The Indiana Jones Trilogy

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

In an attempt to catch Indy fever, I sat down for a marathon viewing of the three Indiana Jones films this Sunday. Admittedly, the Raiders of the Lost Ark is the only one I {vaguely} remember seeing. Nazi faces melting...Indy pulling a gun on the sword wielding Indian...the massive boulder... These memories are piece meal, so discovering them today was a real treat.

Adventurer and archaeologist, Dr. Henry 'Indiana' Jones (Harrison Ford) has been charged with finding and preventing the Nazi's from obtaining the Ark of the Covenant--the fabled chest said to contain the stone tablets on which is written the Ten Commandments. The possessor of such an artifact would obtain the very power of God. Danger lurks at every turn as Indy recruits a former girlfriend and an old mate to help him find the artifacts first.

What can I say? For every reason not to like this film, there are three more reason why you can't not like this film. Plot wise, we have holes even Indy would have trouble jumping. Still with such brilliant craftsmanship from writers George Lucas and Phillip Kaufman and under Steven Spielberg's direction, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is an epic adventure.

You'll find love for this classic tale across the Net and you don't really need a review, so just allow me to sing the movie's praises. I could argue that a film of this nature would benefit from depth and a bit more seriousness, but why bother when the movie is this much fun.

Harrison Ford is phenomenal as Indy what with his cheeky delivery, geeky professor {complete with bow-tie and glasses} attire that magically gives way to his trusty fedora, leather jacket and bullwhip.

The elements of the film are perfect; you simply can not take your eyes off the screen. The exotic settings are gorgeous, effects and stunt work are thrillingly top-notch with the perfect touch of danger at every corner. Damsels in distress are gorgeous and costumes are beautifully rendered for the period. Lucas and Spielberg's epic is further enhanced by John William's remarkable score that becomes a character in it's own right.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is a direct result of movie-making genius. It's a definitive action-adventure classic that is a must see!

~~~

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

The epic adventures of Dr. Jones continues with the Temple of Doom. A plane crash, after a narrow escape from a Hong Kong night club {Club Obi Wan--gotta love it}, has Indy, his young charge, Short Round and night club singer, Wilhemenia (Kate Capshaw) in a remote land. In the search for civilization, they discover a desolate Indian village. The village elder shows the trio through the ruins-- ruins caused by the abduction of their children and the theft of their magic Sankara stone. Agreeing to the task, partly to annoy 'Willie', Indy and company set out to the mountain palace to investigate and stumble upon an ancient mine that houses the Thuggee cult. The crazed high priest, Mola Ram, engages in human sacrifice. Now, Indy must stop the Thuggee priest, rescue the children and conquer the Temple of Doom.

The Temple of Doom has the campiest feel of the three films, but still contains spectacular feats and graphic images. Winding through secret passages, careening through the old mine, plane crashes and a bridge collapse provide edge of your seat thrills. This time around, Spielberg and Lucas provide another edge with graphic scenes of child torture, human sacrifice, bugs and monkey brains.

Harrison Ford expands his character as Indy, too. Indy is compassionate with Shortie; he is human under the spells of the Thuggee, but he's still his cavalier, educated self.

Kate Capshaw is an annoyance for me; but she fits the bill as the damsel in distress.

Spielberg and Lucas have turned a page with this one. The production feels tighter. The Temple of Doom is a non-stop {and more humanizing} thrill ride. From the beginning plane crash to the breath-taking bridge collapse, the film is brilliant with it's pulse-pounding adventure. Once again, John William's reprises his remarkable score.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a solid {more serious} bridge in the series. The dark, multi-faceted storyline here makes this film another must see from cinema greats, Lucas and Spielberg.

~~~

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Seems academics and adventure run in the Jones family. When Dr. Henry Jones (Sean Connery) goes missing while on the hunt for the Holy Grail, Indy goes on the search. The rescue mission turns into a race against the Third Reich. Indy calls on his trusty friend, Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) and the three set out for the Canyon of the Crescent Moon only to run into Nazis and their American financier. We can only hope that Indy will ultimately obtain the biblical artifact before it falls into evil hands.

The Last Crusade will go down as my favorite of the series, but not for the reasons most people would image. Spielberg and Lucas explore Indy lore. The origin story found here {starring River Phoenix, no less) is a must-see highlight. Turns out young Henry was a boy scout whose interaction with a historical fedora and leather-clad mercenary alters his life forever. We even see the origination of his ophidiophobia.

Harrison Ford continues in the legendary role of Indiana Jones. {See Han Solo.} Junior is as cock-sure as ever and yet still looking for parental approval.

