Director: Dave Filoni
Writer: Henry Gilroy (screenplay) and George Lucas (characters and universe)
Genre: Animation/Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
The Story
The background of Clone Wars is in between Episode II and Episode III of the "real" Star Wars films. Anakin and Obi-Wan are in the heat of battle as the film starts, but back at the Jedi temple Yoda and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) are working on a way to get safe passage through Jabba the Hutt's territory. It turns out that Jabba the Hutt's son has been captured and to get safe passage through Jabba's territory the Jedis will have to rescue his son. Just as it seems that the Jedis are beginning to hold back Separatists and their droid army, the dark side gains control of a force field and now the Galactic Republic is in a lot of trouble. The only hope they have is for Anakin and his newly assigned Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to shut down the force field in time. Then Anakin, the Padawan, and Obi-wan must work to get Jabba's son safely home to gain his favor.
Everything Else
The directing was clean and the story made sense, but there was a certain amount of emotion and elegance missing that is hard to describe. Possibly it was simply the fact that we all want more Star Wars, but this is just a tease or maybe it is simply that animation dulls some of the emotion. Either way, there was something missing that made this film fail to capture the true essence of Star Wars. This felt more like the CGI in a Star Wars video game than an actual movie. Nevertheless it did give us some lightsaber action to enjoy for a while.
The battles were interesting, but I would not call them overly exciting. It is almost as if the characters that we once cared about in the regular films are not important to us here. I could not have cared less whether Anakin or the others survived and yet he is really who Star Wars is really all about. The Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, was apparently there to add some flavor and make things more interesting, but she was a tad on the annoying side. Of course I would gladly watch a film with her in it rather than Jar Jar (let's not even go there). Mace Windu had his normal voice from Samuel L. Jackson which was good to hear, but he was not in the film very much. Along with the lack of Windu was the lack of Yoda, and let's face it, Yoda is the coolest character. The dynamics of Anakin also seemed very off. The first two episodes and into the third episode really showed how Anakin was sort of a loose cannon from the beginning, but here he seemed to have a very good handle on himself and even taught the Padawan well. this showed a good side of him, but one that almosted seemed out f character. I would have liked to have seen a couple more hints of Anakins transition here.
The Real Deal
George Lucas just needs to give us what we all want; Episodes 7,8, and 9. The story is already there and if he did it right this time he could probably finish before he dies, but other than putting his name on stuff and making lots of money I have not seen much out of him. I thought the reason we were not getting more Star Wars was because Lucas wanted to do some smaller odder films much like his early days. Oh well, we can't always get what we want. I just felt like Clone Wars was a tease. It could have been good if they had brought more emotion into it. Somehow they managed to make it feel more dry than the dry moments in the real films. I want more Star Wars and this stuff is not going to cut it! Clone Wars was entertaining and somewhat unique, but could have been much better.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 632,122
Sharon Movie? Yes
8/17/2008
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
5/27/2008
Indiana Jones Roundup
As you all may have noticed, I have been reviewing all of the Indiana Jones movies from the Raiders of the Lost Ark to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. All of them are Sharon Movies and were recommended for review by Sharon so it worked out quite well seeing as how it is Sharon Movie May. I wanted to take a moment and give my thoughts on the series and this seemed like an appropriate for that. If you missed the reviews you can see each by clicking on the title below:
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Indiana Jones series has always been a part of my family’s repeat viewing list along side Star Wars and Back to the Future. I don’t know what it is about trilogies, but it just seems to have worked that way when I was growing up. I always loved the Indiana Jones series and it was always a close second behind Star Wars as far as favorites go. When I found out that a new Indiana Jones was coming out I was kind of skeptical, but I kept an open mind and it turns out that it wasn’t a disappointment at all. I liked all 4, but the Last Crusade is still my favorite and then Raiders of the Lost Ark, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Temple of Doom.
4. Temple of Doom
Temple of Doom was the one that I loved for the mine cart chase in the end and of course the heart removal scene. I always liked the scene where they flew out of the plane and rode a raft down to the river. Short Round was a good addition especially my favorite line, “Indy cover your heart!” Unfortunately after viewing this more recently its terrible flaws were unforgivable which is why it lands at number 4 on the list. The special effects and plot are so bad I had to laugh at them. If you don’t find goodbad movies funny, Temple of Doom could be very disappointing; especially after Raiders of the Lost Ark.
3. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a great movie considering the odds Spielberg was up against when he set out to make this one 19 years after the Last Crusade. Harrison Ford is getting quite old and it is difficult to make movies blend well when either the actors or the special effects have changed so much over the years. This sequel is actually a close third behind Raiders of the Lost Ark. Harrison Ford is still Indiana Jones and the addition of Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett as well as the return of Karen Allen kept this movie in check. Spielberg was even able to recreate the cheesy lighthearted feel that was great about the other three. Still this movie has its flaws and really only gets such a high score from me because of its ability to work well with the rest of the series knowing that this could not have been an easy task to achieve.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
This is where most people probably disagree with me; how can you put Last Crusade over Raiders of the Lost Ark? Well, it is not hard for me because I felt Last Crusade had the classic Indiana Jones feel like Raiders of the Lost Ark, but also had better humor with Sean Connery. Raiders of the Lost Ark is definitely a great movie and I would normally say that since it is the original it wins the prize, but I just liked Last Crusade better. Still, it is hard to beat the giant ball rolling, tons of snakes, and the guy getting chopped up in the propeller. I loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, so disagree with me if you must, but I am by no means saying Raiders of the Lost Ark is a bad movie.
1. Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the peak of the Indiana Jones series for me. Sean Connery and Harrison Ford could not have acted any better together and Connery is what really put this one over the top. In addition to Connery though, the action without bad special effects was back after Temple of Doom and there was plenty of plot and character development absent from the other two. This was a perfect way to end the trilogy by helping you forget the second film and tying as much back to the first as possible while still offering a great story of its own. When I think about Indiana Jones I always think about Last Crusade first and then about Raiders of the Lost Ark.
5/26/2008
Sharon Movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: David Koepp (screenplay) and George Lucas (story)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Story
Indiana Jones is back after 19 years in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. At the beginning of the movie we find Indiana Jones being held captive in order to get him to help the Russians find a certain box they are looking for in a secret Military warehouse. As the story progresses Mutt (according to imdb, but I was almost certain it was Mud) Williams (Shia LaBeouf) comes to Indiana Jones for help. He wants to save his mother (Karen Allen) and Professor Oxley (John Hurt) who Indiana Jones was friends with a long time ago. Professor Oxley went missing when he was searching for the Crystal Skull, which is said to unlock the powers of a golden city lost in the Amazon.
Everything Else
As is true with all of the Indiana Jones movies the story is not one that should really impress anyone. The series is all about the action/adventure and as long as that is what you are looking for then Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should be received well. The directing is solid just like it was in the first and third Jones movies and thankfully the special effects were good enough to not be a distraction like they were in the second film.
George Lucas does not disappoint and gives another wild story, which ends up having plenty of weird character interactions and humorous playful dialogue. This all stays true to the name and therefore makes this film fit right into the series. This is important when trying to make any sequel and especially when it has been 19 years since the last film.
The acting was good in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with two great additions to the cast: Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett. LaBeouf is coming along as an actor proving himself well in supporting roles, but still seems a little above his head in lead roles like Transformers. Nevertheless he did really well here in Indiana Jones and acted well right along side Harrison Ford. Cate Blanchett was a great choice to get a big name and obvious star talent added to the cast. Blanchett never ceases to amaze me with her range of ability. She plays a great villain in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and even puts on a thick accent to round it out.
The Real Deal
I enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull thoroughly, but I think it could have been better if they had done it 5 years ago and been able to have Sean Connery in it. Shia LaBeouf was a great addition, but Ford and LaBeouf did not jive as well together as Connery and Ford had in Last Crusade. Still with all of the action and plenty of good acting Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was well worth making. I found it to fit into the series just right and would happily buy the Legacy when it comes out on Blu-ray. It is almost strange to be coming back to the series after so many years, but Lucas did it with Star Wars and I can’t help but see some similarities between the Indiana Jones series and the Die Hard series. Steven Spielberg will surely be content with leaving the series the way it is now (or maybe not).
