Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

***1/2 Stars

This fourth Indy flick is destined to become the love-it or hate-it film of the year. You can either ignore its flaws and enjoy its bombastic theme park of a ride, or you'll whittle in self-disappointment. For me, I had the ability to let my inner-fan step in before I went over the edge. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is no Spiderman 3 or Phantom Menace, and manages to live up to its massively unprecedented and unfair hype.

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are getting older by the minute, but they are still the same visionary filmmakers that made them famous. While Lucas has expanded into the digital age, Spielberg is still old school and only uses his visual effects when they are part of the story. Combining the two once again is a majestic and heart -pounding adventure. And adventure is what Indiana Jones is all about. It has its flaws, but they are disguised behind a wall created by its fantastic cast, including the man of the hour: Harrison Ford.

Ford has embraced his old age. There is no denying that the man is pushing the limits with each challenge of subterfuge. In fact, the film can only work because of his aging. Combining with the fast-moving career of Shia Lebeouf, a slick grease wannabe, the two riff off each other the way Ford and Jonathon Ke Quan (Temple of Doom) never had the chance to do.

During the captivity of Irina Spalko, (the wig-headed, cartoonic-badass Cate Blanchett) a Soviet villain out to find the mysterious Crystal Skull artifacts, and after being betrayed by his long time war buddy 'Mac' George McHale, (Ray Winstone of Departed and Beowulf fame) Jones must find a way to escape. The beginning has some of the best scenes in the film, as Jones cracks that whip and flies high into a nuclear testing facility, only managing to survive the atomic blast so he can get back to teach his lecture about the Mayan Civilization.

After Jones gets fired from teaching for being accused of helping the Soviets maintain clues to the Skull (he only helped to escape) he is stopped by Mutt Williams (Lebeouf) who claims that Jones is the key to saving his kidnapped mother. The two are forced into figuring out why the Crystal Skull and its Kingdom are the reasoning behind the Soviet's mission and the key to saving Mutt's mother.

Along their adventure, they are taken hostage again by Spalko and her troops, who is also carrying Jones' old girlfriend Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) as a hostage. When the two reunite, it is like no time has passed. They argue and disagree, until Jones realizes that he can never win a fight against her. It is just that simple. For the rest of the film, the adventure continues on to an ending that will test audiences for its deep imagination. My advice for the film and its ending? Just go with it. Sometimes a conflict of interest can give both the film and yourself an opportunity to explore something we haven't seen before. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gives us that old fashioned romp, but still rolls the dice after nineteen years of solitary confinement. There is little rust on this baby.

So before the country gets lost in rumors of a possible fifth Indy flick, lets all slow down and enjoy the fourth installment of a classic hero's story returning to the big screen.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

*** Stars

Note: In this review, you may not understand certain plot points and comparisons if you haven't seen The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

There is still life left in this Lord of the Rings Jr. series. However, what that life consists of is certainly debatable. Is Disney still afraid to go for PG-13 even after something like Pirates of the Caribbean? I guess so. The Chronicle of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a rousing spectacle, but like its predecessor, it still manages to fall shy of greatness.

Like my prediction for this film, Prince Caspian is awfully similar to other fantasy epics, especially The Two Towers. Not only do both rein the same battle formations, but the story's climax consists of the Narnians using the same strategy that the men of middle earth did during the Battle of Helm's Deep. When Aragorn and the free men are in need, Gandalf comes in the end to save the day. Here, when King Peter and the Narnians need rescue, the lion Aslan appears in almost equal fashions. In fact, the only real differences between these two battles are the settings. Prince Caspian is set during a sunny day where The Two Towers fights in the darkness.

However, you will be surprised to find that everything I said in the last paragraph is actually positive. The Two Towers is part of the greatest trilogy ever assembled. So for me, Prince Caspian is a friendly reminder of that greatness.

During its predecessor (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were swept away into a fantasy world where they triumphed the evil Witch (played by recent Oscar winner Tilda Swinton) and ruled Narnia for decades. After being sent back to reality, the four return one year later to Narnia to help defend what is left of the nearly extinct Narnians. Someone new has joined the rebellion. His name is Prince Caspian.

