Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

When you catch lightning in a bottle once, that's a great thing. If you catch lightning in a bottle twice - or in the case of the first three Indiana Jones films, thrice - you can only imagine that that streak of good fortune would be destined to end at some point. The jury is still out for me on this film, although I admit I had a shit-eating grin on my face multiple times throughout the film (for example, the first shot of Indy or the crazy monkey scene performed by Shia LeBouf). It's just unfair to judge the value of this film without the nostalgia factor that the other three already developed. Additionally, the antagonist, played by Cate Blanchett, seemed weak to me, so it will be interesting to see how my feelings on her character influence my feelings on the movie overall (note, I'm not judging her effort, just the role itself).

Don't get me wrong, there are usually any number of things you could criticize in films if you think long enough about it. And for everything that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull lacked, it made up for in other ways - Harrison Ford and Shia LeBouf, exciting action sequences, and plenty of squirmishly good scenes with squirmishly disgusting creatures.

Overall, my gut feeling is a positive one, and I'd suggest giving this film at least one watch.

Rating: 7.5/10

Funny Face

Before you finish reading this post, understand that I do appreciate the singing and dancing talents that Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire bring to the classic movie Funny Face. However, if you've read the earlier posts of this blog, you'll also understand that movies from this genre, as well as musicals in general, are more or less lost on me. I tend to find the style of classical movies somewhat cheesy, and am turned off by the stilted progression of storylines in musicals because the characters have a need to sing and dance every three minutes.

Having said that, though, Audrey Hepburn does star, and although she hails from the golden age/musical Hollywood era, she's an exception to the rule in my book, so the movie gets bonus points here. It's not her best, but I've seen much, much worse films in my day (a la Hidalgo).

Rating: 6/10

27 Dresses

27 Dresses felt like it was 27 hours long and I don't really like Katherine Heigl.

Rating: 5/10

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Welcome back to Narnia - albeit a Narnia that is much different than the one we saw in the first film.

Prince Caspian takes place 1300 Narnian years after the Pevensie children last ruled over those lands, and much like their first experience there, the second trip back is welcomed by turmoil and tension at the hands of an unruly and unscrupulous leader.

With themes that are considerably more adult-like (perhaps the movies' storylines are growing with the children), the suspense is stronger, the emotional response evoked is stronger, and the result is a movie that is stronger than its predecessor. I highly recommend this film.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Little Mermaid

My favorite movies from my childhood are hit or miss when I watch them nowadays. A select few have managed to stand the test of time, and at the risk of sounding like a sissy, The Little Mermaid is one of them. I still laugh at Sebastian, sing to the songs, and, uh, have a crush on Ariel (gotta love those seashells).

Coming in at a brisk 83 minute running time, the only wish I have is that it was a little bit longer.

Rating: 7/10

Iron Man

The summer blockbuster season is finally here with the arrival of Iron Man. "Iron"ically (couldn't resist), it was the final action scene that hurt this film. The story - even for someone as unfamiliar with the character as I am - was well done and the character of Tony Stark, brought to life on the screen by Robert Downey Jr., was even better. Throw in the eye candy (Gwyneth Paltrow) and the pompous ass (Jeff Bridges), and you've got yourself a pretty damn good movie that would have been even better if not for, again, the somewhat cheesy fight scene in the climax of the film.

Rating: 7.5/10

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Perhaps it's that child within us that never goes away - that child who finds within him or herself the courage to stand up for what is right, that child who dreams of changing things for the better, that child who can accomplish things previously unimaginable - that makes this movie so enjoyable.

Well that and the fact that Liam Neeson voices Aslan.

Rating: 7.5/10