A Tale of Two Movies

DARK KNIGHT is being hailed as the best superhero movie in existence.

It's not.

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE is being trashed as too little, too late.

It might be.

SPOILERS LURK BELOW - go away if you don't wanna know!

I've held off for a couple of weeks on writing about DARK KNIGHT. I've seen it twice - not because it's a masterpiece, but more to confirm my initial reaction. The film's just too darn long.

Heath Ledger gives a masterful performance. The dedication to him in the end credits made me tear up - twice. But the Joker is not the problem here - it's Harvey Dent.

The Joker's actions create Dent's villainous alter ego, Two Face. And this interpretation of the classic Batman baddie is miles better than Tommy Lee Jones' take.

The problem is, there's just too much of Dent, post-creation. Prior to his turning, the character of Harvey Dent still carries a great deal of the weight of this film - and it's wonderful. The idea that the Batman may finally have found a true hero for Gotham is exceptional. That Batman is eager to retire and turn his beloved city over to a civil servant willing to take on the bad guys is quite a departure from recent Bat-history.

But...

Once the Joker creates Two-Face, the film loses focus - and gains about a half hour of story that could have made for another exceptional film, had it not been so rushed. I would have much preferred saving Two-Face for a big reveal just before the end credits, rather than having the character intrude on the relationship between Joker and Batman.

As for Scully and Mulder... it struck me during my screening that this film felt like just another episode of the series. Not so great a notion for a movie - but I think it really says something about the incredible quality of the original source material.

Every episode of THE X-FILES was shot like a mini-movie. The series had a cinematic look that set it apart from other TV shows of the 1990's. We saw five solid years (and two lesser years) worth of creepy atmosphere,, monster-like humans and human-like monsters.

To take the series to the big screen requires a bigger scale, a bigger story and bigger danger. I WANT TO BELIEVE doesn't have any of that - and that's what's gone wrong.

What it does have is a lot of what made the series solid. Questions, not so many answers and personal quests.

It was great to drop in on the characters again, but moviegoers deserve a bit more.

The box office results have not been kind and that may mean be the end of Scully and Mulder, but that's probably how it should be.

The duo was very much a creation of the '90s - and their visit to the post-9/11 edition of the FBI underscores the passage of time with a pause in front of President Bush's photo. Our heroes are very much from a different time - a time when the worst monsters we could come up with weren't fanatical humans.

Today's world requires a different hero.

A silent guardian.

A watchful protector.

A dark knight.

Indy Needs Religion

Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful to see Indiana Jones out and about after such a long absence from the big screen.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL is steeped in nostalgia with tips of the fedora to your favorite Indy chase sequences, old girlfriends and ancient treasures.

But someone important was missing from the film. It wasn't Henry Jones, Sr., Marcus or Sallah.

It was God.

Indy is at his absolute best when his science comes into conflict with long held dogma. That's part of the mystery and wonderment that makes RAIDERS and THE LAST CRUSADE so special. This knowledgeable professor goes out on an impossible hunt for a treasure that can't possibly exist, only to have his lack of faith in mankind shattered by solid evidence that the ancient mysteries of Christianity are much more than mere legends.

In TEMPLE OF DOOM, that element was missing, and as a result, Indy's spiritual growth was stunted.

The same thing happens in CRYSTAL SKULL. And while it's not the only problem the film has, it's big enough. The lack of a true quest for Indy is a bigger issue. It's hard to understand just what is driving Dr. Jones in this quest. Instead, he seems to just wander from action piece to action piece.

I know the Powers That Be (Spielberg, Lucas, Ford) wanted Indy to enter the Atomic Age in this film (and his entry into it was nothing short of a. . . blast) but for me the final act was way too X-FILES meets CLOSE ENCOUNTERS for what I expect from Indiana Jones.

Again, don't get me wrong - I had a great time, but left the theater ever so vaguely unsatisfied.

I hope, if they should gather the team again for a fourth Indy entry (INDIANA JONES JOINS AARP?) they'll manage to find something more mystical to hunt for - maybe a Fountain of Youth, or Noah's Ark.

Indy needs something to remind him that there's life after the franchise.

Burning Off the Summer, Part 1

My schedule's been a bit cramped of late, but Mrs. Kimosabe & I worked hard this weekend cleaning out the TiVo of some of the summer stuff we couldn't quite get to over the last few weeks. The fall premieres are a comin' and that means there's lots of TV watching to squeeze into two weeks' time.

I'm three episodes into MAD MEN and have every intention of finishing the run. Kudos to AMC for enhancing the environment for this advertising based drama with trivia bumpers that run in between all of their commercials.

Orkin started advertising on TV in 1954... followed by an Orkin spot.

The number one night for movie advertising is Thursday... followed by a spot for a movie.

The Paramount logo is the oldest movie studio logo still in use... followed by a spot for Paramount film.

Smart stuff - and a very clever way to fight back against TiVo hopping.

Also - a big shout out to SUPERNATURAL. Got all caught up on the Winchester brothers' adventures tonight. The show has an X-FILES feel - and it should, Kim Manners was deeply involved in both. It's a tight show, too. The main story always seems to be wrapped up in 45 minutes, followed by a little bit more of the ongoing mythology. Nice.

SUPERNATURAL started the season head to head against THE O.C. - and choices had to be made. Come October 4th, Sam & Dean will get their season pass back.