Caspian is played by new-kid-on-the-block Ben Barnes. He is a charming and rightfully cast teenager whose handsome looks are placed to attract ticket sales. His character has been forced into hiding after his Uncle Miraz looks to fight for the heir to the throne, even if that means killing his own nephew. When Caspian is on the run, he calls for help using Susan's magic horn, which was the signal to the four children to return now 1300 years into the Narnian future. The five must conquer the evil that has poisoned everything throughout the lands. With the help of a dwarf named Trumpkin (an awesome Peter Dinklage), a brave mouse, and other miscellaneous creatures, the battle between good and evil will finally come into play.

Part two of the Narnia series suffers from the disease of repetition. It feels as though Peter and the gang are only coming back to Narnia for the hell of it rather than giving a true stance as to the balance between their mortality in London and their fantasy lives in Narnia. What did they do for that whole year they were gone? I guess they just hung out complaining about homework and train schedules.

Luckily for me, I am a sucker for fantasy epics. When done well, they can be everything a movie should be. Prince Caspian gives us a taste, but always takes the fork away right when we are about to enjoy the entire slice.

Speed Racer

**1/2 Stars

Speaking as a young adult who believes that technology is taking over our minds, I have to state that I do not belong in a theater where films like Speed Racer are being played. This is true for two reasons: 1.) I never watched one full episode of the actual show and 2.) I had absolutely no idea what was going on while viewing it. This film is speed racing, but it leaves the audience so far behind. I swear I felt the beginning stages of vertigo during the screening. This is by far the trippiest stoner flick ever to hit the theaters.

Once again, this is a film that's hard to rate. If I was ten years old watching Speed Racer, I would think it is the greatest thing ever. But instead of getting into it, I felt like a parent wondering how I could let my child see this film, regardless of its PG rating. There are plenty of swears, with children punching each other when one is insulted, and although the action feels animated and fake, it still is not suitable for kids probably under the age of eight. So the only viewers that are seeing this film are those between 9-10 years old. Maybe that's why the film only opened to a mere $18 million. So much for my guess of a $50 million opening. I had hope for the Wachowski Brother's, but this baby stalls before lap one.

The casting of this film is inspiring. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon are perfectly cast as the Papa and Mom of Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch). Hirsch, coming off his electric performance in Into the Wild, is quite muted for most of this film. At one point, his younger brother's pet monkey has the same number of lines. His younger brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) is annoying as hell, who is only in the film for very young audiences. He and his monkey take up the entire film stealing candy and causing problems. Also, this kid's only friend is a monkey. How can the parents not be concerned?

Speed's life in racing began at a very young age. Suffering from ADD with his studies, Speed was focused on one thing: going fast. Ricky Bobby's father would like him. "If you ain't first, you're last." Speed looks up to his older brother Rex, who is a race car driver and the star of the family. When he is killed in a race, Speed begins to lose hope. But he realizes that racing his in his blood, and he can't escape his own blood. So when he grows up, he is faster than ever and a threat of his brother's track record. When Speed finishes first in a big race, he is welcomed by a racing conglomerate who wants him to join his money-filled industry. The Racer family has always been independently financed, but Speed wonders if taking this will take care of his family. He refuses, creating an enemy, and soon tries to save his family and himself from a business that killed his older brother.

The film does have a nice message for kids, but it's hidden behind car crashes and hypnotic nostalgia. The only question I wanted answered is which drug the Wachowski Brother's are taking, because this flick is one huge acid trip.

So where do I stand with this film? Well, as a viewer who never got into the series, I enjoyed the groundbreaking visuals and its clever hidden touches. For example, I was about to really give up one the film, until Spritle and the monkey started racing around a lab in a visual effect mania appropriately listening to Freebird. I unexpectedly started to crack up. I also laughed every time John Goodman was on screen. His mustache looks two inches longer than Hitler's. Also, Matthew Fox (Jack from the hit TV show Lost) plays the mysterious Racer X who helps Speed get through a Cross-country race. Fox is the best part of this movie, but he is lost in a shuffle of other useless characters and we rarely get to see him.

I had this weird feeling leaving the cinema. After being in a theater with visuals stronger and crazier than 3-D, it turns out that the real world doesn't have things being visually shoved in your face until you feel trapped like a helpless fish in some other owner's tank. Well, that is unless you walk down Times Square in New York City.

