Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

SPOILERS

One of my friends left in disgust about 15 minutes in. Can't say I blame her. The opening sequence positively SUCKED -- The brief glimpse of the Ark couldn't begin to salvage it.

I can't quite wrap my brain around where all the love is coming from -- both here and in the plentiful good reviews. I have to disagree with Rov's assessment, too -- The biggest spliff in the world would not have made this movie watchable, though maybe that explains why Harrison Ford seemed drugged throughout, especially in the first act.

Cate Blanchett and her henchmen were entirely unmenacing, and her accent was slip sliding all over the place--I'm surprised at her!

The FBI guys were far more effective heavies in their brief minutes on camera, and Indy coming up against the Red Scare raised the tantalizing possibility that the movie would go in an entirely different direction with regard to the baddies... which of course never materialized.

Poor Karen Allen was entirely unnecessary and there was simply NO spark between her and Harrison Ford. It just wasn't there, in the chemistry OR (to be fair) in the script. The wedding scene at the end was tacked on.

I did think Shia LaBouef was terrific -- though the whole, cloying "go back to school" theme was incredibly irritating (albeit not unexpected).

Once they escape from the Reds, it's one mad rush to the end, and the various set pieces (the jungle chase, the killer ants, the waterfalls, and finally, the hidden city) were fairly diverting, though really nothing special, especially by comparison to the previous films.

A while back, my buddy Zack posted the following to the Ex Isle message board:

Please no aliens, please no aliens, please no aliens.

SOL on that one, I'm afraid. My other friend (the one who *didn't* walk out) said I looked "devastated" when the flying saucer appeared.

I'm sure I did. Shoe-horning Indiana Jones into B sci-fi movie genre conventions of the 50s was just ill-conceived. They should not have made this movie. UGH.

Ah, Sue Simmons...

...you saucy wench.

Still, that's charming compared to you-know showing his true colors.

Iron Man

Loved it! While the superhero "origin story" format is becoming all-too-familiar, like a subgenre of its own, this is one of the best iterations I've seen... if not *the* best.

Downey Jr and Bridges elevate it to a whole 'nother level. Also liked Gwyneth Paltrow and the decision to do Jarvis as an AI rather than a butler... That let them give Pepper a lot more presence than she would've had otherwise, and it let the "you're all I have" line ring emotinoally true. It also let them put AI Jarvis in Tony's head while he's in the suit. Very clever.

I'm especially impressed that they added not just SHIELD, but also the Avengers (Initiative) wrinkle as well. Hope everyone stayed for the after-credits bit with Samuel L. Jackson -- who is as perfectly cast for Nick Fury as Downey Jr and Bridges were for Stark and Stane.

Marvel now seems intent on launching a full-scale feature film version of its universe, and they're using a much more streamlined, organic approach to world-building than Warners, which is doing a Justice League movie that exists in a separate film universe from both the Batman and Superman tentpoles... which are themselves separate from each other... Silly rabbit: take note! This is how it should be done.

On top of Nick Fury in this movie, Downey Jr has a cameo in the new Hulk movie. My guess is we'll see Stark recruit Banner for the Avengers. An Avengers movie could follow on that basis alone--with Downey Jr and Norton--if the plot centered on resurrecting Captain America.

Battlestar 4X03: "The Ties That Bind" Review (SPOILERS)

This was definitely one of the better episodes they've done. The show really benefits from more serialization akin to a show like Lost, or Moore's own season of Carnivale (Season One, aka the good season). They've set up a bunch of really interesting arcs for the season to explore and there're some satisfying developments on several fronts in this episode.

The leaast interesting of these was the introduction of a status quo on the Demetrius, the garbage scow Adama gave Starbuck to search for Earth. (Among the crew: Anders, Athena, Helo, Gaeta, Racetrack. Presuambly, Hera is with them, as well.) Necessary, but not much more than an establishing shot.