Sean Connery is another reason The Last Crusade is a favorite. As the elder, academic Jones, Connery is cantankerous and charming. His comedic timing is impeccable, but he rises above it to provide solid foil to Ford and {almost} steals the show. Ford and Connery have remarkable chemistry onscreen. The two trade cheeky dialogue through the whole film.

Denholm Elliott shouldn't be overlooked either. As the lovable Dr. Marcus Brody, he plays more for the laugh, but still creates a memorable character.

Beautifully-crafted The Last Crusade has the feel of the last 'hurrah'. The production is laid back, revelling in it's previous successes. Still Spielberg and Lucas bring it with slick effects, amazing stunts, top-notch settings and costuming. Plot wise, the film is average. You can call what's coming around the corner, but ultimately it doesn't matter you're having so much fun. An additional shout-out to composer John Williams.

Finally, one more reason this one ranks higher than the other two films-- Indy's interaction with Hitler himself. Lucas and Spielberg play it from two angles and wonderfully so.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a most exhilarating end to a remarkable trilogy. Thanks to impeccable production, the masterful hands of Lucas and Spielberg {and Harrison Ford}, Indiana Jones is the epitome of cool for all ages.

~~~

It's is simply too easy to lose yourself in this series. Although each film stands on its own merits, together they great an adventure for the ages. Thanks to the masterful hands of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, we have adventure for a lifetime. What I wouldn't give to have the opportunity to see these films on the big screen, surrounded by fellow movie-goers, enveloped in that adventure.

Live Free or Die Hard: Unrated (2007)

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a bitter man. After years of serving his country dutifully, Mcclain has nothing to show for it. Divorced, estranged from his college-aged daughter, Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), McClane still hits the law-enforcement beat. He kicks it old school. When the FBI asks him to pick up computer hacker Matt Farrell (Justin Long), the two barely escape an explosion to meant to kill Farrell. McClane and Farrell soon uncover a plot to cripple the country by an Internet terrorist organization. It's up to down-and-dirty McClane and the Internet weakling to thwart the terrorists before harm befalls the country. {patriotic score swells}

Live Free or Die Hard is an action-packed and predictable thrill ride. Thanks to a commanding performance by Willis and Star Wars-caliber special effects, there is something worth seeing in the bloated 2+ hour movie.

As McClane, 52-year old Willis owns it. He is a gritty bastard with attitude--best not piss him off. Cocky. Surly. Willis brings the McClane swagger back, just a little slower. Alongside the scrawny Justin Long, Willis looks great. Long looks lost, but fortunately for him, the writers took pity and tossed a few scraps his way. Timothy Olyphant and Maggie Q star as the terrorist lovers. Both manage the demented 'trying-to-take-over-the-world' look solidly. Kevin Smith makes a cameo; brilliantly so as 'The Warlock', a Hacker Jedi.

Director Les Wiseman obviously had the Die Hard checklist nearby. McLane takes on super-terrorists? Check. Comedic sidekick? Check. Maximum carnage? Check. Hot chicks? Check. Family drama? Check. Slight ridiculousness? Check. "Yippee Ki Yay, Mother F******"? Check.

Live Free or Die Hard fits well in the iconic series. I say that days AFTER viewing the movie. The mind-numbing, ridiculous plot {that is never really explored} really annoyed me. During the middle of the movie, I say aloud to my friends "why are we still watching this?". Despite being about to predict every last minute of the film, I watched every moment. There is no pseudo-intellectualism to get. It's just intense action and a good time-- just like the others in the series. Try to make the movie anything more and you'll be grossly disappointed. {Like I was at first.}

Ultimately, Live Free or Die Hard is a vehicle for Willis and his bald head to shine. He gets every opportunity to kick ass, drive cars, pump lead and trade barbs with the terrorist-- and we, the viewers, like it!! If only our current conflicts could be solved by a resilient smart-ass in two hours or less. {Interested, B?}

Juno (2007)

Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is one unusual 16-year old. One night in a chair with Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) changes her life inexplicably. When Juno discovers she's pregnant, her first thought is abortion. But after being totally weirded-out at the local clinic, she and her friend Leah decide to give the baby to a childless couple found right next to the exotic birds in the local Penny Saver. Mark and Vaness Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) are a Stepford Wives-esque upper class couple longing for a child of their own. Juno strikes a deal and with the surprising support {if that's what you call it} of her father (J.K. Simmons) and step-mom (Allison Janney), Juno begins her foray into pregnancy.

