A Final Bow-Indy Style...

It feels like yesterday.

Doesn't seem that long since I've seen the world famous acheologist donning his fedora and brandashing his whip for another cliffhanger adventure. Yet I remind myself that's it's been nineteen years. Has it been that long already?

Maybe a few years older, and a few more creaks of age settling in the old bones, yet Harrison Ford swings into the fourth outing with the familiar trademark wisecracking and his resourcefulness of daring. He brings to life the older, wiser Indiana Jones.

The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls is set in 1957 with the introduction of atomic bombs and the brutal rush of the cold war that is revelent during the times of President Eisenhauer and the music of Elvis Presley. The feeling of the colorful homes and classy cars fill the movie with sharp memories of the 1950s. Anyone who lived through this era can remember their fist visit to the malt shop or even rocking around the clock.

I drop the "Indiana Jones and..." part from the title as I feel the title is better as just "Kingdom of the Skulls." You really don't need that part, do you? Everyone knows who Indiana Jones is anyway.

I love this movie.

I am just crazy about how they brought the 1950s era to life with many details and references and the lovely car race down the Arizona desert in a high cloud of dust. It's a really lovely scene as the camera pans up the flowing American flag that flaps in the wind.

Then we are introduce to Indiana Jones who in a very interesting way we just see the hat tossed to the ground, his shadow caught against the car as he puts the fedora on. Then the audience knows we will be taken by the hand for another hair raising ride.

I've always liked the Indiana Jones films. Much more than I like the Star Wars franchine. There's something seemingly more down to earth about these films.

What I am surprised is some of the nice twist and turns of the film. We are given the betrayal of Mac at the far beginning of the film, something I didn't expect until the end of the flick. Yet we see his long time buddy turning on Indy right away while being hindered by a group of Russians led by the lovely, slender Cate Blanchett. There's a real menace in her pretty eyes. The long, hooked nose, her features framed by the dark hair that hangs like ragged curtains.

But Indiana is a few years older. And it shows. He's a little greyer, a bit slower, yet he still plows with way through with his cunning. he got to use the whip at least once in the film. But he uses it well here. The mileage is catching up with Indiana.

I have a friend who keeps telling me that Ford looks like he's 300 years old. I'm getting a little tired of that. It's a little irritating that my friend keeps pulling this line. The actor is still spry for his age, very action oriented. He's very muscular and in good shape for his current years. Ford does nearly 95 percent of the stunts as Indiana. His performance is still believable. I love the fact that Indiana is older here. It gives the character new depth. That he has lost his best friend and father. The years begin to erode him like he is a washed up, old man.

But he has gained something else. A son.

In many ways, the film is about family. Indiana, his old flame Marian Ravenwood (played by the ever deightful and very young looking Karen Allen!) and his son Mutt played by Shia LeBeouf form a strong connection through out the film that pulls them together into a tight knot much like the nuclear family that the 1950s is so well known for.

There are a lot of great moments in the film. When his son says "You're a teacher?" after he watches Indiana take on a couple of native attackers in the Peru ruins. Or the nice moment when Marian asks the famous archeoligst about how many women he had in his life. He says in the old Indy fashion, "Sure, I've had a lot of them. But they all had the same problem. They weren't you, Marion."

Some of the fight scenes are gorgeous as the older Indy tackles with a few hard nosed Russians. It's a nice change of pace for the film. Indy's battle with the much larger second in command while the red ants are drowning the grounds is amazing. I feel like I'm ten years old for this very reason. The actor who plays Mutt does a great job with his sword fighting as it is something he knows how to do in real life. There's a lot of humor that runs through the film as he is just learning the ropes. His motorcycle stunt on Marshall College is a classic.

But there is something one needs to do to enjoy this film more.

Suspend disbelief.

If you don't do that, you won't care much for the film. There's a high demand for forgetting about plot holes in the film when you are just having fun. There's a bit with the atomic explosion that Indy survives that makes you want to say, "Yeah, right." But you know know what? Who cares? Have fun with it. There's also the notion of alien presence throughout the film. It hooks itself into the era plundered with Roswell and the advent of flying saucers that cinches the film in period history.

Now the weight of the film hangs on Ford's believable performance as Indiana Jones despite his age. And it works. He brings credibility to the role. He looks the part. His persona radiates like the very golden idol he once tries to steal. He still knows how to throw a few hard punches. The film never runs out of plenty momentum that makes it another thrill of the ride.

