Sequels That are Better Than the Original

Austin Powers in Goldmember and The Spy Who Shagged Me

The Austin Powers movies are DUMB. They are crass, low-brow, and stupid. They are also hilarious. The second and third installments are funnier than the first. They hone what works in the first movie and make the same jokes even funnier the second and third time around. They're like "hey, if you didn't think this was funny the first time, here it is again but way more to the extreme." Somehow this formula works. Dr. Evil and Mini-Me singing "Just the Two of Us" and "Hard Knock Life" are what comedy movies are all about.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Yes, this one is extremely obvious. The upgrade in special effects and story is readily apparent. T2 has some of the best action scenes of all time. The bike chase, the assault on Cyberdyne, and the final chase with the liquid nitrogen truck are all insanely good.

Aliens

Alien is undoubtedly a classic, and a great example of how good sci-fi horror can be. But Aliens gets the slight edge in my mind. It's still just as scary, but with more action and is more emotionally engaging. Plus Aliens has Bill Paxton ("Game over man! Game over!").

Wayne's World 2

I include this one even though I'm not sure it's actually better than the original. They're both pretty much the same in terms of quality. "When did you become a nutbar?" is one of the most underrated lines of any movie. It also has this:

The Empire Strikes Back

This one is obvious as well. Star Wars is great and generation defining, but it pales in comparison to Empire. This one has so many legendary scenes that people lose sight of its significance. Empire is darker, has better dialogue, and Darth Vader gets way more screen time. Plus it has maybe the greatest line in the history of film:

Leia: I love you.
Han Solo: I know.

Yeah. Han Solo is that cool.

Toy Story 3

All the Toy Story films are great, but 3 is the best one. Ken is one of my favorite characters from all the movies, voiced by Michael Keaton. There's some cool stuff about growing up and moving on in life, something that every adult can relate to. It's also totally hilarious!

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne trilogy is an extremely significant movie franchise in the mid 2000's. This series almost single-handedly re-booted the Bond franchise. Its popularity pushed 007 into a more gritty and realistic style. Plus they set the standard for action-spy movies from then on, and Matt Damon became a mega-star. Ultimatum is the best and probably most remembered movie in the series. I knew a lot of people who saw this one without seeing the first two. It's pure action from start to finish, and it is done extremely well. Jason Bourne's fight involving a book is copied yearly. The "shaky-cam" style in this one and Supremacy was kind of "the thing" for a while in the mid 2000's. Everything from Cloverfield to The Shield used this technique to make the action on screen seem more real. Ultimatum is the best of the three because it has the best action, the best one liners from Damon ("If you were in your office right now we'd be having this conversation face-to-face"), and an extremely satisfying ending. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The first two Harry Potters are kind of bad. They're OK in the sense that they brought the magic of Rowling's books to life, but mostly they're painful to watch. The kids are really young and not very good at acting. Plus they both play out in almost the exact same way (Having Gryffindor winning the House Cup to end both movies? Really?). The third installment is leaps and bounds ahead of the first two. At the helm is a very skilled director, Alfonso Cuaron, and it really shows. The kids are much better at acting, and the pacing is much better. The final 20 minutes are the perfect way to play out the book on film. I think I like Azkaban as much as any of the Potter movies, save for both installments of Deathly Hallows.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol  

The Mission Impossible franchise is somewhat of a strange animal. Based off of an old TV show, the first one came out in 1996, and was more story heavy. MI2 came out 4 years later, and with action super director John Woo behind the camera, the franchise took a turn for the worse (think slow motion doves and motorbike chicken). JJ Abrams, in his directorial debut, resurrected Ethan Hunt in 2006 and made the best film yet. But Ghost Protocol is the best of the 4. The scene on the world's tallest building in Dubai alone push it over the edge. Cruise acts like Tom Cruise, which is a really good thing, and Jeremy Renner is probably the best supporting role the series has seen.

 Are there any I left out or any that you disagree with? Leave a comment!

