Robin Hood (2010)

High budgets and huge stars lead to high expectations. If you are a fan of "Hood-lore" then this is a must see. For the rest, it totally depends on what you are in the mood for and which stars you like to watch.

Russel Crowe plays Robin in this "prequel", with Kate Blanchett as a very strong Marion Loxley. Max von Sydow is brilliant as Sir Walter Loxley and Mark Addy is wonderful as Friar Tuck. Little John is played by so well by Kevin Durand that I totally forgive him for his role in Lost. HA! He's not proportionate. Best line in the movie.

The bad guys are perfect - Mark Strong as Godfrey and Oscar Isaac as Prince John.

Bottom line this is a version of the story leading up to Robin Longstribe being declared an outlaw and becoming Robin Hood. It is NOT the Gladiator of Hood-lore as Director Ridley Scott wanted. It is however a worthy addition to the collection of stories around this theme.

Watch this movie with expectations lower than the $200M budget would suggest, and you won't be disappointed.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

This was clearly not the fun roller coaster ride of Raiders or Last Crusade, but I think this movie was at least a bit better than many critics have made it out to be. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Last Crusade remains the best of the series in my opinion.

Any time you get Steven Spielburg and George Lucas together on a project you MUST accept that is will be a little cutting edge. I highly recommend watching the Extra Features on this DVD before watching the movie. That may accomplish a couple of things. First, you hear from the Titans themselves about how hard it was to decide to do this project and why it took the direction it did. It makes total sense once you have from them. Second it will catch you up on some of the high points of the previous 3 films. You don't need to have seen the first 3 to get or enjoy number 4, but I recommend it.

Harrison Ford was 65 when this movie was finished and he looked great and played the role of the now-senior Dr. Jones very well. Karen Allen reprises her role as Indy's old flame with a significant twist.

Jones is fighting the Russians this time now that WWII is finally over and the Cold War has begun. His nemesis is played by the ever-amazing Cate Blanchett. John Hurt is the big surprise and delightful member of the expedition.

Some have said there was too much CG in this movie and yes, there are significant amounts. But, I did not find it distracting. This movie could not have been made without it, or it would have been done very badly.

Like Spielberg, I would have been content to let the Crusade end with Raiders III. But I do not think this movie was a mistake even if the story bears striking similarities to "Secret of the Incas" starring Burt Lancaster in 1954. But if you know this history of the creative team behind Raiders in the late 1980's, they were wide open about using this great movie an an inspiration. End of story.

Watch IJ4 with someone who will suspend belief with you and enjoy the ride.

The Aviator

Director Martin Scorsese has been making great films for over 50 years. "The Aviator" is among his best. It is not often that a bio-pic about well-known Hollywood insiders wins an Oscar. This one won 5 of the 11 nominations it earned.

While Leonardo DiCaprio (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Quick and the Dead, and Titanic) had the title role here, and played it brilliantly, he was not the top attraction. His work here may be his widest range thus far however. From amazing inventor, aviator, and captain of industry to the whacked-out germophobe living in the top floors of a Vegas casino, DiCaprio allows the audience forget it's acting.

Cate Blanchett (LOTR series, Babel, and the Elizabeth series) on the other hand, takes his work here to the next level and becomes Katherine Hepburn of the 1950's and beyond. For this she got to give an Oscar acceptance speech. if you have not seen this movie yet, watch it just for he performance as a lesson to all actors about having your character get into you rather than you getting into character. She is a complete Hepburn; voice, mannerisms, expressions, attitude, and moxie.

This project drew a big list of stars in support: Alan Alda, Alex Balwin, John C. Reilly, Kate Beckinsale, Gwen Stefani, and Jude Law to name just a few you might recognize, and each played a real person you might also have heard if. Everyone does a superb job of teaching real history in a real interesting way.

If you skipped this movie during the winter of 2004-2005, I highly recommend watching it now. If you have not seen it since, it is certainly worth a watch again, if for no other reason than to catch all the funny goofs which somehow made it into the final edit.

Watch this movie with a healthy dose of respect for how high it sets the bar.

The Missing

This movie is first and foremost a story of redemption and forgiveness. This is not your typical blockbuster directed by Ron Howard. It is dark and haunting, but it is complete. There is nothing missing. It shows the complete range of movies Howard is capable of bringing to the screen.

Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Black series, Lonesome Dove series, and Al Gore's roommate at Harvard) leaves his family to "go injun" in this story set in 1885 New Mexico. His medicine woman daughter, Cate Blanchet (LOTR series, Aviator, and the next Indiana Jones movie) runs a ranch with her daughters. Daddy and daughter can't stand each other who turning their back on what the other considers important.

But, when girls are being kidnaped by thugs, and one of the girls is a granddaughter of Tommy Lee Jones, Daddy and Daughter unit, begrudging unit to get all the girls back. Jones is true to his Cherokee roots and goes after the bad guys. If you think you know what happens, think again.

Sounds sort of stock, but if you'd like to see a new twist on a western theme; and a bit dark at that, I recommend this one. Watch it with someone who does not jump too far when scary things happen.