The Short Version
Raw Score: 811,293
Sharon Movie? Yes
5/25/2008
Sharon Movie: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: George Lucas and Menno Meyjes
Genre: Action/Adventure
Story
The film starts off with a quick look at the early years of Indiana Jones and where he picked up some of his fears and motivations for what he does now. The story picks up later with Jones finally regaining the treasure he was trying to get as a kid. When he gets back from reclaiming this treasure and getting it put into the museum, his father turns up missing. His father Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) has been captured by the Nazis because he was looking for the Holy Grail which they would love to get their hands on. Indiana Jones has to get his father back, but he and his father cannot resist going after the Holy Grail as well and besides they feel they have to get to it before the Nazis do so the power does not fall into the wrong hands.
Everything Else
The directing by Spielberg on the Last Crusade completely redeems the series after the failure of the second film. The second film was good, but simply did not live up to the first and suffered from terrible special effects and plot (George Lucas). Thankfully Spielberg put some more time and effort into making Last Crusade and added Sean Connery to the mix. Sean Connery absolutely made the Last Crusade. Sean Connery did an excellent job obviously and the way Harrison Ford and Sean Connery acted with each other was perfect. The humor of the series was back and not because the special effects were so bad you couldn’t help but laugh; rather it was because Spielberg had finally made the sequel he should have made with the second film.
The action was non-stop in Last Crusade (maybe not as much so as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and the story was sound. The biggest problem with Temple of Doom was the storyline and the special effects, but both of those things were great in Last Crusade. George Lucas also added the background necessary to develop the characters further by adding an early adventure of Indiana Jones.
The Real Deal
I loved Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Possibly it was just the addition of Sean Connery, but still there are a lot of things I remember from the series when looking back and most of them are from Last Crusade. Spielberg rounded out the trilogy well which is why it was surprising he decided to press his luck with a fourth. I guess if you have tons of money and you are sure to make more by making another film, then why not. Although all of these Indiana Jones movies carry the PG to PG-13 rating they all have gross moments and scenes that could cause little children to be scared and will make adults squirm from time to time, but the language and violence is mild. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was a worthy ending to the Indiana Jones trilogy, but I guess a fourth film is never out of the question even a decade or two later.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 858,349
Sharon Movie? Yes
5/22/2008
Sharon Movie: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: George Lucas (story) and William Huyck (screenplay)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Story
Indy is back and getting in more trouble. Jones is trying to get a diamond in exchange for the ancient remains he found, but when the deal goes sour he has to narrowly escape death. Along the way he picks up Wilhelmina ‘Willie” Scott (Kate Capshaw) for the love interest of the film. Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan), Indiana Jones’s young assistant, helps Jones and Scott escape, but the plane they take is sabotaged and they have to bail out. They end up in a small village that is being destroyed by the nearby temple’s evil. The kids of the village have been captured and used as slaves for the benefit of the temple and its quest to find 5 stones which are said to possess magical powers (one of which was stolen form the village). Indiana Jones, Willie, and Short Round set out on the quest to save the village and get the kids and stone back.
Everything Else
Steven Spielberg presents a less impressive sequel to the great Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this one still provides entertainment. Although the action sequences were a little more elaborate than the first film, the effects look much worse. This is one of two major complaints I have for the film. Spielberg should have worked harder to make the blue screening not look blue screened and the explosions more realistic. This is constantly plaguing the screen and even as a child I thought the effects were weird looking. Watching the movie now makes me laugh at how bad it looks, but maybe the technology just wasn’t there to make the scenes look the way Spielberg wanted them to look. Special effects aside the directing was pretty much on par with the first film.
The story is still very George Lucas like as it should be and the dialogue is cheesier than ever in Temple of Doom. The big problem in Temple of Doom seems to be the motivations of the characters. The idea of Indiana Jones going for the stones in the Temple of Doom is fitting for his character, but why does Willie need to come along. Willie has no reason to be with Ford at all really (except for a love interest; after all what kind of film is with out a damsel in distress?). He just decides to protect her by bringing her along on the most dangerous adventure ever (I still don’t get it).
