***SPOILERS***-"Doc! I have to tell you something about the future!"

"No, Marty!"

In Back to the Future, Doc Brown did not want to know anything about his future, as it might effect the space time continuum. But our hero Marty will have none of this, and he does what he believes is the right thing by writing the letter to Doc, warning him of the terrorists that will shoot and kill him on the night Marty goes back in time.

The same dilemma occurs whenever you hear about an awful plot point/device in a movie, one so bad that it will make you completely change your mind about seeing that movie, and you feel that you must warn your friends. Say you find out something awful, like Ewoks and Jar Jar Binks shoot CGI prairie dog missles to defeat the bad guys in the new Clone Wars movie...do you tell your friend(This is just a made up example: I don't know of anything bad in the Clone Wars movie, and I look forward to seeing it)? I know I would want to be told. I would hate to feel ripped off after having spent money to see something that turns out to be horrendous. Now, I'm not advocating spoiling any and everything. I am referring to those instances when you find out a spoiler that is so bad, you feel obligated to warn your friends.

Recently, I did what I thought was my obligation to do and warned a couple of friends about an obscenely bad plot point to an upcoming movie. What I thought was a good deed ended up backfiring on me, as a good friend of mine got pretty pissed at me for doing this. In turn, I got a little pissy myself, as I thought my friend was being a big baby. I mean, I was doing him a favor, because I had warned him about a plot that sucks beyond belief. After having an opportunity to think things over, I think we both have valid points, but I guess I should just err on the side of caution from now on and not spoil anything, no matter how bad it is. And I'm telling you, this particular plot point is BAD.

So, this is my letter of explanation/apology to you, my friend. I promise not to tell you any more spoilers for any movies, no matter how bad they are. But, if I find out that terrorists will shoot and kill you in the parking lot of the mall sometime in the future, I'm still gonna warn you.

(revised) Movie Review-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

After my second viewing of KOTCS, the verdict is...this movie is pretty good. Going into it with more realistic expectations, the movie played a lot better the second time around. Everything felt right and made sense. Some things that bothered me in the first viewing were totally fine this time around-the ant scene didn't bother me at all, and even the monkeys and Shia swinging through the trees ala Tarzan didn't bother as much as before (though I still could have done without it).

Its so funny how context can change how you perceive something. Having already seen the movie, watching it this time was more like watching the other Indy films because now I knew what would happen next, so I could focus more on other things than just trying to follow the plot. The movie is definitely rewatchable. There is so much more that I liked about it the second time around. I really enjoyed the first half to two-thirds of the movie. The intro at Area 51, Indy meeting Mutt, the Peru scenes, and even most of the big chase set-piece were good stuff. The whole ending still bugs me, the whole "I want to know", bad CGI alien, spaceship scene. It didnt feel like an the old Indy movies, whereas most of the rest of the movie does.



So, what exactly am I trying to say here? Indy IV is good-very good. It is worth repeat viewings. Its not as good as Last Crusade or Raiders, its got a little too much CGI for my tastes, but it is entertaining and satisfying. I hope that they make a couple of more movies with Indy in the 1950s!

Serenity Now! -The Official Podcast of Its a Trap and I Ated the Berries is Online Now

Check out the links to download the pilot episode!

Movie Review-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

After watching Indy IV last night and coming away somewhat disappointed, I rationalized to myself that I just didn’t give the movie a chance. I didn’t follow my own advice to take the movie in context, and not build it up to unrealistic heights (see my post from April 19-I’m such a hypocrite!). So, the morning after the midnight showing, I had talked myself into the fact that the movie wasn’t that bad, and that I should wait until after my second viewing to write any sort of review. I was gonna give Indy another shot.

Well, I am still gonna give the movie another shot and try to enjoy it more on its own merits, but I realize that you can’t always avoid first impressions. There are just some things that I don’t think that I’ll change my mind or heart about. So, I think I need to get these thoughts, opinions, and ruminations down before my second viewing. After my second viewing, perhaps some of my opinions will change, and perhaps I can synthesize what I gained from two viewings and construct a more compete view of the movie, but I want to get these first impressions down while they are still fresh.

