Indiana Jones 5 Update

“When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy.” — Harrison Ford, on whether or not he would ever be replaced as Indiana Jones

Just the other day, producer Frank Marshall announced on Twitter that filming on the latest (and final?) installment in the Indiana Jones movie franchise has completed. After over a decade of development and production delays, creators and fans alike can now breathe a sigh of relief as the film enters the post-production phase. The official, theatrical release date is June 30, 2023.

But, what else do we know about it?

1) Steven Spielberg was originally scheduled to both produce and direct, as he did previous installments. But, other responsibilities forced him to hand over the latter job to James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) in 2020. This also led to a new script by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow, Ford v Ferrari).

2) George Lucas is executive producing but, for the first time, not involved on the writing end. Other producers include Spielberg, Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, and Simon Emanuel.

3) John Williams is back to do the music. Yay!

4) Harrison Ford is, of course, returning as the title character. The man is 79 years old, so props to him! Will there be any de-aging technology used? Unknown.

5) As of this writing, the plot (including time period) has yet to be officially revealed. That being said, Mangold hinted back in Jan. 2021 that Nazis and the search for the Fountain of Youth would be involved. Also, 1960s New York City, the space race, maybe some time travel. Whether or not any of this found its way into the final plot, I haven’t read anything definitive. Bottom line, though, we can probably count on it following along the same lines and themes of previous IJ films — namely, world-spanning adventures in pursuit of supernatural-themed legends.

6) Will any other castmembers from the earlier IJ movies make an appearance? Also unknown. Karen Allen was rumored to be returning, but no alumni are listed in IJ5’s cast on IMDB. However, any surprise cameos probably wouldn’t be added (if at all) until after the movie is out. (Hopefully.)

Mikkelsen, Waller-Bridge, and Ford

7) Newcomers joining Ford for this one, though, include Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”, Arctic), Toby Jones (“Wayward Pines”, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Antonio Banderas (The Expendables 3, Desperado), Boyd Holbrook (“Narcos”, Logan), Thomas Kretschmann (“Biohackers”, “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”), Shaunette Renée Wilson (“Billions”, “The Resident”), and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Broadchurch”, “Fleabag”). Unfortunately, nothing has been announced about their characters at this time, not even the names. Rumor has it, though, that Mikkelsen will play the main villain and will be accompanied by an “evil and brutal killer” female associate.

8) No official title, as yet.

I see four possibilities for how they might end the film. One, Indy dies at the end — whether naturally or by injury — thereby ending the franchise. Two, Indy lives and finally retires as an old (and hopefully happy) man — thereby ending the franchise. Three, Indy is rejuvenated by the Fountain of Youth (thereby requiring a little of that de-aging technology), and he goes back to doing what he loves as a very hands-on archaeologist. But, given Ford’s actual age, that’s probably the end of the franchise. Four, Indy is rejuvenated by the Fountain of Youth but decides to take a very different course, perhaps settling down and having a family. (Perhaps it would be indicated that a protege of Indy’s would take on Indy’s adventuring mantle (and whip and fedora?), though not necessarily to spin off a new film series.) I’m not too keen on the first option, but any of the others would be acceptable to me.

The most recent Indiana Jones entry, 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was a bit of a disappointment both critically and to the fans. (I didn’t think it was terrible, though.) George Lucas’s writing may have been a factor there. So, with Lucas not writing this one, that might bode well. Who knows?

Regardless, count me in among the original fans who await with great anticipation this final adventure with our favorite, whip-cracking archaeologist. Let’s hope the Hollywood magic is still there.

Notable Genre Anniversaries in 2021, Part 1 of 3

“From the dawn of time we came, moving silently down through the centuries. Living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the Gathering, when the few who remain will battle to the last….” — Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, Highlander

Readers who have been following me for a while know that I have done a series of posts for each of the past 3 years celebrating certain iconic characters and stories. These were, of course, properties primarily in the sci-fi/fantasy and action/adventure genre(s) that were having significant anniversaries in those years — i.e., in some multiple of 5. I normally start putting them out in the first quarter of the year, but it is heading into mid-2021 already, so I better get movin’ on this year’s honorees. (You may note that two of them are films I included in this list.)

