The Earth-Toned Pill

Last night, several of us went and saw a special advance screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the Regal 20 at Waterford Lakes, thanks to Catie's luck in obtaining the passes for us all from someone where she works! There were at least 600+ people there with special passes to the event, and the line to get into the theaters was insanely long. Tons of fanboys & normals, young and old were there to see it first, and there was a definite air of excitement around us that served as a reminder that we were playing our part in a popular culture phenomenon that spans decades.

And let me be the first to tell you, Harrison Ford still has the magic. Seriously.

*** BE WARNED, SERIOUS SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT ***

The Plot

The movie opens with a group of Russians disguised as US soldiers raiding Area 51 with a kidnapped Indiana Jones and his new sidekick buddy Mac, played by Ray Winstone. The Russians use Indy to help him find one of the alien carcasses secretly held by the government from the Roswell incident in 1947. The Russians are led by the deadly sexy Soviet psychic Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) and her 2nd in command Dovchenko, played in excellent villanous fashion by Igor Jijikine, who reminded me very much of the Oberst Vogel character from Last Crusade, albeit younger and tougher. During this sequence in the giant 'Lost Ark' warehouse, Indy discovers that Mac is a traitor but escapes from the clutches of the soviets in a thrilling chase scene through the warehouse climaxes in a fight with Dovchenko on a jet engine-powered rocket sled that dumps them both in the middle of the Nevada desert, where he is able to escape away from his Soviet pursuers into a mockup of a 'typical US town', also known as Doom Town, which Indy discovers is about to be blown up as part of the US military's nuclear testing program! He luckily hides in a lead-walled refrigerator just in time to keep him alive while the town is totally destroyed by the nuclear bomb.

After his lucky escape, Indy is debriefed by the FBI and army, and we discover here that Indy was actually a member of the OSS during the Second World War, and won many medals and awards for his actions on the European continent. In the McCarthy-era anti-Communist climate of the 50s, however, Indy is accused by the FBI of conspiring with the soviets and as a result loses his job at the college where he teaches. On his way out of town, he is stopped at the last second by a young, motorcycle-riding greaser named Mutt, who goes with Indy to a stereotypical 50s diner where he tells Indy that he was sent by his mother to help her and another archaeologist named Oxley (played by Englishman John Hurt), who have both been kidnapped by Spalko and her goons. Mutt informs Indy that 'Ox' was looking for a fabled crystal skull from the lost city of gold, and has apparently gone mad in the process. As Mutt gives Indy a map drawn by Ox, two Russian agents try to capture them but are foiled in an excellent fight scene, which is followed by a motorcycle chase that proves to be one of the film's most memorable, and highlights Ford's still-impressive athleticism.

The two then journey on to South America in search of Mutt's mother, Ox and the crystal skull. They first locate the crystal skull, but are then captured by Spalko. It is at this point that we learn that Mutt's mother is none other than Marion Ravenwood from Raiders, and that Indy is actually Mutt's father, whose real name is Henry Jones III!! The movie then features several excellent chase scenes through the South American jungle, one of which ended up in a gigantic ant nest that eventually (literally) consumed Dovchenko after a knock-down fight between him and Indy.

The group of Indy, Marion, Mutt, Ox and Mac (who is now a supposed double agent), then escape the soviets again to arrive at a temple that they eventually get inside. In the temple's depths, they discover evidence of artifacts accross all times and locations throughout human history, indicating that the temple was home to a kind of alien archeologist species. Mac was in fact helping the soviets all along though, and let Spalko and her remaining soviet goons to Indy, at which point they discover that the temple houses several alien skeletal remains. They reunite the crystal skull with its body, triggering the temple to transform and reveal its true form as an alien saucer ship. Indy, Marion, Ox and Mutt escape as the spacecraft begins to launch, while Mac is killed and Spalko is driven mad and incinerated by the alien mind she sought to gain control of.

This part of the film ends with an amazing sequence where the group escapes the ship and watches it take off and dissapear, with Ox describing the aliens as 'trans-dimensional beings' that disappeared to the 'space between space'.

Yep...

And so the movie then cuts to Indy and Marion's wedding, ending with a hint that Shia LeBouf's character may in fact be the beginning of a new series of adventures.

What I Thought

Overall, it was a great movie that was very much in the mold of the previous films. Everything from the stuntwork to the cinematography all came together to bring me right back to the series, almost like putting back on your favorite T-shirt after a two month hiatus... Except this time around, we've been waiting 19 years.