Jesus in Movies and Television

I was recently watching the FX drama Justified, and an extremely beautiful and emotional scene from the episode has stuck into my brain. The character Ellen May, a Kentucky prostitute who has been involved in murder, drugs, and other unspeakable acts, sits down to talk with preacher Billy of a tent revival church about her salvation. Ellen May had attended an earlier service and was attracted to the gospel message that was shared. Her life until then had been one of brokenness and heartache. She hears of how Jesus wants her, and wants to heal her, and she is overwhelmed with joy at this new found truth. She goes back to her boss to tell her of how she has found Jesus and is quitting, but is quickly shamed and told that she can't possibly be saved after all the bad she has done. When Ellen May returns to tell the preacher how she is appreciative of his interest in her but cannot stay, he fires back with an incredible message. He tells her how there is not one thing that she can do that can make her unattractive to God and take her away from union with the Lord. As she weeps under the pressure of what she thinks are unforgivable transgressions, he encourages her that she is a beautiful and wonderful creation. He cites John 3:17, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Ellen May realizes that this is what she needs, and changes her mind; she wants to follow Jesus more than anything. This scene broke me down into tears. To see this woman realize not only the weight of her sins but how God is totally jealous for her is a perfect vision of the gospel. That much like the adulterous woman at the well, there is no amount of sin that can make Jesus leave.

Justified is far from perfect in its depiction of Christianity, but it is certainly one of the best representations out there. The scene I described above is an exception to how Hollywood depicts my faith. Hollywood knows that over half of their audience at least claims to be Christian, so most shows and movies do not overtly stomp on the existence of God or faith. Most of the time characters are lauded for their faith in something. But generally it is a vague description of God and never an actual picture of the gospel. God is kind of "real", but in a very distant sense. A character might pray when they are in a time of dire circumstances and maybe something will work out, but He is shown to be more like a genie rather than a personal God.

Sometimes the "Christian" character will shove their morals down others throats, most of the time for no other reason than the fact that it's "right". The most prominent example of this in my mind is "Shirley" from the NBC comedy, Community. I really like Community. The characters are endearing and the show is hilariously self-aware. But I cannot stand Shirley. The main reason for this is that I simply do not find her character to be funny. But it also gets under my skin how the writers portray her as the "Christian" in the group. Pretty much the only time she tries to give advice is when she wants one of her friends to "do what is right". She is the buzz kill of the group, always coming down on her friends for doing sinful things and never giving a reason other than the fact that it's "right". Shirley definitely isn't the only example of the "uptight Christian" character in movies and TV. The reason this upsets me so much is that it continues to perpetuate what is wrong with the church today. People run from Christianity because they see it as a way to ruin their fun and control their lives. They see the Bible as strict rules that you are shamed for breaking. This is clearly not in line with what scripture says. Corinthians 10:23 says "'Everything is permissible'--but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible'--but not everything is constructive." Paul essentially tells the Corinthians that in their freedom in Christ, nothing is against the law, but that not everything will be good practice. Christ gives us commands to make our lives better. Read through the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) and try to tell me that you will be worse off in life if you follow what Jesus says. His teachings enrich and give our lives joy, not rain on our parade and stamp out our fun. Being a moralist is about the worst way to go about faith; you get a bunch of rules but you don't get Jesus. TV and movie characters who are strict moralists look like fools because that is what they are for the most part; they don't understand that Jesus came to be an integral part of our lives, and to comfort and guide us.

Another common Christian character is that of the "zen master" Christian. This is sort of like the preacher in Firefly. This character understands the vastness of God and some of the basics of salvation. They say things like "God has a plan for all of us" and "you have to choose for yourself what you believe". These characters are generally shed in a good light, and are less offensive to me than the overt moralist. But they still don't understand the personal nature of Jesus Christ. They get that God is that real and that he offers salvation, but don't get that he longs for a daily relationship with each of us.

