INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL - We saw this over the weekend. We both liked it. It's entertaining, it's fun, and it brings back a lot of good memories of growing up. I have to admit though, there were moments here that left me shaking my head and rolling my eyes. The script gets pretty rediculous in some places, and starts to unravel at times. But I think we all expected that. I won't spoil any of the story here, but there are moments that the story gets a little too "alien" for me...no pun intended. Mixing aliens and Indiana Jones is like mixing water and oil. Just doesn't work. The movie is good, but nowhere near as good as any of the original three. Just doesn't compare.
But when it comes right down to it...it was fun to see the whip and Fedora in action again after 19 years. Harrison is of course great as Indy, and it was fun seeing him ham it up with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). I'm not a Shia LeBeouf fan, so I'm skeptical whether or not he could carry a new Indiana Jones franchise (if they so intended). But I have to admit...if they made a 5th one I would definately go see it.
Jenny and I are now going to re-watch the original trilogy and enjoy the memories.
SPEED RACER - Jenny and I have talked about this movie quite a bit because Ben loves the Speed Racer cars, and has been wanting to see the original cartoon. (We're currently waiting for the disc to come from Netflix.) Should we take Ben or not? Would he like it or not? Well...the answer to both is no. Not until he's around 8 or 10. This movie is way too intense for him I think.
As for me, I was really interested in seeing this one because I of course remember watching the original cartoon as a kid. Every guy I know remembers like me being 10 and running home from school to catch Speed Racer.
So here we go...the "re-imagining" of Speed Racer, from the Wachowski Brothers (THE MATRIX Trilogy). This movie is all glitzed up with lots of eye candy. It's visually stunning and way over-the-top. The action sequences and car races are just mind-blowing and seizure-inducing. I have to admit, I liked this one more than I expected...but I have one big question: Who is the audience here? People like me who grew up with the cartoon might like this new tricked-out version, but I'm not so sure young kids will. And seeing all the Speed Racer toys at the toy store, all the Speed Racer cars at McDonald's, it's clear to me that the studio wants kids to get involved. One of the big problems here is eventually the story gets all tangled up in corporate power struggles and falling stock prices. Wait a sec...I thought this was a kid's movie? So perhaps getting the Wachowski Brothers on board was not a good call. What we're left with here is a very entertaining movie that may get more acceptance on DVD than in the theater.
IRON MAN - I've always thought that comic book characters don't translate well into movies. Though I have seen exceptions to the rule, (BATMAN BEGINS, X-MEN) I've seen more bad ones than good ones. Even the mega-popular SPIDER-MAN movies have left a bland taste in my mouth. So I went into IRON MAN with very low expectations. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. This is a very good movie. Robert Downey Jr. is great as the Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man. The movie perfectly blends the action of ROBO-COP and maybe even TRANSFORMERS, with the "techi-ness" of BATMAN, and the humor and charm of THE ROCKETEER. There are already plans for a sequel and maybe even more after that. Man I hope so. This was a fun and entertaining movie. A great surprise.
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