What is there to say about Indiana Jones? Without a doubt he is one of the most iconic movie characters in recent history. The first 3 movies in the series- Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade- are some of Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg's finest achievements. The question that everyone has been asking is this- does Crystal Skull live up to the Indy name?

The answer is YES.

While Crystal Skull is not flawless, it is without a doubt my favorite movie so far this summer. Instead of going up against Nazi Germany, this time Indy takes on Russian Communists. Instead of religious artifacts, this time Indy takes up something that is, well, out of this world.

My biggest concern going into this film was how producer George Lucas and director Spielberg were going to portray Indy, now that he is 60! The times have definitely changed in America in this movie and much has happened since the trilogy. In a nutshell, Indy is getting old! Amazingly, though, Indy is still just as much fun now as he was then. With spunk and wit, Harrison Ford's portrayal proves that just because Dr. Jones is getting old doesn't mean he is giving up! This time around he just gets a little more help, thats all!

Some of the help Indy receives is from Mutt Williams, portrayed by the talented young Shia LaBeauf. This guy has attitude AND a motercycle, so watch out! The supporting cast helps to make Crystal Skull what it is, featuring Ray Winstone and Cate Blanchett in major roles, and a return by Karen Allen- who played Marion Ravenwood in the first Indy film.

It would take forever for me to write all that I am thinking about Crystal Skull, so lets condense. The acting is superb, the cast is stellar, the dialogue is fresh, the action is amazing and the effects are VERY GOOD. Bravo to Spielberg for forgoing the new digital effects for traditional filmmaking techniques. And the plot is.....well, not perfect.

SPOILER WARNING

If there is one area that Crystal Skull has a problem, it would be the plot.
While the movie is amazing, this one just does not feel as much like an Indiana Jones movie as it should. The gimmick this time is the Crystal Skull which, it turns out, belongs to an alien visitor that came to South America hundreds of years ago.
NOTE, I am not criticizing this. The books and games are MUCH weirder than that. What I am criticizing is Lucas' insistence to put so much emphasis on them. We actually SEE the aliens and see their spinning ship (which Spielberg fans will recognize from Close Encounters of the Third Time). Never, has an Indy movie been about the prize. Instead, it has been about the journey that Jones has on the quest for it, and his character growth.
In Raiders he sees the power of God. In Temple of Doom he learns to value the people around him. In The Last Crusade- wow...there was a lot! This one however, merely resolves a few petty issues and leaves us feeling a bit stunned. The ending is massive alright.
That said, however, we do see the rift between Marion and Indy mended, which is a relief! Also, Mutt Williams gains some insight and life principles from his mentor. Because of this, I can forgive the majorly sci-fi plot.

END SPOILERS

Overall, I was very impressed by the 4th installment in the Indiana Jones series. The door was left open at the end of this one for a 5th. I am fine with that as long as it is the same caliber as the previous 4. Don't miss Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!

Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler

Movie Review: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
rated PG for epic battle action and violence
Film rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Moral rating: Good

Ah..... the fresh aroma of a good summer movie! I absolutely loved Prince Caspian, for many reasons besides the obvious fact that it is one sweet fantasy movie....This movie was based on the second book in C.S.Lewis's beloved series. While The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe is a very straightforward book to make a movie out of, Prince Caspian is a bit different. The book would make a very long, very boring, and very uneventful movie if it had been made as written. Personally, it is my least favorite book in the series, so I was looking forward to what would be done with the story to make it a presentable movie plot.

Director Andrew Adamson and Producer Douglas Gresham have fashioned this adaptation so brilliantly that I went to see PC twice on opening day. This movie added a castle raid, reorganized some events, and created a more epic battle than what the book had to create a movie that reminded me in many ways of the first time I saw the Fellowship of the Ring.

Prince Caspian, played by newcomer Ben Barnes (who sports a Spanish accent), is the rightful heir to the throne of Narnia. Unfortunately for him, his wicked Uncle Miraz wants the throne, so he is determined to kill Caspian. Caspian blows the magic horn of Queen Susan and the four Pevensie children (straight from the first movie) end up in Narnia again to help Caspian and Aslan take back the throne. One catch though....for the Pevensie's it has only been a year since their first visit to Narnia, but it has been over 1000 years for Narnia. I am sure you can imagine what kind of complications this would make.

