We know it's summer when the big blockbuster action movies return. To kick off the season, I take a look at three of the early entries in the summer of '08.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Imagine a vintage car that's been sitting in storage for years. Its owner comes out and opens the garage door to take a look. Just the sight of it brings back fond memories of fun times. But when he tries to start it up, nothing happens.
That's sort of what it's like to see the fourth installment of "Indiana Jones." Just the sight of Indy on screen again after all these years brings back fond memories. But, somehow, it never cranks up.
All the elements are in place. In fact, it's almost as if George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are checking them off a to-do list: the attention-getting opening, Indy teaching his college class in a bow tie, the globetrotting, the improbable car chases, the snakes and the supernatural hocus pocus in the final act.
They're all there, but they lack the excitement and fun that was always a hallmark of the "Indiana Jones" sagas. Instead of pulse-pounding adventure, the heart rate is only mildy elevated. Instead of hilarity, there are only minor chuckles. Instead of unpredictable frights, the movie has the feel of a carefully calculated theme park ride that flirts with danger but is really very safe.
The actors do their best to keep the energy level up. Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, an overly spray-tanned Shia LaBoeuf and a campy Cate Blanchett as an over-the-top Soviet villain are all excellent. But somehow their efforts don't overcome a by-the-numbers script.
At one point, Indy laments the friends lost over the years. His college dean says to him, "There comes a point where life stops giving and starts taking away." It's a melancholy but very telling moment in a film franchise that's losing its competitive juices.
What is especially troubling is that, in preparing for Indy's final bow, Lucas and Spielberg had 19 years to get the script right. The fact that these two-the best minds in the business-decided this was as good as it gets is scarier than any perils this movie throws at us.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The first in the series of beloved C.S. Lewis children's books came to the big screen in December 2005 with the release of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." It told the story of the four Pevensie children-two brothers and two sisters-who discover the mysterious world of Narnia on the other side of a closet, and get pulled into a conflict to save the inhabitants from the reign of an evil ice princess.
As the "Prince Caspian" story opens, a year has elapsed in the real world, but 1,300 years have passed in Narnian time. An evil king has taken the throne, the rightful heir, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), is in hiding, and the four children must once again save the kingdom.
In many ways, "Narnia" has all the makings of a perfect kids' fantasy story. Four children are whisked off to a strange world where they are kings and queens, fight battles alongside talking animals and mythological creatures, save the day and are proclaimed heroes. It's the ultimate in escapism for a youngster bored with school, homework and soccer practice.
Unfortunately in this movie, to achieve the status of heroes, the violence is ramped up considerably. One of the characters tells the children, "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." No kidding. Director Andrew Adamson may have sanitized the action-no blood ever flows-but the message still seems to be that problems are solved by flying swords and the decapitation and death of your enemies.
There's no doubt that Hollywood has found a marketable commodity in the Lewis story. A third chapter, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," is already in the works for 2010. But I found this picture to be a sad commentary on where the industry puts its efforts, and the buttons it feels it must push to keep the audience coming back.
Iron Man
The challenge of a comic book movie is not looking like every other comic book movie. In bringing Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man to the screen, director Jon Favreau and his team of writers break the mold.
They focus on good storytelling, interesting characters and a believable and very contemporary setting. The result is an action/adventure film that transcends its comic book roots and has plenty to recommend it to grownups.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the opposite of a superhero alter ego. Instead of a mousy, mild-mannered nerd, he is a high-ego, womanizing, brash maverick multibillionaire and war profiteer. But after being captured by terrorists in Afghanistan who are using the weapons he manufactures, he has an awakening. He returns home to turn his company into a peaceful venture with the help of trusted assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). This doesn't sit well with his partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).
This is a summer popcorn movie that works on many different levels-action, comedy, even as a morality tale. That's due in large part to the smart script and the caliber of acting. Downey is perfect in the role of Stark and the supporting cast, particularly Bridges and Paltrow, take their roles seriously.
Ultimately, it's Favreau's dedication to the real spirit of the genre that helps "Iron Man" rise above the rest of the summer action movies. He pays attention to the details - the humor, the high-tech look and feel, and the fun element in all these stories, which is the birth of the superhero. Only when the movie degenerates into a slugfest between the superhero and supervillain does it look clichÈd.
It's early in the season, but summer already has a superhero winner and it's "Iron Man."