Thank you for making me feel like a kid again. I don't care about many flaws this film has. The most important thing for me is feeling like a kid once more sitting in the dark edge of the theater waiting for the stunts to roll. And I find myself going on the last ride with Jones and his gang of misfits on high tide adventure. Suddenly I don't feel so alone anymore.

New Change in Doctor Who

What's your dream job?

Some might say that taking a crack at writing Doctor Who would be worth the admission. Even fewer, however, are named as the head writer who will take creative direction of the time traveling series. Becoming the interior force in the undertaking of the ageless British show now a fixture on Saturday evening TV viewing.

Some might have heard the bad news that's spun around in the gossip corner.

Russell T. Davies, who heralded the intial return of the series in 2005 and brought it to new populairty heights, will no longer be associated with the series.

His desire to work on other projects on television has often been well-founded throughout his interivews, usually dropping hints that he may pass the baton to someone else. He couldn't stay forever.

The good news? Stephen Moffat has been named to succeed Davies in continuing the success of the series. His ingenuity and spark for ideas will be promising for the series. It's a wish come true for many of us.

It's no surprise why. Moffat has already won a couple of awards for his writing stints in the series including the Hugo award for the classic "Empty Child" two parter episode set in World War II. The anguished filled landcape of bombed scarred ruins of England created a perfect foil for his story of intrigue. Not to mentioned introduced to us another wonderful character Capt. Jack Harkness.

The writer also won an award for the wonderful episode "Blink" that is a time-jumping story with gargoyle statues trying to get to the secrets of the Doctor's time travelling machine. The story also gave us the companion the Doctor never had... Sally Sparrow. There are some definitely beautiful dialogue in the show. There is also the ever popular "Girl in the Fireplace" also written by Moffat showing his interest in concepts of time and how it can have affects on people.

It's already know the future of Doctor Who is in good hands. Moffat always did have an excellent handle on science fiction concepts and brings them to the screen with credibility. Moffat will become a key figure behind the scenes for Doctor Who in 2010 when it returns for its fifth full run on TV. He has a good sense of direction for the stories and understands the physics of the Doctor Who universe.

One must respect Davies for what he has contributed to the series beforehand. He brought heart and soul into the series. They were always lively and energetic scripts. He helped to bring back one of the most beloved series of all time and make it even bigger. The popularity of the show's run so far must be due to his keen sense of writing.

He's left his mark on the series. And his contributions will be well remembered.

One of the flaws Davies did have, however a small one, was that he did not fully grapple with the science fiction concepts. He did have a knack for dialouge, a very good ear for it. But he did not necessarily understand science fiction.

I really do like Davies. But he wasn't a science fiction writer.

Moffat had a better handle on the concepts. You only need to see it in an episode like "Blink" where he plays with the idea of time with fascinating results. The idea of one being stuck in time while communication through the echoes of years really make for interesting viewing.

Doctor Who is always a show about concepts. Simply put.

Before we were only given one story by Moffat every year. With Moffat taking the lead in the creative department of the show, springing to the postion of head writer, he will be able to offer us perhaps five stories for every year. We'll be getting more of Moffat per series.

I have already seen Moffat's creative series Jekyll and how he manages to write for the entire six part series from last year. His writing never misses a beat. And he carves up a natural dark humor that is suitable for the horror series. He'll be able to maintain quality writing.

Not a bad thing.

It seems so right for Moffat to take place as the head writer. Everything in the series points to this. He will be comfortable in the writing seat of the series and will have a commanding presence. There is fire in his writing. His understanding of how Doctor Who works makes him the perfect choice for the role. Anyone else would have caused an upset. Moffat will be able to fit into the series head writer with ease. he has a love for the Doctor Who series ever since he was a kid. And he can bring that love to the screen all the more.

Hell, he even turned down a chance to work with Steven Speilberg on a movie in Hollywood so he could write Doctor Who. Isn't that great? There's a kind of loyalty served up in the Brits when the old time traveler comes knocking on their door. There's still some Hollywood execs who are thinking, "I don't understand why Moffat did that, turn us down. Is he a fool? And who is this Doctor Who?" Yes, exactly! Who!

For now, until the advent of the fifth series, we will be treated with a two-parter episode by Moffat called "Silence in the Library," about a literary outpost at the far edges of space and ghosts running rampage in the halls of books. It'll be enought to wet anyone's appetite for those who have a fondness for Moffat's writing.

