Quibbles:
The action scenes are gloriously entertaining set pieces, but they don't move the plot forward. In the sense that the film is an adventure quest, the chase sequences do, for the most part, move the characters closer to their goals, but they do so in a a fairly gratuitious manner. Shia LaBouf's entrance chase scene is particularly pointless and nonsensical. (But forgivably so because it's quite entertaining.)
There are also WAY more bits in this film where Indy should be dead than I remember from the previous ones. Or rather, the certain-death situations he finds himself in are way more emphatically CERTAIN DEATH. I can't go into specifics without being spoilery, but the thing he survives at the very beginning of this movie makes outrunning the giant rock in the beginning of Raiders look like a stroll in the park on a nice sunny day. (On the up side, once you believe he survived that, what's a few deadly-looking waterfalls or barrages of machine-gun fire?)
There's also a whole thing in the beginning that seems like it's going to be a big deal and then isn't. It's just kind of dropped. (And yes, "whole thing" is about as much detail as I can go into without spoiling. Official reviews will probably be less coy.)
However, Cate Blanchett + Russian accent = TEH HAWT.
The Indy/Marion/Mutt stuff is adorably reminiscent of Alias S2 (except Marion isn't a secret KGB agent). But the same awkward "Bristow family vacation" vibe is there, and it's very well played. (Also, Mutt. HAR.)
I'd rank it above Temple of Doom, and more or less comparable to Last Crusade. (Raiders being the best of the 4 without question.)
This morning i bought Indy tickets for Saturday night at the arclight. 6th row center, baby!
more or less comparable to Last Crusade. (Raiders being the best of the 4 without question.)
Oh, awesome. I love
Last Crusade.
It...might actually be my favorite. I remember watching
Raiders of the Lost Ark
again several years ago and finding it kind of...slow.
Great segue for mentioning that I saw Speed Racer at an Imax theater this afternoon. I think it's a touch too long for such a slight story, but it's hugely entertaining, the thing looks incredible, and I really like the actors they chose (although why they didn't just go ahead and get Tim Curry for the villain is beyond me, because they may as well have). The kid and the chimp were a touch over cute, but even they had redeeming moments. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman have both had what I must consider two of the strangest careers in Hollywood.
I wish the races had been just a touch more comprehensible, as what I could figure out was so much fun. Finally, I must agree: John Goodman, kung fu master = comedy gold.
I don't get why the critics are acting like this is the end of cinema as we know it. Compared to Michael Bay's atrocities, this is Bergman.
Not sure whether this should really be in Premium Cable instead of here, but...holy fuck, Recount is depressing.
Danny Strong, congratulations on bringing back that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Very well done.
Ugh.
I'm Not There is just plain awe-inspiring.
Kids these days....
Well, in that vein, I just watched Peter Jackson's
King Kong
because Ray Bradbury told me to.
It was REALLY LONG.
It takes an hour to get to Skull Island, and then there's over an hour on Skull Island that mostly consists of the crew being picked off one by one. The movie's called
King Kong,
not
Skull Island, Land of the Dinosaurs
! There were some cool dinosaur scenes, but mostly, everything went on too long.
The basic meat of the movie, though—the relationship between Ann and Kong—was very sweet and sad, though. So that part was good.
Michael Rymer is rumored to be the director of the upcoming
Witchblade
movie.
P-C, I saw King Kong on a recent(ish) flight, and was mightily, mightily underwhelmed. Too long, too slow, too many weird gross giant bugs, too much Jack Black.
Meh.