The politics, on the other hand, absolutely crackled in both the colonial and Cylon fleets. The Quorum of 12 meeting was especially well-done, if overdue. I wish they'd been focusing more on Roslin and fleet politics all along, in this quasi-West Wing fashion (or maybe it's more like a sci-fi Julius Caesar). But better late than never.

They've been teasing this season's Lee arc--let's call it the "Lee finally becomes an interesting character" arc--since he turned the gun on Col. Tigh during his father's coup attempt in Season 1, choosing civilian control over the military rather than the other way around.

And now, as the representative of Caprica to the Quorum of 12, Lee accepts the questionable patronage of former terrorist Tom Zarek as the cost of making an ambitious debut at his first meeting. He leaves no doubt that he intends to resume the interrogation of Roslin he began at Baltar's trial, carrying it into this new, far more threatening, arena. Threatening to her, that is. And to him as well, given the nature of politics, not to mention the nature of his adversary.

It feels like the series is finally acknowledging and planning to deal with the fact that Roslin is a tyrant.

Lee's remark to Zarek (that sometimes people need a "benevolent tyrant" to pull them through) seems to indicate he isn't starting out with the intent of toppling Roslin -- succeeding her, maybe, but not toppling. He came to her defense over the question of the Demetrius -- an olive branch she swatted away in suitably reptilian fashion. A very satisfying moment--for both. This should be a good fight.

It's that Titan/Olympian theme again. (Remember, all of this has happened before and all of it will happen again). The progeny rising up to consume and replace the elder generation, which is mirrored perfectly by what's playing out in the Cylon fleet. It was ... unbelievably naive (and well-observed by the writers) of Six, Three and Leoben to believe they could get Cavil & Co to agree to their demands... Unboxing D'Anna would insure that Cavil gets outvoted every time. So, obviously, he answered Six & Co's challenge with treachery and, then, full scale war.

Will Roslin now attempt to do the same to Lee... respond to his little, laregly symbolic insurrection with nuclear intensity?

And, needless to say, this week's Final Four plotline was wrenching. Tory suddenly has this ancient, icy quality to her (especially in the eyes). She's the first one who's been given the opportunity to make it real, and she knocked it out of the park. It will be interesting if they give a plot like this to each of them in turn, dealing with how their newfound stataus changes their priorities and loyalties.

(This episode was written by Michael Taylor, who just struck a deal with Ron Moore to create a 2 hour backdoor pilot movie called Virtuality for Fox.)

Activia

Amy Acker Enters Whedon's Dollhouse

Now, *that's* some good news. Unfortunately, it's not great news, as the part is just recurring.

Acker is jus the latest Whedonverse vet to join Fox's Dollhouse project, which received a 7 episode commitment after a single meeting to pitch a possible pilot. Also on board are:

-producer/star Eliza Dushku (Faith on Buffy and Angel)
-Tim Minear, Whedon's partner on Firefly and a former showrunner on Angel (we'll forgive him for being a republican due to his increidble talent)

-Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft, a fantastic writing team who cut their teeth on Angel and who return to the fold after several seasons of outstanding work on The Shield (itself a consistently excellent series created by Whedonverse vet Shawn Ryan). Craft & Fain also ran Women's Murder Club for ABC this seaosn, but left or were sacked after the strike, possibly the result of an intolerable amount of network interference... Though possibly not. (I have no idea.)

Tahmoh Pennikett is not a Whedon vet, but the Battlestar Galactica co-star (he plays Helo) has also been cast (in a role James Marsters was rumored to be up for -- though that was probably just a rumor).

The first reviews of the pilot script are also trickling in. Of course, they're from rabid Whedonfans, so take 'em with a grain of salt... though I admit I expect to be "wowed" by this project. The bar is set very high. (Then again, *I* am a rabid Whedonfan.)

Papa Bear

Instructions for making a homemade dart board. (Or, as close as I could come.)

Two of my favorite things...

leather and musicals... (Think they don't mix? First of all: bullshit. It's just butch drag. But more to the point: hit play. Dare ya.)

He's Six!