The acting was good in Temple of Doom again, but the dialogue is similar to Star Wars in that it is over the top cheesy at times and this follows suit with the first film so there is no complaint. Ford is more confident as Jones this time, but does not seem to have his edge as Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan) steals a little bit of the thunder. Kate Capshaw doesn’t provide the strong female role that Karen Allen provided in the first film which is the main reason this film falls at the bottom of my Indiana Jones list. Amrish Puri was a good bad guy as Mola Ram, but he does not get enough play time on the screen directly with Ford. There is one point where Ram actually leaves Jones and Short Round to save Willie and gives them all the chance in the world to get away unscathed. Most of the problems with Temple of Doom stem from the story (Lucas), but even with the glaring issues the film succeeds in continuing the Indiana Jones Trilogy (Legacy) and providing another wild adventure.
The Real Deal
I liked Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a kid mostly for the crazy heart stealing and the awesome mine cart chase scene. Those two things were not enough to make up for the bad special effects and the awkward storyline. On this latest viewing I found these things most distracting, but still enjoyed the film. I was laughing a lot more this time around though. There is a lot in this Indiana Jones movie that seems quite gross or gruesome which again seems a bit odd for a movie I always saw as being a family movie. The action was stepped up a notch, but the quality of the effects was sacrificed in the process. I recommend this movie if only to bridge the gap between the other two (three) Indiana Jones films.
Sharon’s Take
Dumb blond, why? Definitely very funny, but not as good as the first. I really enjoyed the mine train chase in Temple of Doom.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 692,493
Sharon Movie? Yes
5/21/2008
Sharon Movie: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
Genre: Action/Adventure
Story
Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is offered money to find the lost Ark of the Covenant. On his adventures to find clues to the ark’s location, he meets up with an old friend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). Marion has a special piece to the puzzle, a small circular object used to locate the ark by letting light shine through it in a certain place at a certain time. Jones isn’t the only one after the ark though, and he will find that others are willing to risk anything in to secure the ark’s power.
Everything Else
Steven Spielberg starts off his Indiana Jones Trilogy (or Legacy now) with a great film. The directing is much as we have come to expect from Spielberg over the years and it certainly is a fitting genre for him. This movie has all of the happy, feel good elements you could want. Sure there is danger and excitement, but you just know everything is going to work out or it would not be Indiana Jones (that and there couldn’t be a sequel of course).
Without Spielberg directing, it would have been painfully obvious this was written by George Lucas, although I think it still is quite obvious. Lucas has a way of story telling that is unique and includes enough cheesy situations and dialog to make it hard to miss. Raiders of the Lost Ark flows much like Start Wars which is probably what everyone liked about it at the time. It is 1930s archeology meets galaxies far far away in Raider of the Lost Ark. This formula works like a charm and even includes Harrison Ford as the star that he could have been capable of playing in Star Wars.
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones does an excellent job. Earlier on in his career between the first and second Star Wars he learned how to act and it shows here in Raiders of the Lost Ark. His mannerisms and facial expressions are what make Indiana Jones who he is. Now it would be impossible to replace him. Karen Allen does a good job here as well as Marion Ravenwood. The Star is still Ford though and he gets the credit he deserves for this one.
The Real Deal
I always loved the Indiana Jones movies when I was a kid and watched them as many times as we watched Star Wars; they were the staples, if you will, of our film entertainment. When Sharon put this one on her list I was excited because not only had I not seen this in a while and wanted to again, but the new one was going to be coming out soon (it comes out tomorrow as of this writing). It was no surprise this was a Sharon movie as it is certainly a happy, lighthearted film with plenty of excitement. Upon viewing this more recently I found it to still be the movie I always loved even with a little bit dated special effects. I was kind of shocked at the amount of blood and gore in it though considering I would still call it a family movie. It never really scared me that much as a kid so I guess if there is an adult around it would not be that bad for kids even.
