AC's day at the movies
Posted: May 27, 2008 • 4:59 pm
A little bird told me that there has been some discussion on this website regarding the new Indiana Jones movie and that you all might be interested in what Chris and I thought of it. Well, OK then.
First of all, starting last Thursday, I've gotten a ton of emails and phone calls from friends and family congratulating me on finally getting The Pandora Directive made into a movie, and then encouraging me to sue the fat pants of George Lucas. Lord knows there is nothing in the world I would like to do more than take a few million of his dollars (about .00001% of his net worth) and turn it into a new TEX GAME! But, sadly, it ain't gonna happen.
Here's the deal: All similarities to Pandora aside, I enjoyed this movie. I actually liked it better than The Last Crusade, which I found hokey and saccharine. I would put it just below Temple of Doom. And it's not worthy to sniff Raiders' butt.
That being said, I thought they did a good job - especially considering how much time had passed and the inevitable, though unfairly high expectations. Honestly, if we ever get a chance to bring Tex back, I expect it would be the same. People would be anticipating so much, there's no way we could ever deliver. I find it interesting when people talk about the "old games" and how much loved them. But, with rare exceptions, most of the old games SUCK! It's our memory of them that makes them so great.
OK. Enough philosophizing.
Things I liked about the movie:
1. Karen Allen - she looked like a real 60 year-old woman! Yay!
2. The movie didn't take itself too seriously.
3. Mutt was surprisingly un-annoying (I think Shia's a very good actor, by the way).
4. Somehow, against all odds, Spielberg didn't turn it into a cloying, sugar-coated love fest.
5. Harrison Ford still has charisma.
6. Great chase scene through the college campus
7. Loved all the story elements
Things I didn't like:
1. The fight scenes - too many, too long, too contrived, too too too...
2. Cate Blanchette's wig and "Kevin Costner-esque accent" (great actress, but not one of her great performances)
3. The dead characters got referenced one too many times.
4. The waterfall sequence was just dumb.
5. Russians can't shoot for $#it. How many thousand rounds can you fire from close range and miss?
So, now for Tex versus Indy. When we left the theatre, I said "Well, we can't sue, but I think anyone who's read or played Pandora is going to see an incredible number of similarities. So, we've got that goin' for us..."
Honestly, I'd like to think that George (or one of the other writers) was a fan of our story and was "inspired" by it, in much the same way he was inspired by Joseph Campbell for the two decent Star Wars movies.
I realize that Area 51, Mayan Temples, rogue Government Agents, the Plains of Nazca, the Roswell Crash, Russian Scientists, Alien Energy Sources, and Spaceships built inside Ancient Structures and worshipped by Tribesmen thought to have vanished centuries ago but who are actually still alive and guarding the Temple, have all been in the public domain for years, just not all connected like that. I suppose it's conceivable that someone else randomly came up with all these same elements...
After the movie, we went to California Pizza Kitchen for lupper and who did we happen to run into? Why, Chris Jones & family! They'd been to see the exact same show at the exact same time! And had the exact same reaction!
We had a good laugh and talked about all the "coincidences". For those of you who are old-school enough to have played "Amazon", there were a few elements from that game, too - a dead end in Cuzco, a jewel hidden inside the corpse of a dead Conquistador, an entrance to an eternal tomb under a Waterfall. More infernal coincidences.
Bottom line is, all the Indy movies are homages to the old-fashioned adventure serials. The bad guys are supposed to be over-the-top, cliches are meant to be embraced, not avoided. Of course Mutt was Indy's son! Of course he and Marion get married at the end! Of course all evidence of saving the world is erased at the end! It's great! That's what we did in the Tex games, too! Hell, Tex wouldn't be who he is if I hadn't gone to the premiere of Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and had my socks blown off. And that's why I enjoyed the movie. Probably won't see it again, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Until next time, the virtual balcony is closed.
AC
First of all, starting last Thursday, I've gotten a ton of emails and phone calls from friends and family congratulating me on finally getting The Pandora Directive made into a movie, and then encouraging me to sue the fat pants of George Lucas. Lord knows there is nothing in the world I would like to do more than take a few million of his dollars (about .00001% of his net worth) and turn it into a new TEX GAME! But, sadly, it ain't gonna happen.
Here's the deal: All similarities to Pandora aside, I enjoyed this movie. I actually liked it better than The Last Crusade, which I found hokey and saccharine. I would put it just below Temple of Doom. And it's not worthy to sniff Raiders' butt.
That being said, I thought they did a good job - especially considering how much time had passed and the inevitable, though unfairly high expectations. Honestly, if we ever get a chance to bring Tex back, I expect it would be the same. People would be anticipating so much, there's no way we could ever deliver. I find it interesting when people talk about the "old games" and how much loved them. But, with rare exceptions, most of the old games SUCK! It's our memory of them that makes them so great.
OK. Enough philosophizing.
Things I liked about the movie:
1. Karen Allen - she looked like a real 60 year-old woman! Yay!
2. The movie didn't take itself too seriously.
3. Mutt was surprisingly un-annoying (I think Shia's a very good actor, by the way).
4. Somehow, against all odds, Spielberg didn't turn it into a cloying, sugar-coated love fest.
5. Harrison Ford still has charisma.
6. Great chase scene through the college campus
7. Loved all the story elements
Things I didn't like:
1. The fight scenes - too many, too long, too contrived, too too too...
2. Cate Blanchette's wig and "Kevin Costner-esque accent" (great actress, but not one of her great performances)
3. The dead characters got referenced one too many times.
4. The waterfall sequence was just dumb.
5. Russians can't shoot for $#it. How many thousand rounds can you fire from close range and miss?
So, now for Tex versus Indy. When we left the theatre, I said "Well, we can't sue, but I think anyone who's read or played Pandora is going to see an incredible number of similarities. So, we've got that goin' for us..."
Honestly, I'd like to think that George (or one of the other writers) was a fan of our story and was "inspired" by it, in much the same way he was inspired by Joseph Campbell for the two decent Star Wars movies.
I realize that Area 51, Mayan Temples, rogue Government Agents, the Plains of Nazca, the Roswell Crash, Russian Scientists, Alien Energy Sources, and Spaceships built inside Ancient Structures and worshipped by Tribesmen thought to have vanished centuries ago but who are actually still alive and guarding the Temple, have all been in the public domain for years, just not all connected like that. I suppose it's conceivable that someone else randomly came up with all these same elements...
After the movie, we went to California Pizza Kitchen for lupper and who did we happen to run into? Why, Chris Jones & family! They'd been to see the exact same show at the exact same time! And had the exact same reaction!
We had a good laugh and talked about all the "coincidences". For those of you who are old-school enough to have played "Amazon", there were a few elements from that game, too - a dead end in Cuzco, a jewel hidden inside the corpse of a dead Conquistador, an entrance to an eternal tomb under a Waterfall. More infernal coincidences.
Bottom line is, all the Indy movies are homages to the old-fashioned adventure serials. The bad guys are supposed to be over-the-top, cliches are meant to be embraced, not avoided. Of course Mutt was Indy's son! Of course he and Marion get married at the end! Of course all evidence of saving the world is erased at the end! It's great! That's what we did in the Tex games, too! Hell, Tex wouldn't be who he is if I hadn't gone to the premiere of Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and had my socks blown off. And that's why I enjoyed the movie. Probably won't see it again, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Until next time, the virtual balcony is closed.
AC
*swoon* ... phew. Okay...
Now that just makes my day