Was it too long a wait? Yes, I do still think so after having seen it. Although Ford still does have the magic, the plain truth is that he's just plain old and it was very fortunate for Spielberg and company that he was able to do his own stunts, keep Indy's humor and personality intact, and avert a cultural disaster, all despite his age.

The action sequences were excellent, the chases thrilling, and the way the loose ends were tied up will be enough to satisfy most of the series fanboys and die-hards out there. While I expect that a lot of people will be put off by the alien-centric plot, if you look at it for what it is (which is an homage to 50s scifi B-movies), then you won't be let down or dissapointed.

Overall, I give my standing ovation to Spielberg, Ford & Co. and give this film a solid 3 stars!

So here in the Walters household, there's a serious air of anticipation surrounding the premier of the 4th Indiana Jones film this week. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull made its initial debut at the Cannes film festival yesterday, supposedly to a lukewarm response by critics who generally called it 'more of the same' (in a good way, I'm assuming?) and 'a bit creaky', as Harrison Ford is visibly quite old and they don't make much effort at hiding that. All this aside, I'm still extremely excited about seeing the film and I plan on wearing a fedora to the premier in true movie geek style. The only thing that is really turning me off at all, and actually kind of ruining the mood for me, is the way George Lucas is handling himself as we get closer to the US premier on Thursday.

George Lucas was never a really great director, and he has said as much himself. I would go a step further and say that he is a mediocre director at best, and a weak writer. The latter point is particularly painful for me, as Lucas co-wrote the story for the 4th Indy movie, which he originally wanted to name Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men From Mars. Saucer men from Mars?!? What the hell was he initially thinking? I understand that he wanted to originally do a 4th Indy movie that was a tribute to 1950's sci-fi 'B' movies, but didn't the world already have more than enough of this when Mars Attacks! raped our eyes and minds back in 1996? And really, is an homage to 'B' movies how you want to remember Harrison Ford and Co. after all the dust settles? I think not, and thank god Steven Spielberg agreed and told Lucas to 'go back to the drawing board' and come back with a real movie.

I was pushed further down the path of the 'Lucas Haters' after I read this recent snippet, describing a conversation between Lucas and Spielberg regarding the hype surrounding this kind of film:

"I explained to Steven when we sat down on this, I said ... when you do a film that's this anticipated, people have a tendency to believe it's going to be the second coming and no matter what you give them they're going to be disappointed. We're all going to get people throwing tomatoes at us. But it's a fun movie to make. We love it."

Well, George, did you ever think that all your Star Wars fans were actually expecting good films when you instead handed them three pieces (ep 1-3) of forgettable schlock? I think most would agree that George Lucas choosing to write and direct the Star Wars prequels was a huge mistake, and when combined with poor casting choices for central characters like Anakin, the result is without a doubt going to sour a lot of fans' stomachs. I'm sorry, but this film will be the second coming if it is written well, cast well, and directed well, while also respecting the spirit of the previous installments in the series.

My sense of annoyance and dismay with George Lucas just continued to grow following this interview with him, Shia LeBouf, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg:

When Diane Sawyer asks the question around 2:55 into it about their 'favorite scene or quote', Lucas' answer made me want to punish my TV. He may have been genuinely trying to be funny, but there is definitely (at the very least) a touch of seriousness to it. Plugging a new DVD set? Are you serious??? Whatever. To me, the interview on the whole was kind of uncomfortable to watch, but plugging a DVD set like that wasn't exactly appropriate. Besides, doesn't he have enough Star Wars money to last him well into the afterlife?

I guess in the end I shouldn't worry too much about Lucas, because at least in this case he has the sanity of Steven Spielberg to balance out his faults. And in the end, I think the movie will depend more on Harrison Ford than on any other person in the cast or crew.

Lets just hope Harrison Ford still has the magic...

Saturday night I went and saw Ironman with Cate and several friends from work after a light dinner at the Chilis near the theater. I really wasn't expecting much from the movie, mainly using it as an excuse for all of us to get together and socialize outside of work. Throughout the week leading up to seeing it, I repeatedly cracked jokes about watching Robert Downey Jr doing lines of coke before donning his uber-armor. Instead, I was shocked to be treated to:

Robert Downey Jr, aka Tony Stark, aka BADASS

The movie as a whole was absolutely fantastic, much to my total surprise.

While the story was for the most part highly predictable (especially if you're a giant geek and know anything at all about the comic character, like I do...) but everything else was totally beyond what I expected. I'm really glad I didn't read up on the movie at all, because I was pleasantly surprised to see some pretty big 'A'-listers in the supporting cast like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges.

