Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: A Great Summertime Kickoff

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:17:26 -0700

There's a lot to enjoy about this fourth installment of Indiana Jones. It's fun, silly, adventure-filled and completely entertaining in ways we don't always get from movies these days, with the greatest parts coming straight from the marvelous imagination of Steven Spielberg. Plus, it's a summertime blockbuster that doesn't totally rely on CGI which feels practically old-fashioned - and I mean that in the best way possible. The performances are strong and overall it's a sequel that doesn't embarrass itself or the whole franchise. It's refreshing and, honestly, it's a relief.

Sure, there are aspects I didn't like about it, but the experience of seeing this movie with a theater full of fans and happy moviegoers pretty much trumps any quibbles I have. The story finds our beloved Indy caught up with a group of Soviets (led by one fierce Irina Spalko, played by Cate Blanchett) trying to find the secrets behind ancient crystal skulls which are said to have been shaped by some kind of higher power (or other-worldly power). They need Indy's mad archaeologist skillz (and wide base of experience) to do this and one way of luring him in is via Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who they've taken captive. Marion gets in touch with Indy through her son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf). That's the basic gist of things but I wanted to leave plenty for you to discover at the theater, so for more of just my thoughts, read more.

As with last summer's Simpsons Movie, Indiana Jones is not just a highly anticipated movie, it's a highly anticipated movie event. There are plenty of people who will see it no matter what anyone says, and there are plenty of people, too, who are determined to like the movie no matter what. I understand this fanaticism, and though I don't personally feel it about this Indiana Jones movie, I had a great time watching it. At the same time, there are things I disliked, too. Most of all, there is some bizarre, random supernatural stuff at the end that struck me as out of place and totally hokey (and not in the fun way, in the annoying way).

But you know what? It's still a lot of fun. There is much pure, innocent joy to be found sitting in a jam-packed theater, clapping and whistling at the first glimpses of Indy's shadow and Marion Ravenwood's bright smile. There's a goofy pride that comes from laughing along with everyone else at the film's nods to previous films. It is an event, and in some ways it's the quintessential summertime movie event: a fantastically fun time for kids, and a sweetly nostalgic trip for adults.

Basically, you're probably going to go see it anyway, and I think you should.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Comic-Con Report: Sandman, Iron Man, and Spock

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:29:21 -0700

Comic-Con is now in full swing down in San Diego, and Team member Phasekitty is blogging from the scene - be sure to check out her great reports from the convention floor. She already told us about "Lost," and here are some highlights from the other panels:

First of all, check out this photo Phasekitty snapped of the awesome poster for Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd starring Johnny Depp! She also got a look at the art for that JJ Abrams project definitely not named Monstrous.
At the The Paramount Pictures panel, JJ Abrams confirmed that Zachary Quinto is the new Spock! What's more: "They also announced that Leonard Nimoy would return to reprise his role as well, so it seems there will be a 'Young Spock' and 'Old Spock.' Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy came out and joined the panel to rap a bit about how excited they are to make the flick."
Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark) is officially signed on for Indiana Jones 4! Phasekitty says her appearance "made the crowd go mad with excitement."
Phasekitty said the Iron Man portion of the panel was the best: "Jon Favreau came out and introduced some footage that was to be shown in Marvel's panel on Saturday, but he simply couldn't wait for people to watch it. Most of the footage showed Robert Downey Jr. looking fantastic as Tony Stark, but went on to show a lot of the origin of Iron Man, the first gray suit, and ending with some amazing shots of Iron Man flying. I've got high hopes for this movie and the footage they showed was very strong."

A bunch more, including Neil Gaiman's appearance, so read more

Neil Gaiman, the guest of honor at Comic-Con, showed off trailers for Stardust and Beowulf and also answered some questions about a possible adaptation of his Sandman comic. Phasekitty reports:

During the Q&A, Gaiman fielded questions about adapting his much beloved comic, Sandman, which he answered in a response I've heard him say before - when the right person, with the right passion for the project comes along, then it will happen. He did mention that before we get Sandman, we will likely get a Death movie (a spin off character from the Sandman series), which is going to be a small movie on a small budget, written and directed by Gaiman himself. I'm very interested to see him take up the helm as director.
I'd wondered how Good Luck Chuck fit into Comic-Con, and apparently Phasekitty found out: At the Lionsgate panel, Dane Cook poked fun at Jessica Alba and made her show off her gold shoes "so that he could ask if everyone else thought they made her look like C-3PO."
Russell Crowe's accent bugged Phasekitty in the 3:10 to Yuma clips, but not as much as a loopy-seeming Ben Foster seemed during the presentation. Sigh.