Critics on two movies I watch

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, big blockbuster number three in the summer of 2008, now I expected this to be an exciting movie already, but I have to tell you that the excitement got so much higher as I watched this movie. I couldn't believe just how awesome this movie was, I mean the first Chronicles is a fantastic movie, but this movie takes a few steps ahead. It's definitely more mature, it takes on a lot of battle scenes, like a Lord of the Rings type of battle with a ton of creatures who are fighting for their land back. We have amazing effects, with taking badgers, goats, and mice, and the mice, this is no Puss in Boots from Shrek 2, this is the blood thirsty mice that kick butt! The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is seriously one of the best films I have seen this year. The movie begins where the first Chronicles left off, the kids are in England, pretty depressed and miss Narnia, it's been a year, but while in a train station, they are taken away back to Narnia where it's been 1300 years. The land is in bad shape, they have been called by Prince Caspian, the kids are these legends to the Narnians, but they need the kid's help. So everyone is in for a strong battle to get Narnia back into the beautiful land it once was. Lucy is hoping to re-connect with Aslan, but everyone does not believe as strong as she does. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a movie that will not disappoint, I cannot believe how good this movie was, I was so excited watching all these amazing battle sequences. The plot is actually pretty easy to follow, for kids that are under 10, I'm not so sure if this is a film for them, I know that The Chronicles of Narnia is a family film, but there is quite a bit of violence in the movie, like blood, cutting, decapitations. But for the effects, I would say this is safer than Lord of the Rings. Like I said before though, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is truly a winner, this is just a fantastic movie and is a must see.

*******

A chaotic warehouse escape, nuclear explosions, jungle swashbuckling, man-eating ants, monkey men (almost too literally), and an ancient amazonian temple spectacle that is almost too strange to conceive. These are the makings of the long-awaited Indiana Jones installment, and as strange and twisted as the story is, it delivers. Nineteen years have passed since we last saw our iconic archaeologist, and though looks have changed slightly and setting/time have changed quite a lot, Indy couldn't be any more Indy than he was before. After a narrow escape from a top-secret military compound in 1957 Nevada, Indy returns back to his normal life as a university professor at Marshall College, only to find out that he is on edge of losing his job. Into the story comes Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf), who has lost touch of his old friend and father-figure, professor Oxley (John Hurt). Indy, who's known Oxley since his own college years, agrees to go with Mutt to the Amazon to find him and discover the mysteries surrounding his obsession with the legend of the crystal skulls. The same look, style, and attitude is nostalgic to the previous films every time you see Indy on screen, whether he's in a close-call escape, fighting one-on-one with a soviet thug, arguing with a mistrusting Mac (Ray Winstone) or the giddy Marion (Karen Allen), or just simply being professor Henry Jones, Jr. Marion Ravenwood returns to the screen, bringing not only her debating charm, but a few new surprises for Indy, as well. Newcomers to the series are the greaser Mutt, the delusional Professor Oxley, the deceptive Mac, and of course, the mysterious and intimidating femme fatale Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), each with their own unique personality that has Indy spinning in a whirlwind of problems. There are plenty of action sequences (some FAR more ridiculous than others), but that is precisely what makes the adventure in any Indiana Jones film. That's what we want. And as for story, it's got the same mythical legend tale to tell that all the previous films had (as strange as it is). Many longtime Indy fans will also be very pleased at the numerous amounts of references are portrayed to the old films. Overall, the movie may seem a bit over-the-top, and in many parts it is. But when you finish watching it and think about it, it's got that same style of storytelling as the previous films, subtle as it may be. It's imperative to realize the time and setting of the film. The original trilogy was closely knit together time-wise, spanning only three years between all three films. Now we are reentering Indy's life nineteen years down the road, and much has changed about his life and the world around him. So naturally, for that reason alone, this Indy film is going to FEEL different, but it's definitely heartwarming to know that Indy himself hasn't changed a bit, and that's truly what makes these films so adventurous and enjoyable.