One of my biggest complaints about a lot of movies coming out today, and one that seems to be echoed by quite a few other movie philes, is the overuse of computer generated imagery (CGI) as a replacement for non-digital special effects, stunts and scenery. This over-dependence on computer graphics as a film-making tool (where the story also seems to take a second seat to the effects) seems to have really peaked with the Star Wars prequels, and has developed into a mania which I like to call 'George Lucas Syndrome', since he seems to be the worst perpetrator of this madness thus far.

For those that don't know, we currently don't have the technology to create powered armor of the type used in the movie, despite ongoing research funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (or DARPA for short). So since they obviously can't really have Tony Stark flying around in an armored suit on screen, they have no choice but to resort to using CG to 'fill the gaps' and create a realistic portrayal of the character. And in this respect, the movie shines very brightly. I mentioned earlier that the story wasn't the strongest out there, but on the other hand they didn't seem to overcompensate with massive amounts of hokey CG either. And in the end I think viewers will walk away like I did, satisfied with a good blend of action, story and believable-looking CG elements.

The casting was also right on the money, with Robert Downey Jr seemingly slipping into the role of Tony Stark almost too easily. Paltrow also provided a great foil, and the romantic tension that developed established a foundation that can easily be expanded on in a sequel. I really don't want to go into any further detail so as not to spoil it for those of you that haven't seen it yet because it really is a treat not to be missed.

The only other thing I want to say is that if you go see it, stay for the whole movie, credits and all. At the very end you get a cameo appearance by none other than Sam Jackson, the 'original badass' himself!

So if you haven't seen it yet, what on Earth are you waiting for?!?!?

I tend to have pretty wide-ranging tastes when it comes to music in general, but I have always felt a deep connection with certain songs or pieces that I've heard over the years. One of the most recent tracks that really struck a deep chord with me was the music playing in the background of Casino Royale during the 'shower scene', where Bond (Daniel Craig) is comforting his female companion Vesper (Eva Green) after he brutally whacked a couple guys in a stairwell right in front of her. Here's the scene:

This piece of music prompted me to post a few of my favorite music pieces, mostly things that I've heard over the years and fell in love with or songs that remind me of friends and family. Hope you're ready, because here it is:

• 'Vesper' from the Casino Royal Soundtrack
• 'Reunion with Gurney' from the Dune Soundtrack
• 'So Far Away' by Crossfade
• 'Molossus' from the Batman Begins Soundtrack
• 'Brooklyn Heights (1)' from the Gangs of New York Soundtrack
• 'DARE' by the Gorillas
• 'Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg' by Richard Wagner
• 'Theme/Credits' from the 'Timeline' PC Game
• 'Singing in my Sleep' by Semisonic
• 'The Tractor Factory' from the Enemy at the Gates Soundtrack
• 'High Roller' by The Crystal Method
• 'All These Things' by Harry Connick Jr
• 'You Are The Pan' from the Hook Soundtrack
• 'My Way' by Limp Bizkit
• 'They Say Vision' by Res
• 'The Wheat/The Battle' from the Gladiator Soundtrack
• 'Boys of Summer' by Don Henley
• 'Bette Davis Eyes' by Kim Carnes

Out of all these, my favorites probably still remain Meistersinger (listen closely at about 3:15-3:40 into it) and Reunion with Gurney (@56 seconds into it). Meistersinger in particular is probably still the only piece of music that had me in tears from start to finish when I experienced it live over at Stetson University several years ago. By the time the piece hit the climax at around 3:30, I was crying like someone just stole my birthday and was in love with it ever since. Even now though, I can't entirely explain why I felt such a strong upwelling of emotion at that time. All I know is that it was an amazing feeling, like a huge well of emotion deep inside just blew out and covered my entire body.

Hopefully one day I can hear it again in a live setting!

What are your thoughts?

I first saw this trailer earlier today for the new Tom Cruise movie coming out early next year, Valkyrie:

While I do agree with most that Cruise is an absolute loon who is firmly in the grips of the scientology monster, I also think he's one hell of an actor and in this particular case his strong likeness to the real Claus von Stauffenberg is unreal.

The film is due out in February of 2009, and is directed by Bryan (X-Men) Singer and stars Cruise and some other great actors like Kenneth Branagh, Christian Berkel and Terrence Stamp.

I definitely plan on being there opening night for this one...

So last night it appeared as though it was shaping up to be a guys' night out, and my thought was that Rambo was just what the doctor ordered for such an occasion. Because really, what's better than a good old fashioned, gory shoot-em-up when you're with your buds?