Alright, after that preface, I am going to start with the good stuff. Harrison Ford looked GREAT, and I mean that in a totally hetero way (this old dude is buff!). He can so totally still play Indy. It wasn’t weird or not the same or anything. He has still got “it “as Indy. Ford still has the magic, even at 65. Ford’s age was never a negative or distracting issue.

Shia as Mutt Williams was also very good, and his relationship with Indy was believable, and he and Ford had chemistry. Shia was NOT the Jar Jar that ruined the movie. His character and performance were quite good, and I enjoyed many of his scenes, especially with Indy. Spielberg nudges us pretty hard early on in trying to show us the parallels between Indy/Mutt and Indy/Henry Sr., but overall it works.

I loved the fifties setting. The diner scene was great, and I also enjoyed the opening scene with the Elvis music playing as the teenagers in the hot rod raced the Army car. I like how the opening scene established the tone of the movie before we ever see Indy-it s obviously the fifties and years since the last movie, and the opening sets that up nicely.

The action scenes were good for the most part, and I enjoyed seeing Ford still do some of his own stunts.

Now, for the negative…Aliens. Monkeys. CG ants. Oh, my.

Ok, I did not have a problem with aliens being part of the relic for this movie. This seems to be the major ill people see in the movie, but I am ok with it. All of Indy’s big treasures have had a supernatural or fantastical element, so the crystal skull being of alien origin was not a problem for me. The whole crazy, X-files ending, though? It was a bit much, to say the least.

Shia swinging through the trees with CG monkeys. Do I even need to make a comment about that? This, combined with the ants, is where this movie really “jumped the shark” (I know, that term is so overused and cliché’ now, but it applies). Speaking of the ant, scene, I thought I was watching the Mummy Returns, and that is most definitely NOT a good thing. This scene did NOT feel like an Indy movie. I kept waiting for Brendan Fraser to pop up during this scene, and again, that is not a good thing.

One thing that you cannot accuse the filmmakers of is a lack of effort. In the wake of the poor reception by the fans of the Star Wars prequels, you can easily see that Lucas and Spielberg were hell bent on pleasing everybody with this movie. They try to throw everything into this movie-what happened to Marcus Brody and Indy’s dad, Marion comes back, we see the Ark of the Covenant, you got a female baddy ala Last Crusade, etc. You could tell that little stuff had been pulled from here and there, and that a million hands had touched the script, and everything just did not mesh together. The plot did not follow one strong arch as the other films did. The filmmakers tried too hard to just throw disjointed ideas together in an attempt to please everyone rather than just make a tight, solid adventure narrative. Like the old saying goes, when you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one (I think that was the moral of one of Aesop’s fables).

All of this being said, I think that perhaps I went into this movie with the wrong mindset. Instead of sitting there, waiting to be blown away by the second coming, I should have come with a more light hearted attitude of wanting to be entertained by master entertainers (which, despite any of their flaws, Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford excel as entertainers). If I had just chilled out, I probably would have enjoyed the film much more. Although I can’t just disregard my first impressions, I want to like this movie so much that I am most definitely giving it another shot. After my Friday evening viewing, I will post a follow up review to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and share any new thoughts about the movie at that time.

Serenity Now!

We just recorded our first podcast today-its Serenity Now! I hope to have the podcast ready to download from here soon. ShaolinDolemite and I riff on weekend box office, Darth Vader, Sex in the City (not a misprint), Hitler, Scientology, and more in our inaugral podcast. You don't wanna miss it!

In Four Days...HE'S BACK!!

The great adventurer returns in four days. Indy IV is almost here! I am trying my darnedest to stay away from the massive spoilers that seem to be everywhere right now. I am going to stay completely away from the internet and most television programming from Sunday until Wednesday, as I do not want to hear anything negative or positive as far as reviews of the film are concerned. I believe that it is a good thing that I am getting more and more confident that this thing is going to rock the closer we get to its release. My feelings are that there is no way this is gonna suck-there are too many of the old school guys working on it, and there is no way Ford was gonna do some Jar Jar Binks rendition of Indy.

