Indiana Jones Film Series Retrospective

In honor of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' being re-released in IMAX theaters this week and the upcoming Blu-Ray release of 'The Complete Adventures' on the 18^th, it's time we take a look at the Indiana Jones quadrilogy. What can you say about these movies? They're some of the most classic movies of their era and loving homages to the adventure films of the 30's and 40's. Conceived from the minds of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, who was fresh off of his role as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy, there were a 'trilogy' of films in the 80's and then the series made a return in 2008. So now, here are short reviews for all four of the four Indiana Jones movies.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): The one that started it all. It's a brilliant mix of humor, action, and adventure all rolled into one film. Really, there's not much to say that has already been said about this film already, so really all I can say now is that if you haven't seen this movie, I recommend you get to watching it sooner or later. Maybe go see it in IMAX this week, especially if you're someone like me who never saw the original three movies in theaters. It's quite an experience.

Rating: 5/5!

Temple of Doom (1984): AKA one of the most effed-up PG movies you will ever see. Yes, this movie was one of the main contributors (along with two other Spielberg productions, Gremlins and Poltergeist) to the creation of the PG-13 rating that we have today and as you can see, there's good reason why this attracted much controversy. This is a very dark movie, and it does go a little bit off the deep end in a few areas. Where you ask? Well, let's just say from experience that a scene where someone's heart is ripped out of their chest is something that no kid should ever see. Ultimately, Temple of Doom does come off as the weakest entry in the original three films. Kate Capshaw's Willie Scott comes off as really annoying compared to the other leading ladies in the franchise and overall it's not really as fun as the other movies were.

Rating: 3.5/5

Last Crusade (1989): When it comes to the best film in this series, usually it's debated between either Raiders or Crusade. I'll admit, I prefer Crusade mainly because of one man, and that is Sean Connery as Indiana Jones' father, Henry Sr. This is inspired casting, mainly in part due to the fact that a lot of Indiana Jones was inspired by the James Bond franchise and it fits having the original Bond himself in this movie. Not only does it add more humor to the movie, but it adds a solid father/son dynamic that works incredibly well. Don't get me wrong, Raiders is just as great but Crusade has to be my personal favorite.

Rating: 5/5!

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): This is quite a film to talk about because this was one that was in development for a long time. Spielberg and Lucas never intended to make a fourth film but years later they ultimately did and in the end, most people liked it as much as they did the Star Wars prequels, and by 'like' I mean they most likely hated it. But like with the Star Wars prequels, I don't think this is bad as most people put it off to be. The main problem with this movie was that it really didn't pull any punches unlike the other movies. Also, aliens in a Indiana Jones movie is going a little too far. For the record, that's not all of the problems that a lot of people have with the film. True, that scene where Indy survives a nuclear explosion just by hiding in a fridge is really out there but for some odd reason, that never bothers me. As for Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams' AKA Indy's son, he's actually pretty good here. In the end, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is exactly what it is supposed to be. It's a modern-day B-movie and in that sense, it did its job well. Was it needed? No, but it's nice to see Indy one more time.

Rating: 4/5

2012 End of Year Preview: Part 1 (September)

We've had quite a year so far when it comes to movies. We've had three exceptional superhero flicks, some very funny comedies, and the birth of the next big book-adapted franchise after Harry Potter. But 2012 is not over yet and now Oscar season will begin, where the films that weren't big enough for the summer come out. However, it's these films that will the top dogs competing for Oscar nominations come February 2013, including the latest pics from directors like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg. Of course, there are still some movies that will no doubt please mass audiences, from the latest James Bond flick to the prequel to Lord of the Rings. Now it's time to take a look at some of these upcoming flicks, month by month.

SEPTEMBER



*If for some reason you're a fan of the Resident Evil film franchise, then you're probably waiting for the next entry in the series, Resident Evil: Retribution on the 14^th. Now the reason I say 'if' is because, to be fair, while the Resident Evil franchise has performed pretty decent at the box office, it has received the typical reaction from both critics and audiences that most video-game based movies get. How will this new one fare with a returning cast of characters from all throughout the previous films?