Let me give you a quick summary at what you're looking at with this one:

John Rambo has effectively 'retired' to Thailand to quietly live out the rest of his life when a group of Christian missionaries shows up asking Rambo to lead them up a river into Burma, currently a hell-on-Earth that is home to a decades long civil war.

Rambo drops them in, and once it is later discovered that they are captured by a group of Burmese troops, Rambo is contracted by their church's pastor to go in once again with a group of mercenaries in order to recover them.

But really, its not the story you are going to the theater to see... To see Rambo for any other reason just sets you up for dissapointment. If you're in my age bracket or older, you go to a Rambo movie expecting nothing more than pure action, plain and simple. And in this respect, Rambo certainly delivers; ultimately, the viewer is treated to a guns n gore-fest the likes of which I have not personally seen since the martial arts blood bonanza that was The Story of Ricky.

Sly is obviously at that point in his life/career where he wants to tie up the loose ends and go out with a proper bang, and I think he did admirably with both Rocky Balboa and Rambo. Both films served their purpose perfectly, and although Rocky Blaboa is a more intelligent and heart-felt film, Rambo still succeeds in delivering a great action flick while still tying up any remaining sentimental feelings for the franchise that linger.

Ultimately, John Rambo in this movie is a much more subdued character than I would have otherwise expected. The film opens with footage from Burma, particularly from the recent crackdown on Burmese monks. There is also a scene where government troops rather brutally kill a group of civilians, obviosuly setting up Rambo's raison d'etre into the conflict, and one of his main sources of emotional conflict. Throughout the movie, Sly is featured prominently but doesn't say much, and once the action really gets rolling he comes off more as a member of an ensemble cast rather than the clear star of the film. There is also an active effort to connect to the previous films, particularly through the use of a dream sequence that used footage from the other movies and a few short action sequences that hinted at the amazing military skills that Rambo used commonly in his prime.

The supporting cast is rather adequate for the task, composed largely of relatively unknown actors, but characters such as the female antagonist played by Julie Benz were good choices for the focus of much of Rambo's internal conflict during the film. The group of mercenaries that Rambo works with for about last third of the film are fleshed out just enough to be interesting, yet not enough to take totally away from Sly.

The action (or better gore) throughout the movie seemed to me like a cross between Saving Private Ryan and Faces of Death, and there seemed to be a liberal use of CGI mixed in with real FX to simulate bodies or heads exploding, limbs being blown off, and people disembowled. One things got rolling, the blood flowed freely by the 50 gallon drum of it...

The final big action sequence, in which Rambo decimates an entire line company of Burmese troops before slashing their evil, child molesting commander wide open with a homemade blade, was action-packed and quite memorable. But once again, what stood out the most to me was the fact that while Rambo saved the day, he was very much just one part of the whole instead of the one man army of the past films. I may make it sound like a bad thing, but in the end it's really not, because it seemed like a nice subtle way of the character 'just fading away', as Douglas MacArthur would put it...

In the end, go see Rambo if you want some good ole' fashioned American blood n guts action. For something with more substance, obviously you have elsewhere to look. I'll give this one 3 stars, mainly due to the fact that while it isn't a great movie, it's great at what it was intended for.

"Yes, my lord... The foolish director Doug Liman has hired me for his film 'Jumper', and I vow to destroy it with my uber-horrible acting."

So yesterday we had the misfortune* of seeing 'Jumper', the new sci-fi crapfest starring Hayden 'my cardboard cutout acts better than I do' Christensen and Sam 'I use the same look and voice tone in every movie' Jackson. Granted, I like Sam Jackson a lot, but did he even glance at the script before he said 'I'm in' to Jumper?

Let me sum up the movie for you: A kid discovers that he has the power to teleport anywhere he wants while a group of 'Paladins' hunt all jumpers like him. Now go watch the trailer:

Now that you've seen the trailer, you've seen all the good parts. Seriously.

The movie suffered more from a totally inept script than it did from Hayden's acting, which is saying something. The movie's characters were paper thin, having no depth or development whatsoever. While the movie's general plot was cool, it remained underdeveloped and left you walking away from the theater thinking gee, I know there was a hollywood writers' strike on, but did they really have to hire the crazy homeless guy on 5th and central to write this??

Take my word for it- Avoid this AOL call center rep at all costs. I give this movie 1 out of 4 stars, mainly as a way of saying nice try, better luck next time.

You'll thank me later...

* I want to take full responsibility for us seeing this movie. I did this in an effort to avoid seeing 'Step Up 2'.