It makes one wonder what different frontiers will be in store for the future of Doctor Who series. And the shiny beacon of hope lifts us, as viewer, higher. He has already painted for us a beautiful portrait of the love and desires of the universe. He'll add more to it and show us through the doors the life of a surviving time-lord whose only wish is a child-like wonder for seeking adventure. And he brings out the kid in the rest of us as well.

I am Iron Man

Heavy metal.

It’s one way to describe the surprisingly good “Iron Man” which takes all the best elements of comic book history and goes full speed ahead with it.

It’s sharply written with some great reference lines. It might be loud, crass at a few times, like a rambling tour through the scrap junkyard with lots of metal in it.

What carries the film is the sincerity of the people who made the film. Several people involved including the lead actor are already self-proclaimed fans of the original comic book created by Marvel Publishing. Yet their work rises above the fanatic garble of most adaptations to make a truly remarkable throwback to the original source. And they make it fun.

What better way to make a film fun when the crew and actors in the film are having a good time? You can see that easily on the screen. Much of the credit goes to the well-written script that doesn’t slow down, takes you by the collar and drags you along for the ride. Much like the life of Iron Man. It’s an adrenaline rush.

It’s some of the best comic book films out there.

Much of the film weighs on the lead Robert Downy Jr. who fits the part. The role suits him so well that he’s tailor-made for it. Downy Jr. has already been a drunkard and had plenty of drug abuse in his life. So has his fictional character Tony Stark.

There’s a definite prerequisite here.

It’s more than that. It is a performance on his behalf. And you are led to believe that here is a man with a personal conflict as his mountainous ego nearly becomes self-destructive. The first thirty minutes of the film is a wonderful character drama for Stark as audiences learn more about his history. And his caged situation in Afghanistan which forces him to look into the mirror to review his underlying achievements.

Stark is a flawed person. Only he realizes that now.

Downy Jr. is commended for the part he plays. There’s a definite journey from his being the hardass of business at the beginning of the film looking only for profits. Until he re-thinks his goals to better his life. Sort of like having a mid-life crisis.

The story here is so good and there are definite Stark moments. My favorites are when Stark arrives in the Afghanistan town where a terrorist act is being committed. Stark punches his fist through the wall and drags one of top thugs through it. Then he glibly says to the persecuted townsfolk, “He’s all yours.” That’s a Stark moment.

Another Stark moment is when he first introduces his weapons of mass destruction to the military at the beginning of the film with his shoot first, ask questions later routine, brilliantly capturing the arrogance of the titan businessman.

What’s interesting is you get to see the super science involved in building the armor suits. From the clunky Mark I version that he built in a cave to escape his prison to the shiny, metropolitan colors of red and yellow. Stark is constantly improving his suits. And it’s great to see how he does so. With state-of-the-art computers. He has a genius for building things.

The high tech stuff almost makes it worth seeing the film. It’s so fascinating. The physics are a wonder to behold.

Jeff Bridges is also great as Obsidian Shane, the second in command of Stark Industries and one of the original builders of that organization. You get to like his at first. He’s charming. He has that kind of spark in his eyes that makes his accessible. Until he nearly rips your heart out when you find out how truly evil he is. His greed and desire for all control of the business makes him a ruthless man. How he cut underhanded deals with the worst lot makes him insufferably horrible.

He makes a great contrast to the part Stark. He is the ultra menace of business exploitation. He remains the dark side of Stark… if Stark had decided to stay on a less than good path. But their mirror is broken by different decisions they made. Shane wants to continue to dominate the industries, the board and quite possibly the world with his intentions. Starks doesn't want to do that anymore when he learns how his weapons are abused.

There were a lot of great references in the film. The mentioning of SHEILD makes a great entry in the film. Military hero James Rhodes says an offhand remark of “next time, baby” when he sees the silver, unused Iron Man armor. Setting up for the sequel already. There’s also references to the Avengers initiative and even a brief appearance by Nick Fury.

It’s a highly recommended film. And it should be ranked with the first two Spiderman films with its consistent use of comic book history and doing it correctly. It’s a great vision in filmmaking. And it points to the direction that the next Iron Man films would set another mark in comic book films. This time, we have many reliable creative people taking the helm.

It’s hard to get the great theme music out of one’s mind. And the thumping, loud music is great for a film such as “Iron Man.” Such a steely effort makes for raising a few eyebrows. And catch a few good moments of high powered excitement. Bring it on, metal man.