*If you're not into Resident Evil or more importantly if you have kids, then they'll probably want to see Pixar's classic 'Finding Nemo', which returns to theaters in 3-D the same weekend. What can be said about this flick that hasn't been said already? It is easily one of the finest animated films ever made with a really touching father-son story and some of the best animation Pixar has ever done. Finding Nemo is the latest film this year to be re-released in 3-D, following in the footsteps of Star Wars Episode I, Beauty and the Beast, and Titanic. It will be the first of two Pixar movies to be re-released this year in 3-D (more on the other one in the December preview).

*That's not the only major re-release this month though. That other classic film is director Steven Spielberg's 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', the first in the Indiana Jones series which will hit IMAX theaters for a special one-week engagement starting on the 7^th. This comes in conjuction with the upcoming Blu-Ray release of the film, and the process to convert the film to the IMAX format was supervised by none other than Spielberg himself.

*The weekend of September 21 is certainly going to be busy, with one of the most crowded group of wide-releases. The first is Dredd 3D, a new adaptation of the comic book series 'Judge Dredd'. It follows in the footsteps of a previous adaptation in 1995 starring Sylvester Stallone. However, this version was both a critical failure and a commerical disappointment. This new version stars Karl Urban (Star Trek) in the lead role of Judge Dredd and so far has received well by critics. At the time this is being written, Dredd holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

*Meanwhile, the next big release of the week is 'House at the End of the Street', a PG-13 rated horror film. Now, usually PG-13 horror films aren't really that good, but this flick might attract some big numbers at the box office as it stars none other than Katniss Everdeen herself, Jennifer Lawrence. But for the record, this was filmed before 'The Hunger Games' so this might just be the studio trying to bank on the success of its female lead.

*Finally, we have the main sports film of the year, Trouble With The Curve, a drama about an aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves who is given a last chance to prove his worth the organization. Why is this film worth bringing up? Because the lead is none other than Clint Eastwood, in his first major starring role since 2008's Gran Torino. This movie also has a solid supporting cast including Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, and John Goodman.

*For the September 28^th weekend, Sony Entertainment has two films competing for the number one spot. One is a animated family flick, Hotel Transylvania. The plot follows Dracula, the owner of a monster hotel who tries to defend his daughter from falling in love with a human who stumbles upon the place. The voice cast includes Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, and Selina Gomez. Now, I'm probably sure many of you already wrote this film off because of Sandler, but you might be pleased to know that this isn't from his studio Happy Madison. Instead, it's from the mind of cartoon legend Genndy Tartakovsky, who created cartoon classics such as Samurai Jack and Dexter's Lab.

*If you're looking for a more mature flick that weekend, look for Looper, a sci-fi flick from director Rian Johnson. In the lead role is 'Robin' from The Dark Knight Rises, Joseph Gordon Levitt who also starred in Johnson's previous two flicks, Brick and The Brothers Bloom. He also co-stars with Bruce Willis, who plays an older version of Levitt's character, who is an assassin for a criminal organization in the future who hires people like Levitt to get rid of their enemies by sending them back to Levitt's time. However, Levitt's character is faced with conflict when one of his targets is none other than his future self.

LIMITED RELEASES

Of course, there are also a few 'Oscar potential' flicks that will first hit theaters through limited releases. There's two worth noting for September.

*The first is 'The Master', the latest from director Paul Thomas Anderson. Joaquin Phoenix (in notably his first major acting role since his supposed retirement) plays a drifter who meets the charismatic leader of a new religious based organization in the post WWII era, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Expect this film to be released on the 14^th.



*The other major limited released flick is 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower', based off of the hit book of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, which was published in 1999. The film will be directed by Chbosky himself, and star Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Erza Miller in the lead roles. It hits theaters on the 21^st.

There are a few other releases this month, but these were the main ones I felt were worth talking about. Stay tuned for the next entry in this 4-part look into the rest of the year's films, where we look at the month of October with the sequel to one of Liam Neeson's biggest hits, the next Ben Affleck helmed flick, and the latest entry in a popular horror franchise.