Highlander (1986): 35 years

It has been three-and-a-half decades since audiences were introduced to Gregory Widen’s tale of an immortal Scotsman (with a French accent, thanks to star Christopher Lambert, who barely knew English), Connor MacLeod, and his efforts to learn about his newly-found immortality and to survive the ongoing contest for power with other immortals. These include MacLeod’s mentor, an ancient Egyptian who goes by the name of Ramirez. (Even odder, Ramirez has a Scottish accent and wields a samurai katana, forged by his father-in-law in 592 BC.) The primary foe is a ruthless immortal, the Kurgan, who hails from the steppes of Russia (and currently sports a punk/skinhead fetish). In addition to a creative story concept, there are stunning visuals, intriguing camerawork, terrific swordfights (both in 1985 and flashbacks), and enjoyable performances.

Widen’s original draft of the script was much darker, with many differences in the characters, plot, and concepts than would later be seen in the film. I prefer what we got over what might have been, even if the movie was originally both a financial and critical failure in the U.S. However, international audiences loved it and it soon developed a cult following, one that exists to this day. Of course, much of that following was strengthened by four theatrical sequels/prequels, one made-for-TV film, two live-action television series, an animated television series, an anime film, a Flash-based web series, original novels, comic books, an audio production, video games, a collectible card game, and various other licensed merchandise.

The first TV series (1992-1998) introduced Connor’s relative, Duncan MacLeod, and most stories in the various formats revolved around one or both of them. The most frustrating thing about these later Highlander stories was the many inconsistencies with canon — i.e., histories and abilities established in the original movie. (The absolute worst was Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), which many fans now dismiss as a fevered hallucination by the film’s investors, who removed returning director Russell Mulcahy and changed the story to be a sci-fi retcon of established lore.) But, the franchise still has a huge fanbase, and a long-awaited reboot remains in “heavy development mode.”

Watchmen (1986): 35 years

The same year that Highlander came out, one of the most controversial and fan-favorite comic book “maxi-series” made its debut: Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons. Based in an alternate reality of Cold War-era 1980s (plus flashbacks), the tale centers around two generations of very flawed, morally ambiguous superheroes. It (along with Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) is considered to be instrumental in the industry’s shift into more grim-n-gritty storytelling and darker superheroes, though Moore regrets that, as he had no intention of making it a (sub)genre of its own.

Thematically, Moore said he was not pushing anti-Americanism but anti-Reaganism (and anti-Thatcherism), i.e., a conservative political approach which he saw as being quite dangerous. Many have called the work deconstructionist and postmodern, while Geoff Klock prefers the term “revisionary superhero narrative.” Stylistically, there was a lot of symbolism and imagery throughout, most notably the iconic, blood-stained smiley face. Structurally, the creators utilized some unusual panel layouts, coloring, and pacing for dramatic effect, all of which were designed by Gibbons to give the series a then-unique look.

Due to the graphic violence and adult themes, the series was a bit of a hard-sell, especially to advertisers. But, DC stuck with it. The series ended up being a commercial success, helping DC briefly overtake Marvel in the comic book direct market. It has had multiple printings in trade paperback (TPB) format, and it (again, along with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) helped usher in the use of the “graphic novel” term, which gave the medium more cred in literary circles (which led to more libraries buying them for people like me to read). The limited series appears on both Time‘s 2005 “All-Time 100 Greatest Novels” list and its 2009 “Top 10 Graphic Novels” list. Other top rankings have come from Entertainment Weekly and The Comics Journal.

Watchmen has had multiple sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, though with limited involvement by Gibbons and none by Moore. (There is a whole, ugly history of contested ownership rights that I won’t get into.) After several aborted attempts, a successful live-action adaptation premiered in theaters in 2009, directed by Zack Snyder. A decade later, HBO produced a single-season, TV series sequel, also titled simply “Watchmen”. And, of course, there have been various licensed collectibles, as well as non-fiction works about the property.

Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark) (1981): 40 years

Thanks to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, the Indiana Jones franchise starring Harrison Ford kicked off forty years ago with the theatrical premiere of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Wow! I don’t have a specific memory of going to see it, but I know that I absolutely loved it. I mean, Indy may not have been Han Solo, but Ford gave him a very similar sort of charm, minus some of the snark. He was an easy-going archaeologist with a penchant for jumping into action and pulling off some amazing feats. The adventure stories were loads of fun, with nasty baddies and pretty ladies — sometimes one and the same. Then there were the great comedic moments! And he had that cool bullwhip! And… and… yeah, you might say I’m a big fan.

The movie was essentially an ode to the B-movie serial films of past decades, but with higher-quality production. Besides Lucas and Spielberg, credit is due also to Philip Kaufman (who helped Lucas flesh out the concept) and writer Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back). After several years of fine-tuning the character and story, and finally armed with a screenplay, Lucas managed to negotiate a deal with Paramount Pictures. Producer Frank Marshall, cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, production designer Norman Reynolds, and editor Michael Kahn were all hired thanks to Spielberg, thus filling most of the upper ranks of the production team. Special F/X by Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) were supervised by Richard Edlund. (Lucas served as exec producer and second unit director.) And a great team it proved to be.