PC was better made than LWW, and was grittier, more intense and darker. As Trumpking the dwarf says "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." And that is true. This movie definitely pushed the PG rating....the only reason it did not get higher was the relative lack of blood in the violence.

The effects and music in PC were both great, and featured an original score by Harry Gregson-Williams, as well as effects by Weta Workshop- the magic makers behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy and LWW.

Overall, I was very pleased with Prince Caspian. The filmmakers took an already weak story and made and epic and powerful movie out of it. My verdict: Go see it.....many times. It is just that good.

Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler

New Reviews Coming Soon!

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to view Speed Racer for a review. Never fear, however, because an all new review of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will be available this weekend!

Lord of the Rings Battlefront?

Just the other day, I was playing Star Wars Battlefront 2 with a friend when i made the comment that they should make a Lord of the Rings Battlefront. Well surprise! It has just been announced that next gen consoles are going to see this sort of game after all. IGN.com has a really cool inside look at Lord of the Rings: Conquest, which is a fantasy version of the Battlefront saga.

In this game you have HUGE maps, can play as monsters like trolls and Balrogs, and get to control heroes from the movies! In addition, EVERY major battle from the movie trilogy will have a level, plus you get to play levels that present what would happen if evil had won. Picture yourself as a Ringwraith trampling hobbits underfoot as you invade the Shire! Shudder!

Check out the article at IGN.com for more and an interview with the game makers.
The release date is TBA and will be available for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler

Two-Face officially in The Dark Knight

It was hinted at before, and the second movie trailer gave a brief glimpse, but now we have an official picture to confirm Harvey Dent's Two Face IS in the movie The Dark Knight!

Be warned though, as Ledger's Joker is shocking, so is Two Face!
Yikes!

Movie Review: Iron Man

Iron Man
rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content
Movie rating: 41/2 out of 5 stars
Moral rating: Better than Average

Iron Man is the first comic book movie to be released this summer and is the film that critics claim "will kick off the summer movie season." After making over 100 million dollars in the first 3 days, it is safe to say that the critics were right! And it is easy to see why!

Iron Man is in my opinion one of the best movies that Marvel Studios has produced yet. Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Iron Man tells the story of millionaire inventor Tony Stark, who is captured as a hostage by a band of Afghan terrorists known as 'The Ten Rings' and forced to build weapons for them. The rest is well known, however, as Stark secretly builds a suit made of iron to escape in. After returning to America, he vows to shut down his weapons factories and builds a new and advanced suit to use to help fight the injustice going on in the world.

Downey, Jr. is in my opinion the reason why Iron Man excelled. He gave a solid and memorable performance as Stark and had a great witty personality that is easy to love. The supporting cast was not as great, though far from forgettable. Gwyneth Paltrow returns to the big screen for the first time in 4 years to take on the role of Starks' handy assistant, Pepper Potts. Terrence Howard plays Starks good friend James Rhodes, and Jeff Bridges is Obadiah Stane- Starks former mentor/current enemy.

Jon Favreau has definitely made a name for himself, as his previous movies include Elf and Zathura. Iron Man was superbly directed and paves the way for future comic book movies including The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, Captain America, and Thor. Be sure to stay during the credits for a sneak peek reference at the Avengers movie.

Morally speaking, Iron Man was actually pretty decent. During the first 30 minutes there is a bit of innuendo and some brief sexual content, but this type of behavior leaves Stark after he returns from Afghanistan and vows to change. Language was fairly mild, only featuring a few uses of h***, d*** and b****. The only other potentially problematic thing was Starks constant use of alcoholic beverages. Both before and after he is constantly seen drinking..both publicly and at his office.

Overall, I was very impressed with Iron Man. I enjoyed it more than the first Spider-man, and in my opinion, it is the best comic book movie kick-off film to date. Apparently America agrees with me, hence the 100 million dollar opening and the go ahead for Iron Man 2, set to hit theaters in 2o10.

Signing out, The Buckland Fiddler.