If you haven't already, you really need to pick up the May issue of Empire magazine (pictured above). For ten bucks, you get the magazine with a nice Indy cover and a great article on KOTCS, PLUS you get a sweet little publication entitled "The Indiana Jones Diaries", in which the big players of the saga themselves write articles about Indy and why its so great and special (yes, George, Steven, and Harrison all contribute). It is great stuff indeed, especially for ten bucks-and it also is contained in a slip cover with another great picture of Indy. Empire, you are welcome for my pimping of your mag lol.

See yall in line Wednesday night!

C'mon, Indy IV!

OK. I am tired of waiting. Hopefully I can attend an early screening of the film on the 21st. After watching the new trailer, the new tv spots, and peeking at some of the new trading cards, I cannot wait any longer for this movie! Just ten more days until the adventure continues! (Sorry for the content free post). Are you as ready as I am for this thing? Post your comments.

Movie Review-Iron Man

Finally! Summer movie season 2008 has begun! Iron Man is here, and it kicks off what could prove to be the biggest blockbuster summer since, well...ever. I saw the movie last night. So, what did I think of it? Read on.

First, I want to say that I liked this movie. The special effects were outstanding, from the rendering of Iron Man's suits to the battles and explosions (believe me, there is a ton of stuff that blows up and/or catches on fire in this movie). ILM did a great job, and I have to say that the effects were pretty seamless. It's very impressive stuff. And, Robert Downey, Jr. is perfectly cast as Tony Stark/Iron Man. As someone somewhat familiar with the comics, it never felt odd thinking off him as Stark. He brought a lot of humor to the character, but his performance never steered into camp or charicature. You get the feeling that playing Stark wasn't too difficult for Downey, yet you never get the feeling that he is mailing in his performance, like say Jack Nicholson in The Departed.

I also liked the tone of the movie. It plays it straight, yet you never really take anything too seriously. Iron Man nails the Marvel feel, and it's similar to the Spider Man movies in tone but without the melodrama. The movie never insults your intelligence, yet it doesn't try too hard to be something that it's not, either. Favreau took the material serioulsy but not himself, and that is a good thing.

The pace of the movie is never really slow due to the editing, which I thought was good, yet it does seem to drag somewhat, especially if you are already familar with Iron Man and the origin story. It is standard now that all comic book movies begin with the origin story, but I just kept waiting for something more to happen. I suppose you can't really blame anyone for this, because all origin stories are going to suffer from this to some extent (I think Batman Begins was an exception).

The goal of the firt movie of a comic book property is to launch the franchise sucessfully so more sequels can be made, and I think that Iron Man does the job well. Its not going to blow you away, and I don't think I'll be watching it 4-5 times in the theater, but it is definitely worth seeing. There's also a nice little fanboy treat if you stay until after the end credits. Now that the franchise is established, I have high expectations for Iron Man 2, and after seeing Iron Man, let's give Favreau a crack at The Avengers, please!

So far, we're 1 for 1 this summer. Next up to the plate -Indiana Jones!

Iron Man Kicks Off The Most Anticiapted Summer Movie Season Since 1989

This Friday, the much anticipated Iron Man movie, directed by Jon Favreau, makes its debut as the Summer 2008 movie season begins with a bang. The movie looks very promising, and I can't wait to see it. But the really great thing is that there won't be much of a let down after you have seen this movie-this summer is jam packed with movies that fanboys everywhere are dying to line up for.

After we've all seen Iron Man 4-5 times, it will be just about time for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which opens on May 22. This is the one I've been waiting for, but its also the one I could possible be let down by the most (mainly because I expect more from it). Once we've reveled in Indy with several repeat viewings (man, I really hope its good), June 13 is just around the corner, and with it comes the release of The Incredible Hulk. It sounds/looks promising, I really hope they get it right. It can't be worse than The Hulk was, though. Then its along month and then some until we get what I expect to be the rock solid, this-can't-possibly-suck lock of the summer-The Dark Knight. This thing looks phenomenal.

As if this wasn't enough (the above mentioned films are already an abundance of riches), we get the X-Files: I Want to Believe the very next week, the first new X-Files show or movie in 6 years. Its gonna be a neat to see our old pals Mulder and Scully again, especially back on the big screen for the first time in 10 years.