Let me go out on a limb here. Juno, at best, is an uneven, manipulative and a failed attempt at a Napoleon Dynamite wanna be. Director Jason Reitman tries incredibly hard to follow-up his debut success Thank You For Not Smoking, but this is an unmitigated disaster.

Ellen Page (phenomenal in Hard Candy) is adorable, but downright annoying as Juno. From the opening credits, we get Juno is quirky. Hell, you spend the whole movie shoving out 'quirky' Juno is. Oh, look, Juno has a hamburger phone! That must mean she's quirky. She listens to punk and she's only 16! She's quirky. Juno is hardly quirky--she's obnoxious!! Just like any other 16-year old.

The supporting cast gets to wallow right in there with Page. Michael Cera is worthless and for fathering a child, he gets no character development. WTF?! The adults come off strangely. Jennifer Garner is off-kilter. She and Jason Bateman are not convincing in the least. And when Juno and Mark flirt, Batemen comes across as a pedophile.

Overall, the pulse of Juno is awkward and just wrong. The flippant approach to such a life-altering event is insulting and not amount of pop culture drops and perfectly rehearsed 'indie cred' can make up for the film's moral ambivalence.

Juno is for the emo kids acting out on MySpace. It will serve as quote fodder for a time and then be forgotten much like slap bracelets back in the day.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

This is my first film 'From the guys who brought you "A 40-Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up"' and my last.

Peter (Jason Segel) is a music composer for the CSI-esque television drama that stars his famous girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). When she dumps him, Peter takes off to Hawaii only to find Sarah and her new flamboyant, British rock star boyfriend, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) are vacationing at the same resort. The hotel clerk, Rachel (Mila Kunis), takes pity on Peter and tries to help him out.

Oh my God!! This is a cute romantic comedy, but the jokes are SO tired!! Forget Forgetting Sara Marshall. The film is as clichéd as they come. The cast and setting is beautiful, but the film is so utterly stupid. The plot is improbable and sloppy editing shows glaring mistakes. Did I mention it was stupid.

Jonah Hill, you are a one-trick pony. You're boring and my legs work. Bill Hades sucks. Hardcore. Jason Segal and Mila Kunis both provide solid, if stupid, performances. Russell Brand really saves the {STUPID!} movie as Snow. Still now amount of Snow or puppet vampire comedy could save this POS.

Forget it! This is a metaphor for crap! That is unless you enjoyed other films 'From the guys who brought you "A 40-Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up"'.

Postscript 03.07.09 ~ I read a postive review from a friend recently; so, I revisted. Still average. Russell Brand is funny. The vampire puppets are funny. But not even Jason Segal's package in the UR version makes this any more than average.

Dan In Real Life (2007)

Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is a widowed, small-town journalist writing on the perils of raising three daughters. Each daughter is reaching a pivotal moment in their respective lives: Jane (Alison Pill), the oldest, is anxious about driving; Cara (Brittany Robertson), the middle child, has just found true love {as her Dad wrenches her away to this stupid trip} and little Lilly (Marlene Lawston), the youngest, is leaving early childhood behind. Dan is discovering real life isn't as picture perfect as his column. A Burns family home-coming brings Dan back to Rhode Island and the good-natured ribbing of family. Maybe they can't help him figure it out. When Nana (Dianne Wiest) and Poppy (John Mahoney) send Dan out for a newspaper, he meets and falls for Marie (Juliette Binoche) in the book shop. True love blossoms over 'Poop Is', Anna Karenina, and a muffin. In life, plan to be surprised.

Dan in Real Life is a beautiful story celebrating life; but what elevates this movie from 'average', is the solid performances from the ensemble cast. Steve Carell is brilliant. As Dan, he brings a subtly in emotion that rings true. He becomes an 'everyman'--putting the needs of his children before anything else and losing himself along the way. Juliette Binoche is remarkable. Who knew the French-born actress was funny?! Even the bristling Dane Cook taking a turn as Dan's brother Mitch. Emily Blunt also drops in as 'Pigface' Draper, a childhood friend and blind date for Dan.

The screenplay, written by director Peter Hedges and Pierce Gardner examines family dynamics and love, for better or worse. The dialouge is heartfelt without being sappy. It's a perfect balance of comedy and drama. Sadness is tempered by joy, pain by love, and betrayal by forgiveness. The Burns family brings out the best in all of us. The overall quality of the film is beautiful. Also, of note, is the Sondre Lerche soundtrack. Soft and unassuming, the play list is a perfect compliment.

Dan in Real Life charms its way into your heart. The film celebrates the idiosyncrasies of love, family and the sheer randomness of life. Dan in Real Life is a refreshing, tender-hearted film; it's a great escape from the redundant stupidity of more recent films.