Mea culpa, friends, mea culpa

So it's been almost a month, and I've seen the new Raiders movie, I've seen the Departed, I've seen Barton Fink, and I've seen *coughhide* Baby Mama. I fear it's been too long since seeing most of them to write anything particularly useful, but I'll try.

First, as promised, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skulls. I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised by this flick. It had to have been really difficult to make an Indiana Jones sequel that didn't piss off people like me, people who hold the originals near and dear to their hearts, and for that I tip my hat and say Well Played Sirs, Well Played Indeed. Now, I've heard a lot of people bitchin about the aliens. Yeah, the aliens are pretty ridiculous. But recall, if you will, the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Ark of the Covenant opened and NAZIS' FACES MELTED OFF. That's a ridiculous scene if I've ever seen one, and that's why this new movie works so well-- it keeps very close to the spirit of the originals. Some cool action sequences, some fun dialogue tossed back and forth, a beyond-improbable climax and, most importantly, Harrison Ford.

Oh, and huge surprise on my part: I actually didn't want to stab Shia Labeouf in the face. I think that was the biggest worry for me-- some kid from the Disney channel playing Indiana Jones' long-lost son? It sounded like a recipe for cheesy hackneyed father-son scenes that do nothing but make me squirm with murderous rage. But surprisingly enough... it didn't! I can't say I really actively liked his character, but the mere fact that they introduced an Indiana Jones Jr character without pissing me off was quite a feat. And I liked the final (or penultimate or something, sorry it's been a little while) scene where Indiana Jones' trademark fedora is blowing down the aisle of the church and the kid is about to pick it up-- a none-too-subtle metaphor for the adventuring mantle being passed from father to son, as it were-- but at the last minute Harrison Ford snatches it out of Shia's hands, remaining the top dog we all know he is, even at 60-whatever. It could've been a stupid "hey look at this" metaphor moment, but they completely cut the meaningful-metaphor in half with playful irony by having Harrison snatch back the hat, and in the end that's why I liked this movie. It didn't take itself too seriously, and it seemed like everyone involved just had fun with it. And when filmmakers have fun, that usually means the audience has fun.

Oh, just one word about the CG animals: NO.

I guess this just goes to show that George Lucas really does ruin movies by writing and directing them. This was much better sequel than the Star Wars prequels and I think it was largely due to Steven Spielberg's directing skillz. Anyway, all in all, I was surprisingly pleased by this flick (really the best word to describe it) and would willingly pay money to see the next installment, which given the monetary success of Crystal Skulls is basically inevitable.

Barton Fink soon, hopefully. I just saw it last night, so I should write about it before I forget anything. It's a complicated film though, so I think I want another day or two to mull it over. I don't know how I feel about it yet (well, I know how I feel-- I thought it was brilliant-- but I don't know what I think, I guess). It's a movie that deserves to have something intelligent and well-thought-out said about it, and I am as always eager to not look like a dumbass.