Finally, to top it all off, to end the summer with a bang (just like it started), we get to see the feature length debut of The Clone Wars up on the big screen. After seeing the new trailer for this, my expectations, as well as my desire to see the movie, have gone even higher. We haven't seen a slate like this since 1989, when Ghostbusters II, Last Crusade, and Tim Burton's Batman all made their debuts on the big screen. You can't deny the parallels, especially since you have a new Batman and Indy flick coming out this summer. I was 12 back in the summer of '89, and I feel like a 12 year old again as I grow impatient waiting for this summers blockbuster lineup of movies to begin. Less than five days to it all begins-see you at the movies!

Can We Just See the Movie First?

New York Magazine has an article comparing Shia to Jar Jar Binks, and basically states that the running time for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is supposedly 2 hours and 20 minutes, so the new Indy movie must suck (they chose to emphasize these two disparate points-how the heck does a movie being 2 hr 20 mins mean its bad??? Or even ridiculously long? I don't get that one. And oh yeah, turns out they were wrong anyway-turns out the movie is gonna clock in at around 2 hrs.) Which leads me to this little rant:
People, can we please see Kingdom of the Crystal Skull before we bash it? We're in such a haste to be critical, we have to trash something even before it comes out! Fans can be so fickle and hypocritical, and well, just too hard to please (I know, because I am one of them). We think that Last Crusade was great and ended perfectly, there is no way to top it, yet we still want a new chapter... so we can then bash it for not being just like the old movies. Its time to face reality: this movie will not be like the other Indy movies, for better or worse? Why? Uh, Harrison Ford is in his mid sixties, for one. Second, the look of the film is going to be different since cameras and film have advanced significantly since Raiders, so don't expect this movie to look just like a movie that came out over 25 years ago. And most importantly, its been 19 years since the last Indy movie. Thats even longer than the time between Jedi and Phantom Menace. The majority of the people going to see the new Indy movie (or at least the ones really anticipating it) have fond childhood or young adult memories of the series. Just like with Star Wars, people are going to take these memories into the theater with them. And they are going to be disappointed, because nothing can live up to when you saw Raiders or Last Crusade as a kid. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull doesn't stand a chance against our idealized and romanticized collective consciousness of days gone by. So now here we are, a mere five weeks away from Indy 4, and the negativity FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE *&%#ING MOVIE has already started, their negativity seeping like poison through the fan base. My suggestion to everyone? Ignore these idiots, and please, please, give KOTCS a chance. Don't compare it to Raiders or Last Crusade. Try to enjoy it on its own merits. I gotta back Lucas on this one-he's not tempering expectations because he knows the movie sucks: he understands that no matter how great it is, many people are going to be negative towards it. You can't win with those people, but if you aren't one of them, just go see the movie and judge for yourself. And if it does truly suck, I will be the first to say so. So I plead with everyone to save the negativity for later, and the only if it is necessary (regrettably). We got a new Indy movie coming out in less than five weeks, and I'm gonna stay darned excited about it-see you in line!

Trailer for The Clone Wars!

It seems the link is no good now. Anyway, I'll give you my two cents on what I think about it. I see the potential for goodness here, and I hope this doesn't suck, because the future of Star Wars could be riding on it. I'm stoked to see how they choose to develop Anakin, as I think good story lines as well as the development and portrayal of Anakin will determine the success of this franchise. I can't wait until August 15!

Preparing for his big scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNLuq0lW50k#
Post to Blog

Movie Review-A defense (sort of) of the most hated movie of our time-The Phantom Menace!

Yes folks, I am going to attempt to defend that most reviled of films, Star Wars Episode 1-The Phantom Menace. I fully realize that this as loathsome and villainous to many people as defending Adolph Hitler, Steve Bartman, Pearl Harbor, OJ Simpson, HD DVD, etc. , but I am going to bravely give it a shot. So here we go.

Ok, first of all, there is no way this movie could succeed. Expectations were so high for the first Star Wars movie in 16 years, anything short of the second coming was going to disappoint. Does this excuse all its faults? Of course not. But it does go to show that this movie was never given a fair shake to be judged on its own merits. I should know, because I was one of those fans who built this up WAY too much in anticipation of its release.

