Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull falls short in reviving the Indiana Jones franchise. The film succeeds in dealing with Harrison Ford's age and the idea of the crystal skull sounds good on paper. But the storyline quickly becomes convoluted when aliens are brought into the mix, it would have been better for the writers to pick aliens or the crystal skull and not both. Old favorite characters like Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Marcus (Denholm Elliot), Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) are replaced with an annoying brat and a one- dimensional backstabber. Even Cate Blanchett cannot succeed in making the Russians original villains and they seem the same as the Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Blanchett's character dies the same way as the Nazi villains and no really cares. Like the Star Wars prequels, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull benefits from modern special effects that are absolutely stunning. But like the Star Wars prequels, the film declines as it descends into tedious fight scenes and stale dialogue that makes you wish for the snippy conversations in the first three Indiana Jones films. The film ends with Shia LaBeouf's character (who is apparently Jones' son?) about to pick up the classic Indiana Jones hat before Jones stops him. Here Spielberg and Lucas seem to be setting up Shia LaBeouf as the new adventurer and may turn the Indiana Jones concept into another legacy franchise, similar to James Bond. If this is what we can except from the new Indiana Jones films, count me out.

Rather than focusing the entire film on the Vietnam War, Michael Cimino chose to emphasize character evolution and the aftermath of war on a small blue-collar Pennsylvania town. This not only removes The Deer Hunter from the war movie category but makes it so much more. While the first third of the film is long and parts can be cut (say what you will but the marriage scene could have been slimmed down and the scene when the guys kept on driving off without John (George Dzundza) was almost unnecessary) this is an excellent film that continues to shine more than twenty-five years later. The talent in this film is immeasurable with an all-star cast including Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, and John Cazale. While everyone at home goes about their everyday lives, Michael (Robert DeNiro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Steven (John Savage) go through a war that shatters their enthusiasm. The war continues to ravage their lives even after they are done fighting: Michael can no longer hunt, Nick's mind is broken as he sits playing Russian roulette in Saigon, and Steven is paralyzed. Meryl Streep deserves accolades for this film as well as she plays the woman torn between Michael and Nick. Her character demonstrates war's power in affecting those who stayed at home. Unlike so many films that romanticize wars as honorable and good vs. evil, The Deer Hunter shows that war is a hell that follows you home. The last scene in Saigon will catch you by surprise every time you watch it.

American Gangster had all the appearance of a fantastic film. It could have been 2007's Best Picture and been the best crime drama in years. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are two of the most talented actors today and the more minor players in this film are also worth mention (look out for the RZA and Common). Ridley Scott has directed such screen classics as Alien and Blade Runner and there is no reason to think that American Gangster would have been different. So what went wrong? American Gangster has a few problems worth mentioning. First is the pacing, while others may complain about a lack of significant action scenes, the major problem for me was a lack of significant personal moments especially among Frank and the other characters. Too often are we treated to unnecessary shots of crack whores and coke snorting instead of seeing how Frank relates to his family. The plot interrupts interactions between the characters, a prime example is when Frank's nephew (T.I.'s character) telling Frank why he no longer wants to be a major league baseball player. He tells Frank that Frank is his role model and instead of seeing Frank's reaction, Huey Lucas interrupts the scene to keep the plot moving. The second real problem with this film is the acting, specifically Denzel Washington's acting. Frank Lucas was more likable than fearsome, something that was most likely not intentional. The audience may occasionally see him snap but these scenes seem unnatural and interrupt the film's flow. These bursts of violence were often quick and made Frank seem more like a stern parent than a cold-blooded killer.

When I first saw The Incredibles in theaters I thought, "This is computer animation at its best. Pixar can only go down from here." Cars proved me right. But Ratouille's detail and splendor has built on the success of The Incredibles. The action scenes are breathtaking and Pixar turns cooking into an exhilarating nerve-racking experience. The characters are likable though none of them are particularly memorable except Anton Ego, who is voiced by the brilliant Peter O'Toole. And Ratouille is even better because there is something missing that has been in Pixar movies for years: The annoying supporting character with the voice of nails on a chalkboard. I'm talking about characters along the lines of Ellen Degeneres in Finding Nemo and Billy Crystal in Monsters Inc. Thankfully there is no such character in this film. Ratatouille's story is simplistic but the movie is aimed at a younger audience after all. There are funny scenes, the animation is gorgeous, and there are some important lessons in the film (the importance of art, accepting difference, don't forget where you came from, etc).

I had almost forgotten about this movie over the last few years and then I watched it again on Sunday night and was instantly reminded how much I enjoyed this film. The cast is brilliant and whoever chose the actors deserves a round of applause. Bill Murray alone would have made this a good movie. I'm a huge Gene Hackman fan and he and Anjelica Huston have great chemistry. Danny Glover plays an excellent rival to Gene Hackman. Ben Stiller and the Wilson brothers show they have real acting skills and can do more than comedy. I don't normally like Gwyneth Paltrow but this is an exception and she shines as Margot Tenenbaum. Pagoda was a memorable character as well. This film went past the cliché family movies with everyone getting along in the end. The Royal Tenenbaums has heart and wit. The eccentricities Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson gave their characters helped me connect with them as human beings while making them hilarious. Wes Anderson should be proud. He made a film that people can watch again and again and still find enjoyable.