Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Welcome back Indy, thanks for the great times, now enjoy your retirement. The fourth installment of the Indiana Jones saga is great fun to watch, but doesn’t live up to the quality of its previous three chapters. There’s no need for a lengthy review here, other than to say that if you loved the first three films you will enjoy this one for all the same reasons. Harrison Ford is as good as ever and the action is amazing.

What’s not up to par in this installment is the story and the villain. In the first three films the story centered on a monumental journey in search of some mythical item that could destroy the world if captured by evil hands.  In the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the journey seems way too easy and the protagonist too wimpy.

While the search for the famed “city of gold” is a great myth to center a story around I just never felt like the world was going to end if the Russians got there first. It certainly didn’t feel like the race to get the Ark or the Grail. I guess I didn’t understand the power that was at risk. I also didn’t feel like Cate Blanchett’s character was all that menacing. Her “evil” was so comical she actually made me laugh a few times. And what was that whole psychic thing with her?

In the end, this film was as much about reliving some great childhood cinema memories, and for a lot of young parents, introducing their children to a movie hero from their childhood. All good reasons to catch Indy on his farewell tour!

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Film’s website: http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html

Iron Man

So after all the hype, did Iron Man stand up? Kind-of. I have to admit that I had HUGE expectations coming into this film and I’ve discovered that I’m usually disappointed when I do, but I couldn’t help it with this film. Marvel Comics making their first film on their own and Robert Downey Jr. as a super hero? I couldn’t wait. Now that it’s over, I had a good time, it was worth the price of a ticket but it is nowhere near as great as so many people have said. I think it seems great because, quite frankly, 2008 has been a terrible year for films so far and this is the best of a bad year (at least so far).

What’s good? Downey, the special effects and the general plot line.

What’s not good? The length, the direction and the script.

Let’s start with Downey. He is as good as I thought we would be, adding that touch of sarcasm and self-awareness to his character that hardly any actor today could pull off. He is a delight to watch and without him this film would be a disaster. The special effects, as you would expect, are amazing. The scenes of Iron Man flying around and doing battle with jet fighters is just stunning. The depth of the picture makes it seem like 3D and the editing is quite strong. It’s a visual paradise to watch. I also like the general story, that is, the story of Iron Man. I don’t give credit to anybody on the film for this, that credit belongs to Marvel and the legendary Stan Lee.

Where the film falls flat is in it’s writing and directing. Jon Favreau is a bit over his head with this film and it shows in the wasteful use of such actors as Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard. When you are handed these three as your supporting cast you have to get more out of the script for them to act with. Their characters were almost unnecessary and why you would cast such great actors into these roles is beyond me. And that brings up my biggest complaint. When you have Downey as your lead, you had better deliver a script befitting his talents. It wasn’t nearly smart enough to really take advantage of Downey’s best acting traits - that sarcastic, self-awareness that makes his characters seem bigger than life. If the supporting roles don’t have much to do, why not them make this a Downey film? Favreau should have seen this from reading the script and had the changes made to either showcase Downey better or beef up the supporting roles.

I also had a problem with the length of the film… just over two hours and it could have been 30 minutes shorter. I know it’s the trend these days - longer films - but I wish directors would show some restraint and make the film shorter when the story screams out for it. For the two hours that I did watch, I sure wish I could have seen more action scenes, or at the very least additional plot development.

In the end, I felt like I was watching a film that is just setting up a new franchise. Maybe Iron Man 2 will be better. I certainly hope so, but for now this one will do if you are looking for a fun movie to beat the Summer heat.

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Film’s website: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

The Kite Runner

I loved this film. Plain and simple. I have not read the book, so I came into the film fresh without expectations and I walked away moved to the point that I have been thinking about the story for days. It’s that strong. It’s a story about redemption, fear, family, religion and politics. It’s told through the eyes of great characters who make a very controversial topic human and allow the viewer to connect to a culture and world that they might be unfamiliar with.

Why did it work? For starters, director Marc Forster is spot on with everything. This is the same director that brought us “Finding Neverland” and “Monster’s Ball” - two films that I loved as well. He has a great ability to make melodramatic films in a subtle way that showcases great acting and writing. Most directors would have allowed a film like “The Kite Runner” to go over the top, but Forster remains restrained with his actors and camera work resulting in a very personal film about some very difficult topics. His restraint on the physical and sexual abuse is a perfect example. We get the point, are repulsed but not made to feel uncomfortable. Why he didn’t receive more acclaim for his work is beyond me.

I also liked the choice to use subtitles and keep the native Afghan language when the story is set in Kabul. I find it annoying when I’m supposed to be watching a movie about a foreign culture and everybody speaks English. This choice adds an authenticity to the film.

Finally, the acting is quite good. The young actors that play the two young boys are absolutely amazing. I was particularly moved by Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada who plays young Hassan - his eyes were the most expressive I have seen on screen in years. Khalid Abdalla is strong as Amir but Homayoun Ershadi steals the scene every time he shows up on screen. Playing a very proud, astute yet strict father he is able to show a soft side to a very angry character.

