Movie updates

I think my last movie post was after seeing Iron Man. I did manage to see Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull while we were still in Monterrey, but that was about it. Since getting back to the US, I've only managed to catch Hancock.

As for Indy, I enjoyed it. I still like the first movie best and would rank this as my second or third favorite, probably third after Indian Jones and the Last Crusade (the second film, Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, is my least favorite; I think the makers were trying far too hard to push the "gross factor" envelope just for titillation). I wasn't crazy about the scifi twist to this one and had some serious trouble suspending disbelief with the rain forest action sequences (one minute you need a machine to break trail for you, but the next there are parallel trails sufficiently smooth to race down at full speed?). The dialogue and action were pure Indy magic, though, so it all worked out. I did enjoy seeing Indy's old flame back in this one; that was a nice touch. The makers obviously set the stage for potential sequels and a "passing of the fedora" to a new generation, but I honestly don't know if that will ever happen. I doubt that a different cast (and possible director?) could pull off the same magic.

Hancock was better than I expected. Emily and I went to see it a week or so ago and both of us enjoyed it. It was grittier and less comic-booky than many of the "super hero" movies. I wish they had given more detail on the back-story, but I guess that would have detracted from where they were trying to go in general. I generally enjoy Will Smith and he didn't disappoint. Now that I think about it, this movie really only had four actors: Will, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, and Jae Head. The rest barely even registered. Given its commercial success, it could easily spawn a sequel, unlike the last Will Smith movie I saw (in Mexico): I am Legend.

At the rate I'm going I won't get to see several of the spring/summer films before they disappear: Prince Caspian (only one listing in my area now) and Incredible Hulk (dwindling fast with all the other summer films coming out). I might manage it, but I think I'll be lucky to catch Hellboy II, Wanted, and Dark Knight at the rate I'm going (not to mention the cost: way cheaper in Mexico!).

So, I recommend both Hancock and the new Indy movie. On the DVD side I have a bunch of titles to buy that I missed in the theater in the last two years: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Golden Compass, Resident Evil: Extinction, The Seeker... notice a trend here? I'm big into SciFi/Fantasy, comic book adaptations (although I didn't read that many as a kid), anime, and some action films. Most comedies end up annoying me more than entertaining me. I enjoy a good drama or period piece, but I generally catch them on TV or rent them. My reading runs the same way, although I do read a good bit of news online (politics, general current events, lots of science and tech, etc.).