Ford’s tendency to remain aloof caused some frustration. And, of course, there were the usual issues with sickness suffered by cast and crew, overbearing heat, problems with animals, etc. Lack of script details led to a lot of improvisation on set, which made for some interesting, even great, scenes — e.g., the young student with “Love You” written across her eyelids. Spielberg managed to hold to time and budget restrictions (for a change), which he admitted kept the movie from becoming “pretentious”. Another plus was the remarkable lack of studio interference. Filming took only 73 days, followed by two months of post-production (mostly special F/X and pick-up shots).

All the hard work paid off, as the film became a blockbuster, as well as a critical success. In the U.S., Raiders grossed roughly $212 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1981. International success led to a worldwide gross of $354 million, making it the highest-grossing film of 1981 worldwide. (There were several re-releases and video releases, as well, which brought in many more bucks.) Accolades included labels of “breathless and incredible”, “exhilarating escapist entertainment”, and “instant classic”. Raiders earned five Academy Awards, seven Saturn Awards, a Directors Guild Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, a People’s Choice Award, and a Hugo Award. (This doesn’t count the additional nominations, either.)

This was just the beginning of a huge franchise, too, spawning three more films (with a fourth planned for Summer 2022), a TV series, video games, comic books, novels, theme park attractions, toys, and an amateur remake. Raiders is preserved in the National Film Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Well done, Indy, my friend.

Hope you enjoyed the first part of our 2021 list. Part 2 will likely be in 3 or 4 weeks, so keep an eye out….

Bits-n-Pieces

I didn’t have time this week to do a regular-size piece on any one subject, but there were a few recent news items that I’ve been thinking of briefly commenting on. So,…

Item #1:  First up is the latest development re the suit against the producers of fan-film Star Trek: Axanar. The film short, “Prelude to Axanar” (2014), got a lot of good feedback, and Axanar Productions has been able to raise over $1 million, so far, for the full-length film. But, Paramount/CBS must have gotten nervous, especially since the production quality rivaled their own. So, they began legal proceedings a few months ago, claiming trademark infringement on multiple elements: species (including Vulcan ears), themes, characters, costumes, settings. Producer/actor Alec Peters predicted as much and was ready for a fight. (Or, perhaps a diplomatic negotiation? Good thing he is an attorney in his “day job”.) The most recent dispute is over the right to use the Klingon language. Sigh!

From what I understand, the planned film is set to adapt ideas from a 2-book module in the FASA Star Trek role-playing game: Return to Axanar/The Four Years War. It follows the events of a serious conflict between the nascent Federation and the Klingon Empire in the 2240s — i.e., two decades prior to ST:TOS. Sounds cool. I guess maybe I should watch “Prelude to Axanar” to see what all the hubbub is about….

Item #2:  There had been quite a lot of speculation about what race the title character would/should be in Netflix’s “Iron Fist”. Originalists like me wanted a white guy, while others thought an Asian or mixed actor would be more appropriate. Now that the very white Finn Jones (“Game of Thrones”) has been cast, the controversy has heated up even more, with those who wanted Danny Rand to be white (as he has always been in the comics) being called “racist”. Gimmeabreak! People throw that term around so much and so unfairly these days that it has lost its punch. (No pun intended.) I read an article a few months ago by an Asian guy who did not want Iron Fist to be Asian, either, but his reason was different. If I remember right, he didn’t want the first major Asian superhero to be a martial artist, ‘cuz it feeds a stereotype. Not sure I agree, but I understand and sympathize with the position. I guess he isn’t too thrilled about the rumor that Shang-Chi will make an appearance in “Iron Fist”.

Item #3:  Spider-Man news! Everybody is talking about the wall-crawler’s cameo at the end of the new trailer for Captain America: Civil War. I loved it, though it sort of ruins the surprise (if Spidey’s appearance is a surprise, anymore) within the movie itself. Still, I understand why they did it. I also love Spidey’s costume. It isn’t quite the comic original, but it is much closer and more like what a teenager would put together than the suits the Maguire and Garfield versions had. (Here’s a Youtube “Costume Breakdown” of the suit.) Also, in case I haven’t mentioned it, I am very happy with the casting of Tom Holland.