Second, everybody complains about Jake Lloyd, and how horrible he was for the part. I am not going to say that I fully agree with Lucas's choice here, but c'mon, is Hayden Christense really any better? He doesn't catch half the grief Jake Lloyd does for this movie. I think Jake Lloyd became the scapegoat for the supposed "failure" of this film (I mean, can a movie that grossed over $400 million domestically at the box office really be called a failure? If people hated this movie so much, then why did they keep going to see the damn thing over and over? You don't make that much money without repeat viewers). However, Jake Lloyd is beloved next to the other scapegoat of the film...

"Mesa Jar Jar Binks!" Ok, I can't really defend Jar Jar, but I didn't think that he ruined the movie. Yeah, he's silly, but was Mark Hamill's hair in A New Hope any less silly? I think not.

I also think that Episode I is a far superior movie than Episode II. Most people, even the ones who despise the prequels, will say that Episode II, while not perfect, is at least better than TPM. WRONG!! Tell me, who is a better villain-Darth Maul or some eighty year old guy with a crooked lightsaber? That's what I thought. Speaking of Darth Maul, is he not the most awesome new character, villain, hero, or otherwise, in all of the prequels? Everyone loves Maul, he rocks. I think it was a big mistake to get rid of him in the first movie. George peaked with Maul, as his villains went downhill from TPM (General Grievous? Gimme a break. ) TPM, while it leaves you hanging, still has a nice stand alone narrative to it. Episode II AOTC isn't really much of a stand alone movie-its really just a bridge to get us from little boy to Darth Vader.

Ok, I could go on, but I'm going to close this little review/rant with this-Liam Neeson gives a great performance in this movie, and it is hands down, no contest, the best acting performance by any lead actor in all of the prequels. Its not even close. I think that is why despite its flaws (of which people have found many), TPM resonates more emotionally, and its because of Neeson's portrayal of Qui Gon. There a soul in this movie thanks to Neeson, and soul is sorely lacking in the last two prequels.

Well, I did it. I defended The Phantom Menace. Flame away!

Movie Review-Rise of the Silver Surfer...aka a steaming pile of poo

Ok, so I guess the title of my review kinda revealed my feelings towards the film right away, huh? Thats ok, because I want there to be no confusion-this movie sucked. Big time. So, that being said, you may ask yourself-why would I choose this as my first movie review. Easy-I just watched it, so there you go. Anyway, on to the review.

Where do I even begin? Ok, lets start with the title character himself-the Silver Surfer. The movie comes with a big caveat-if you like the comic book Silver Surfer, you will (or at least you should) hate this movie. I know its a movie, and minor details are changed from time to time, and I can and do accept that as a comic book fan and movie lover. However, if a change is so egregious, one that completely alters an essential aspect of that character, well, you're gonna lose a lot of folks right there, and that's where FF-ROTSS lost me. Apparently, the Silver Surfer gets his power from his board (cue hitting head against wall). And I suppose Superman gets his power from his cape. Imagine how that would go over, and you get how I felt about this little nugget. I don't know which of the following scenarios is worse: a) the writers (assuming they knew nothing about the characters from the comic books) were too lazy to take 2 minutes to look at a bio in a Whos Who in the Marvel Universe book in their "research" for the script, or b) the writers knew of the Surfer's abilities and characteristics, and decided to change something so critical to fit a very bad plot contrivance, where Dr. Doom(don't even get me started on Dr. Doom in these movies) steals the board and basically becomes the Silver Surfer. I don't know, maybe some fans weren't bothered by this, but as a Silver Surfer fan, how could I not be? I also agree with many fans that the CGI rendered surfer looked way too liquid metal and T1000 like. I did like the voice, though. They could do way better with the Surfer, and I hope that one day he gets his own movie (fingers crossed). Its gonna need a reboot from this mess, though, and no one who wrote this stinker need bother putting his/her fingerprints on it, thank you.

Anyway, I can't really comment on the rest of the movie (well, besides the fact that Jessica Alba is horribly miscast here) since the whole Surfer thing completely tainted it for me. So, if it's not too late, please avoid this one like the plague. You'll thank me later.