BEA, Miracle Fruit, and Indy 4

I’m at BEA today stalking Neil Gaiman, but I’ll post a couple things here to keep you company in my absence.

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I must buy some of these and have a “flavor tripping” party. It’s a fruit that temporarily rewires your taste buds and makes sour things taste sweet. Read the New York Time Article or buy some.

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I liked Indy 4. It was no Raiders, but nothing is. I think people forget that the Spielberg, Lucas, Ford combo isn’t a sure-fire hit maker. As much as some would argue to the contrary, Temple of Doom: Not such a good movie. I actually think it’s underrated and taken on its own is enjoyable. Just don’t compare it to the other two.

Skull was flawed, but a ludicrously fun ride. The exposition was clunky. The actors had to strain to make some of the dialogue sound natural, and it suffered from Batman Movie Problem #2. (Batman Movie Problem #1 is that the movie is really about the villain. Solved by Batman Begins by not having a strong villain.) Batman Movie Problem #2 is trying to have more main characters than you really need (Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin). Action movies have little time for character development. The more main characters, the less developed any of them are, the less we care about them. The fact that FIVE characters are all walking into the temple at the end, being pursued by another, indicates the movie was trying way too hard.

As for the end, what else were they going to make an Indiana Jones movie set in the 1950’s out of? It’s not any more unbelievable than the Holy Grail or the Lost Ark. I applaud the movie for going where it did and having fun with it.