A second bit of Spidey-related news is that the Venom movie may happen after all. I have mixed feelings about this. I wasn’t thrilled with the version from Spider-Man 3, but my enthusiasm for the character had waned loooong ago, since its overuse in the 1990s and 2000s. If they want to do a solo film for this creature/villain/anti-hero, fine, but there are other characters I’d rather see get the live-action treatment.

Item #4:  Jessica Jones, Supergirl, and Agent Carter have each been renewed for another season. This is great news! I’ve mentioned (in my review of the show) that I was disappointed in several aspects of the Jessica Jones adaptation, but I liked it enough that I’ll probably watch a second season. I’m rather curious what the plot and main villain might be. Similarly, my “Initial Impressions of Supergirl” post included some negatives, but I continue to enjoy the show and am glad to see that the studio has seen fit to give it another season. (I may need to do a follow-up review, once Season 1 finishes.) As for Agent Carter, I never reviewed it, but I am enjoying that one quite a bit, as well. So, I’m thrilled that Hayley Atwell et al. will get a third season.

Item #5:  On the fantasy front, you may have already heard about the release of a script book for the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I & II play and maybe the confirmation that there are three Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them films planned. But, unless you are a Potterhead (or whatever they call themselves), you may not be aware that J.K. Rowling is now writing material about other wizarding schools in other countries & continents at the Pottermore website, with particular emphasis on North America (since that’s where the new movies will take place). I checked it out, and so far they are relatively brief pieces. But, they do help to answer a few questions, fill in the blanks, pique our curiosity even more, etc., regarding magic in the rest of Harry Potter’s world. Looks like fun!

Item #6:  A fifth installment of Indiana Jones, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg, has now been officially (re-)confirmed and even a tentative release date announced: July 19, 2019. Woohoo! That’s just a few days after Ford turns 77, so I hope he doesn’t overdo it! (That’s what stuntmen are for, right?) I also hope he and Spielberg can “make up for” the Crystal Skull and end the series on a high note. I’m rootin’ fer ya, guys!

The End.

UPDATE 5/13/2016:  Regarding #4 above, it looks like I jumped the gun. What I had read about “Supergirl” was, I believe, merely the optimism of one of the producers. However, it has now been announced that the show has been renewed for season 2 but is moving over to CBS’s cousin, the CW. (Now, they just have to figure out how to reduce its huge budget without losing quality or beloved characters.) Unfortunately, the news is not good about “Agent Carter”. Don’t remember what I read that gave me the idea it had already been renewed, but it (and I) was wrong. The show’s future has been in limbo all this time… until now. ABC has finally decided to cancel it. (At least, we’ll see Hayley Atwell in her new series: “Conviction”.) They also decided not to move forward with the “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” spin-off, “Marvel’s Most Wanted”. No word, yet, on if they’ll try to bring the Morse & Hunter characters back into the fold.

Thoughts on *Star Wars: The Force Awakens*

I wasn’t gonna do this.

I wasn’t gonna write/post a review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens until after I’d watched it a second time, which probably wouldn’t be until January sometime. But, I saw it today (12/19), then read a few comments by others, and I couldn’t help myself. So, instead of working on my other blog like I should have, I wrote this. (Well, most of it.)

As usual, I present for your consideration some of my observations, reflections, and critiques, though a little more substantive than the simple bullets that I sometimes do. I won’t disclose any MAJOR revelations, but I do refer either explicitly or implicitly to a few things that happen, so here is your official…

SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT!

Wonderful!

Spectacular!

Awesomeness!

(And that’s just the opening trailers/previews!)

I really like the new characters. All of them. Finn and Rey are interesting and enjoyable as individuals but also work well together and have a nice chemistry — with or without any potential romance. I’m glad the producers decided to go with relative unknowns, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, to portray them, much as Lucas did for his young protagonists in the originals. I like the way the characters are developing, as they are from very different backgrounds yet both orphaned and both “outsiders”, never imagining themselves involved in something like the Resistance, yet recognizing the importance of the cause. Rey and Finn’s personal journeys are just beginning (sort of), and I’m happy to be along for the ride.

I have to say, though, that their respective lightsaber duels with Kylo Ren were both a bit far-fetched — i.e., that they lasted so long –, I thought, given that neither had any sort of training, whereas Ren clearly did. I suppose we are to attribute some of it to Ren’s having been injured in his side just minutes before. Also, Rey may have had some instinctive Force-driven moves, though that wasn’t exactly clear. Finn, on the other hand, just got lucky (until he didn’t).