This is a film to see. A film that will make you think. It’s political. It’s emotional and it’s a great story.

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Film’s website: http://www.kiterunnermovie.com

I am Legend

This film disappoints. It just doesn’t live up to the hype and to what it could have been. I expect Will Smith action films to be non-stop and bigger than life, but this film just wasn’t that. It has to live up to the standard set by the original (The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston) and it can’t. Why? I blame the director.

Hollywood is too quick to give the helm of major films to music video directors and films like this are the result; all style and no substance. Francis Lawrence makes a mess of what could have been a good film by spending too much time showing us how great the sets are and how spectacular he can shoot a chase scene and forgets to tell a decent story. He ignores pacing and basic storytelling which results in a slow paced, rather thin film…. sounds a lot like a music video, doesn’t it?

Lawrence tries to use flashbacks to keep us interested in Will Smith’s character and to make-up for the lack of other characters in the first two-thirds of the film, but the flashbacks only provide shallow back story and reveal nothing that we don’t already know about our lead character. Then he commits a mortal sin — the main character begins to act against his own character and starts doing things that have you scratching your head. For a character that is supposed to be very smart, Smith misses huge signs indicating what is happening around him. I blame the director for this because the signs are there — which means the screenwriter put them into the story but Lawrence either ignored them or was too obsessed with his sets to care.

In the end it’s not a bad rental but in the hands of a more talented director (maybe one who understands story!!) this could have been a great film.

Rating:

Film’s website: http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com/

Into the wild

I missed this film in the theaters and couldn’t wait to watch it on DVD when it came out. While I did enjoy the film, I was somewhat under whelmed which may be because this is a “big” film that loses some of its appeal on the small screen, but I think it’s because of some sloppy storytelling.

First, however, I did love a couple of things. The acting is amazing. Why this film did not get nominated for more acting awards is beyond me. Emile Hirsch is wonderfully subdued as the idealist, thoughtful, yet troubled young Chris McCandless. While Hal Holbrook received most of the praise for his supporting role I found that Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker’s performances as a hippie couple mesmerizing. All of the acting was subtle, powerful and delicate, not surprising since the film is directed by just such a great actor, Sean Penn.

I also found the cinematography beautiful. Instead of going for the glamour nature shots, Eric Gautier, goes for more of a natural, gritty feel that adds an element of tension to the film. All too often Hollywood films go for a look that is too vibrant and melodramatic rather than real. It’s nice to watch a film that pays homage to the beauty of the locations rather than trying to manipulate it.

So what didn’t work? Well, Penn seemed to be enamored with a romanticized version of McCandless. Maybe this is exactly what this guy was like, but as a leading character in a film some changes were needed. He is set up to be this incredibly intelligent, over-achieving young man who then makes a couple of very dumb decisions that lead to his death. This is where I lost the film. It was already getting long in the tooth and beginning to drag about two-thirds of the way through when McCandless’ character makes two decisions which seem out of character and ultimately lead to his death. I’m not questioning that someone in his position wouldn’t make these bad decisions, but the character in the film was set-up in a way that they seemed totally out of character. This is where Penn’s romanticized vision comes into play. I get the feeling that Penn didn’t want to dive into the dark side, or impulsiveness, of McCandless’ character which could have cast the lead as a less-than romantic figure. As a result, the climax of the film is weakened when, as viewers, you stop and ask “why didn’t he just…” Never something you want your audience asking at the end of a film. Despite the awkward ending, this film is worth watching for the acting and cinematography alone.

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Film’s website: http://www.intothewild.com/

Gone Baby Gone

“Gone Baby Gone” is an enjoyable film, well worth the cost of a movie ticket that will entertain you and give you something to talk about on the way home. Written and Directed by Ben Afflect and starring Casey Afflect the film follows the story of a young detective trying to unravel the mystery behind a young girl’s abduction. The acting is quite good with command performances by Afflect and Amy Ryan as the troubled, grief-stricken mother. Ed Harris adds another strong supporting role as a detective with his own sense of justice. This film reminds me of Mystic River from a few years back, but it doesn’t quite have the gusto to match Clint Eastwood’s masterpiece. While the writing is generally strong, the plot takes some turns at the end of the film that just don’t seem to add up. In particular two of the characters (Afflect’s girlfriend and the missing girl’s uncle) make huge decisions that seem out of character and/or unrealistic. When the events unfold onscreen I found myself saying “why didn’t he just do….” Since both of these moments happen as the climax of the film is hitting, the story takes a hit. It’s almost as if Afflect the writer/director was trying too hard to make sure that every character had a tragic flaw or evil side. Despite the narrative hiccup Gone Baby Gone is well worth seeing, and if you missed it in the theaters it’s a great rental.
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Film’s website: http://video.movies.go.com/gonebabygone