Return of the King

The nineteen years was well worth the wait, at least in my humble opinion. We went and saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last Thursday and it was quite a thrill. I have been hotly anticipating the release of this flick, and Marilyn suggested that we see it on opening night. This was a total surprise to me, but whatever Baby wants, Baby gets. Anyway, the movie was a blast. It was not the best Indy movie, but I don't think it was the worst. Seeing Harrison Ford don the fedora and crack the whip made me feel like a kid again. Speaking of kids, I had an interesting conversation about this movie with some of my ninos.

One day, we were talking about summer plans and the kids asked me what movie I was looking forward to the most. Without blinking, I said Indy. They all seemed surprised that I was not looking the new Batman movie more than Indy, and I explained to them how I remember seeing Temple of Doom in th movie theater. This was apparently a big kick for them because they did started laughing right away, but I told them I was serious. That conversation made me realize how much that character brings me back to my youth, which I really enjoyed.

The bottom line is, go see the movie if you are an Indy fan. It was great fun, and Harrison clearly had a blast playing the role again. Shia Lebeof did a great job as his sidekick, and of course I loved seeing Karen Allen reprise her role as Marion Ravenwood. Some of the plot is a little wacky, but then again, we are talking about Indiana Jones. So, if you go see the movie, kick back and enjoy the ride. Three and a half stars.

Has It Really Been A Month?

I know I have been gone for a while, but here are some grumblings from the past month.

First off, I have another book to recommend. Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, by Christopher Moore. Hilarious read. After fighting through the Heights, I was in the mood for something light, and one of my students recommended Fluke to me. I will admit that I was initially hesitant after reading the back cover, but I decided to give it a whirl, and boy am I glad that I did. It has been a long time since I have laughed so much while reading fiction, unless you include White House briefings. Anyways, the story centers on whale researchers in Hawaii and a strange discovery that is made. The characters that inhabit the pages are colorful and down to earth, which makes them seem like everyday people. My personal favorite was Kona, a pseudo-Rastafarian white kid from Jersey whose every word had me in stitches. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is looking for a fun read.

Now on to Iron Man. I really enjoyed this flick. Not only was it a fine example of a summer blockbuster, it was a really good movie. Robert Downey Jr. plays smug weapons developer Tony Stark with an understated flair that makes him compulsively watchable. His supporting staff is just as good as the story moves along at a pace that never slows down. I don’t want to give away too many details about the plot, so I will leave it at that. Make sure you stick around after the credits are over. Three and a half stars.

Forgetting Sara Marshall was one of the funniest movie’s I have seen in awhile. It was very funny and the charters were endearing. Jason Segal and the British singer are totally hilarious. Watch out for the full frontal male nudity if you are not in to that kind of thing. Three stars.