Kylo Ren is not as big or menacing a villain as Darth Vader was. But, is he “not as scary as he <should> be”? I don’t think so. Ren may be nearly as powerful as Vader was when we saw him — i.e., very, but still a level or three below that of his master. But, Ren is more emotionally volatile and not yet a “Sith Lord”. In fact, I think he is a lot like Vader probably was in between episodes III and IV, and I suspect we will see him grow even more powerful as the trilogy progresses. It wasn’t clear to me the extent of Ren’s injuries, but I wouldn’t be surprised if (like Vader and Luke) he ends up getting some bionic/mechanical replacements or enhancements. As an aside, I will say that I kind of like the simple voice-effect used for when Ren wears his mask.

Poe Dameron is a very likable (semi-)rogue, and I truly hope we get to see and discover more about him in the rest of the trilogy and/or the anthology films. Same goes for the rest of his squadron. (Great to see Greg Grunberg in the mix!) Some parts of the fighter battles were reminiscent of those from the original trilogy — intentionally so, I’d wager — but different enough to not feel like rip-offs. More generally, there were indeed parallels and homages to the previous films, from character backgrounds to dialogue to plot-points. Too many? Maybe. But, I have to admit, I didn’t mind them. As my friend J.W. said in his own review:

“It is like Disney was giving us one big Wookie hug, reassuring viewers that yes, this is Star Wars, and it is back.”

Other fantastic new characters, like Captain Phasma, Maz Kanata, Lor San Tekka, and (of course) Supreme Leader Snoke, are all begging for more screen time. (Not so much General Hux, whom I found boring.) In case you don’t recognize Tekka’s name, that was the character at the beginning of the film played by the legendary Max von Sydow. It really is a shame that he didn’t have a longer-lasting role. (He would have made an awesome Jedi or Sith Master!) I am sure we will see more of them (except for Tekka, probably) in the upcoming films. Oh, I can’t forget the little droid, BB-8 — part R2-D2, part puppy dog. Love him/her/it!

Speaking of R2, it was great to see “him” and C-3PO, but it is a shame they weren’t in more scenes. I suppose it isn’t “their story” anymore, so it makes sense that they not be around as much. Still, I hope they show up in episodes VIII and IX. Of course, it was GREAT seeing Han, Chewie, Leia, Luke, and even the Millennium Falcon! Their presence really helps with the continuity aspect, and they play important roles, not just brief, torch-handing appearances. (Well, Luke was just barely there, but he is sure to be central to the next film or two.) Just like old times… almost. (Or, should I say “old-timers”?) Also, I didn’t expect them, but it was nice to see Nien Nunb and Admiral Ackbar, too.

As far as the acting goes, I thought the performances ranged from good to terrific. To my memory, nothing and no one stands out as a dud. (Except maybe Stormtrooper FN-6713 — his marching was a tad off. :p )

I honestly don’t remember any of the soundtrack beyond the Main Theme. On the one hand, this could be a good thing, in that it complemented the action and drama so well that it didn’t distract. On the other hand, I love(d) the soundtrack from the original trilogy, and it really helped define the mood and tone of the films. Was my failure to notice it in this one because it was simply forgettable? Or, maybe it was too similar to the original stuff to make its own mark (in my mind, at least)? OR, was I just too engrossed in the film — trying to follow the plot, the dialogue, the jokes, notice all the cool stuff, appreciate the acting, make sense of all the action and other developments — that the soundtrack simply escaped notice? There is a LOT to absorb, after all.

Hmmm. I guess I’ll have to track some of it down online….

Unlike with the infamous prequels, I didn’t feel like every environment was green-screened. I’m sure a lot of it was, but there were “real” places (e.g., Iceland, Ireland, U.A.E.), too. Beyond that, I thought the Visual & Special F/X were on the money. (From what I understand, Abrams decided to go “old school” in some areas, even including stop-motion animation for the chess pieces on the Falcon.) A subsequent viewing may reveal some shots that could be improved, but for now, I’m gonna say they did a great job all around.

Same goes for the plot. Sure, there are at least a couple plot holes and plenty of opportunities for speculation and questioning of the writers’/director’s choices. But, there is no such thing as a perfectly executed film. I chose to focus on the overall entertainment value and nostalgia quotient. To that end, while I am no longer a kid watching Star Wars for the first (or second or fifth or umpteenth) time and getting carried away with the space fantasy epic, from the initial screen scroll I genuinely felt like I was back in the world(s) of that first trilogy that so enchanted and transported me in my youth. So, I have to conclude that…

The magic is back!

On balance, I found Star Wars: The Force Awakens to be a greatly entertaining film and a worthy & satisfying continuation of the Star Wars saga. Disney, Abrams, et al., ya done good! Now, keep it up!