What Happens in Vegas

**1/2 Stars

After seeing hundreds and hundreds of romantic-comedies in my almost twenty year life, I have always been baffled as to how films like What Happens in Vegas can get made. It has the same recurring plotlines like any other romantic-comedy: two people somehow meet through an event that forces them to see each other constantly, then one soon falls for the other, and then he or she has to prove their love. All of these are the same gimmicks with slightly different faces and scenarios. So how do films like this still work? Simple, because the human race can and always will believe in the existence of love. Vegas is no different than anything you've seen before, but because love stories are universal, they can still work, regardless of when and where it takes place.

This particular story starts off with Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz) and Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) dealing with a certain relationship problem. When Joy is dumped by her fiancé and Jack is fired by his own father, both decide to head to Sin City to forget their problems and enjoy a night on the town. The two meet by accidentally being booked in the same room. Rob Corddry plays Hater, a lawyer and best bud of Jack. The two convince Joy and her friend Tipper (Lake Bell) to have a drink with them. One drink turns into two, which turns into five, which turns into ten, which turns into a sloppy-blackout marriage.

They wake up, agree for an annulment, and part their separate ways. But before they do, Jack drops Joy's quarter in a slot machine only to win $3 million dollars. In order to get the money, they have to work on their marriage for six months, only to give the film a plot. Joy moves into Jack's apartment, where all hell brakes loose. The two must try to find ways to see who will give up and lose the money.

The film relies on Diaz and Kutcher's ability to somehow act completely annoying and self-absorbed, yet we still root for the final endgame. If you've seen any romantic-comedy before or basically any film before, then you know exactly where What Happens in Vegas is going. It teeters on the edge of failure throughout the entire process, but it manages to carry its own weight across the finish line, even if that means stumbling through.

Iron Man

***1/2 Stars

If you are a moviegoer, then there are no other ways to start off a summer movie season than to see something as explosively great as Iron Man. Just when you thought that the superhero film genre has started to stall, Iron Man revs your engines to the fullest degree. The main reason for this is someone named Robert Downey Jr.

From what we all know, Downey has had a rough road both career and personal wise. After dealing with divorce and drug problems, not only has he been working steady on such great films as Zodiac and Good Night and Good Luck, but he has also formed a resurrection of his whole image. The man has always been a terrific actor with no questions asked, but this role finally gave him a ticket to super-stardom. He quotes, "I'm tired of being in films no one sees."

Director Jon Favreau doesn't have a huge track record for action, but damn does he disguise that well. With a budget of $140 million, Iron Man is technically and visually flawless. However, what makes this superhero movie edge out other adaptations are the small ingredients thrown in. There are times in this film where there is few little action, but has a great story to fall back on. The human of Iron Man is named Tony Stark, an eccentric billionaire out to create the most sophisticated weapons technology out there. Taking over the legacy from his late father, Tony has become an American Icon. But when he is captured in Afghanistan and held in captivity in three months, Stark's mindset changes. He witnesses his own technology killing the very people he intended to save. So the only way for Stark to escape is to device armor capable of invincibility. Good thing he is a genius. After creating the first Iron Man suit, Stark bashes his way out and back to America, where he soon realizes what he has to do: destroy the machinery that he created.

Gwyneth Paltrow (whose never looked so beautiful) plays Pepper Pots (Stark's assistant) who does anything he asks. The chemistry between these two characters and actors are some of the best scenes in the movie. Downey even admitted that Paltrow was his dreamgirl and to do this movie with her was just flat-out incredible. Both Ms. Pots and Mr. Stark seem to be in love with each other but aren't quite ready to seal the deal.

Things are not all sunshine and rainbows upon Tony's return. Obadiah Stane (a bald and bearded Jeff Bridges) Stark's business partner is frustrated with Tony's decision to shutdown the weapons branch of the company. After their stock drops 56 points, Obadiah and company try to take things into his own hands, setting up the final act in the film, where Stark also has created the flawless and final Iron Man suit. Terrence Howard plays the liaison to Stark Enterprises and is clearly being set up to become Iron Man's superhero partner in the sequel, slated for April of 2010.

Iron Man rocks. Its pure Hollywood, but sometimes we all want that guilty pleasure. We know that these actors are having the time of their lives. Plus with a $100 million opening, both the cast & crew and the studios can finally relax and enjoy the moment together. The summer is here. Let's keep it coming.