The Indiana Jones Post

Indiana Jones is one of those characters that everyone can’t help but love. He’s like James Bond, but less of a womanizer. The classic trilogy has a fond spot in my heart and contains some of the most memorable moments in movie history. It’s been a long time coming but the fourth installment to the legendary franchise is here and I have to say that Indy’s still got it. Harrison Ford is back in the role that was made for him, and it’s almost like he never left. Though he looks a lot more haggard in the face than the Indiana of old, his performance is just as impressive, charming and charismatic as his previous outings, and it’s really great to see him back. Regrettably Sean Connery opted out of the movie (fool!) so he doesn’t make an appearance, but the interaction between Ford and series newcomer Shia LaBouef does a great job at filling the void. The action is the usual classic Jones fair, with car chases, daring escapes, overblown punching sound effects and a lot of great environmental obstacles. Once you get past the fact that Ford’s a bit more wrinkly and grayer this time around, then it feels like you are watching the old films again with a new plot.

Though Crystal Skull is far from being with out faults. Half way through the movie they throw you a curveball which I thought was a joke. Unfortunately this plot point develops to become the big reveal at the end of the movie and takes the film in a more science-fiction direction than I have come to expect from a ‘Jones film. The magic and mysticism of the past entries is dropped in favor of a much different outcome, which while, good, is far removed from the classic storytelling stile of its predecessors. Also there is one scene that needs to be removed ASAP. It involves Shia LaBouef tarzaning his way through the jungle canopy with his newfound monkey friends. The whole segment is absolutely ridiculous and seems out of place to a bizarre degree. Fortunately it lasts about a minute and is promptly forgotten. Besides these offences and one too many prairie-dog gags the movie is pretty much exactly what you’d expect (and want), so go check it out this weekend.

I do worry that the film relies heavily on its previous iterations and the fondness the fans have for the films. Without the first three this movie would be extremely ho-hum. But considering its classmates and the characters legendary status built up over the years you really can’t help but love a lot this movie has to offer. If you never cared for the first three (is that possible?) then this one won’t win you over. But if you are an Indy fan, then this one will fit right in.

The Banjo 3 Post

Great news. Fantastic news. Brilliant news! Well ok actually 99.9% of you won’t care in the slightest…but I am extremely excited to hear that Banjo-Kazooie 3 will be coming out holiday season 08!! BK is a videogame franchise originally started back on the Nintendo 64 (ah the good old days) with the aptly titled Banjo-Kazooie, which is my official vote for best game of all time. If I could calculate the amount of time I spent playing that game in my younger years, and combine that with the anticipation of Banjo-Tooie (the awesomely named sequel) and the hours logged playing the follow up; I imagine I owe about 2/3 my youth to Rareware and their awesomeness. Rare are notorious for long development cycles and tightlipped security about upcoming releases, so I can do little but wait with a grin on my face. Fingers crossed that there will be some murmurings at the GDC later on this month.

In other awesome news- that more of you will give a crap about- the new trailer for Indiana Jones 4 is online. Check it out here and get ready for some awesome bullwhip action* this summer. I can’t wait. Even if the subtitle is absolutely ridiculous. 2008 is going to be an awesome year for movies with Indy, 007 and Batman….I am stoked.

*Get your mind out the gutter. The dude’s like 100. Gross.