Sharon’s Take
The first scene is classic Indiana Jones goodness. It is the total package... action, adventure, comedy, and romance. Raiders of the Lost Ark is a great movie to watch again and again.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 831,773
Sharon Movie? Yes
3/10/2008
Val Kilmer Movie March Presents: Willow
Willow (1988)
Director: Ron Howard
Writer: George Lucas (story) and Bob Dolman (screenplay)
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Action/Comedy
The Story
Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) is a dwarf who finds a baby on a raft (or clump of grass that floats) in the river. This baby is special and needs to be protected to hopefully one day overthrow the tyrant Queen Bavmorda. All Willow knows is the baby is not a dwarf so he does not want to have anything to do with it, but when the village finds out about the baby they send him on a quest to get it to parents of its kind. Early on his journey, he finds Madmartigan (Val Kilmer), a great swordsman, imprisoned in a small cage waiting to die. Willow lets him go so he can take care of the baby, but later the baby is taken from Madmartigan by the brownies (very little blue screened people). Now it is Willow's job to save the baby and the world with the help of Madmartigan. A story you would almost expect from Lucas, but did not play out as well as most George Lucas stories.
Everything Else
Ron Howard's directing of Willow was competent, but will not amaze anyone (or at least not me). Everything flows quite well even if it is a little dry and overused at times. The character interactions are a little off though. People do not seem to interact in a realistic way, but you can tell this is a direct result of the screenplay by Bob Dolman. Dolman had not done any movies before this one, only TV shows. It all makes sense now that I know. Ron Howard must like Dolman since he used him again with Far and Away with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Ron Howard kept the movie together in spite of the character relationship problems. Ron Howard is a very good director, but dare I say he did not prove his talent until Apollo 13 or A Beautiful Mind. Then he has Cinderella Man and The DaVinci Code. Let's just say that Willow seems like an experiment with the fantasy world for Ron Howard.
Willow looks great from a picture standpoint. The landscapes were excellent and often reminded me of Lord of the Rings (huge compliment) and Willow was made back in 1988. It had not even broken into the 90s and looked great for the most part. One of the less stellar parts of the presentation of the film were the brownies. They were very little blue screened people. They should have just left them out of the movie as they were annoying, cliche, and just plain sloppy looking. I guess that shows how far we have come in between Willow and LOTR. Another problematic scene was the two headed monster. I have to hand it to the special effects and animatronics teams for putting together the two headed monster, but it did not look good. I would still take this over some of the bad CG stuff out there, but this looked bad. The clunky movements and weird blue screen glow completely ruined it for me, but I would classify it as classic monster effects. Strangely, they could have left the monster out entirely and I don't think it would have hurt the film in any way.
Sometimes things look different when you slow them down.The acting in Willow was good. There was likely a lot of smoothing out of the script along the way because lines I found to be terrible were actually delivered in a way that worked quite well. Warwick Davis has been in everything from Star Wars to Ray and has proven to be a good actor even if his true potential is not often used (i.e. Leprechaun). Joanne Whalley did well as Sorsha, but there was nothing too spectacular about her performance. An interesting fact is that Joanne Whalley and ex-husband Val Kilmer met on the set of Willow. They got married, had two children (Mercedes and Jack), and then in 1996 were divorced. Later, Joanne Whalley was in Played which also starred ex-husband Val Kilmer. They were also the duo in Kill Me Again (we will get to that later), but she has proven herself since as a powerful actress that is often overlooked.
Val Kilmer
That brings us right up to Val Kilmer then doesn't it. Val Kilmer did a great job as usual, but this movie had not found how great of an actor he was yet (The Doors would later prove that). Kilmer did well with the fantasy film Willow, but more serious lead roles prove more indicative of Kilmer's acting talent. Thus, Kilmer only got a few things out of Willow: he met Joanne Whalley (and married her), he played a large role in a Ron Howard film, and he proved his ability to play yet another completely different role in a film. At this point it was unlikely that many people had even noticed Val Kilmer, but soon they would know him.
The Real Deal
Willow was an enjoyable film even though it was not what I would call a great movie. It was entertaining even with its few annoying elements (brownies and bad special effects). Willow is a film that most people that enjoy fantasy movies will enjoy, but should not be held up to great movies like Star Wars or LOTR. Willow is a family fantasy movie that is good clean fun for everyone.
The Short Version
Raw Score: 651,389
Sharon Movie? Yes
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