It is unfortunate that this is how Christians are depicted on screen because it can shape how people perceive Jesus. One interesting thing about film is that almost every movie or TV show where a character is in an existential crisis, it is because they are pouring their life into things that don't matter. Fight Club is a movie that is a perfect example. The narrator (Edward Norton) is obsessed with making his life "complete" with his perfect job, apartment, and appearance. Yet he is still unhappy. Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is the destructive force that rips through this notion. He exposes the insignificance of these material loves and how small they really are. The movie harps on the plight of man, that he is tirelessly searching for purpose. It's right in showing that the purpose isn't "stuff" and being "complete", but it offers no real solution.

Often the character will be obsessed with work or money or sex, but will almost always come full circle and realize what does and doesn't matter in life. Movies tell you that your family and doing good for others are the things that matter, and if you devote your life to that you will be happy. While it's true that serving others is important (the second greatest commandment after all, Matthew 22:36-40), it ignores the fact that a life to glorify God is the only thing that brings true happiness. People are frail, faulty, and finite. They will eventually fail no matter how hard they try. Jesus is definitively everlasting, and the only thing in this world that can offer joy eternally.

The Jesus story is literally the greatest story ever told. Almost EVERY movie has themes that can be pointed to his sacrifice (laying down your life for another, stepping down from a position of power to serve, etc.). But as long as they do not acknowledge the truth about Him, I will always feel like there is missed opportunity. I love film, I love the stories in film, but they will ALWAYS pale in comparison to the story of my Savior; that he became a man, died for my transgressions, and conquered the grave to have a personal relationship with me. That is what will always matter.

In Defense of the Crystal Skull

A movie opinion that is seemingly accepted by everyone is that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is bad. Not only is it bad, it somehow lessened the legacy of the Indiana Jones franchise. That it is comparable to the Star Wars prequels, and destroyed everything that fans loved about one of film's most iconic characters. And while it is true that Skull is the weakest of the four Indy movies, it is my contention that the negativity surrounding it is entirely overblown. Crystal Skull is a fantastic action-adventure movie starring one of the greatest actors out there, and the unified hatred it receives entirely escapes me.

For Christmas I received the complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray collection containing all four films, which has proved to be an incredible gift. I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in successive nights. One thing that was abundantly clear to me from these most recent viewings is another very popular opinion: Raiders of the Lost Ark is the best film of the four. It's opening scene is almost perfect. It basically tells you everything you need to know about Indy; he loves adventure, loves to take risk, and holds his ideals for history and archaeology very high. Indy pulling out his pistol to shoot the overly-zealous swordsman might be the best moment of the franchise. Karen Allen is easily his best love interest. Her character is smart and capable (unlike Kate Capshaw from Temple of Doom), and provides Indy with a formidable challenge to his charm and advances. And it's still just as satisfying as ever to see the bad guys have their face melted at the end.

Something I did not expect was that I liked Temple of Doom more than Last Crusade. Doom is thought to be the worst of the original three. I will agree with most critics on some of its flaws, the biggest one being the female character, Willie. Willie is the ultimate damsel in distress, and annoyingly screams for about half of the movie. Besides her, Doom is loaded with great stuff. The dinner scene in the Indian palace, while outrageous, is extremely memorable. Seeing that huge guy eat a live snake will make anyone a little squeamish. Mola Ram, the mystic who pulls people's hearts out of their chests, is one of the scariest villains of all time, especially for me as a kid. Most friends my age and myself had their dad or an uncle or older cousin put a hand over their chest and say "KALI MA!!" and act like he was going to rip your heart out. Short Round, the Chinese boy hanging around Indy, is understandably annoying to some, but I find him a great sidekick. How he looks up to Indy is cute, and humanizes Indy to show his fatherly qualities. Doom is dark, but full of intense adventure and action. The mine cart chase at the end of the film is one of, if not the, quintessential scenes of the series.

Crusade is a blast as well, don't get me wrong. It proves that the formula from Raiders works extremely well. But that's all it does, follow the previous formula to a "T". The Nazis are once again the villain, and the focus is on another mythical Biblical artifact that Indy must retrieve. Sean Connery is a welcomed addition, and he and Ford are extremely fun together. But I can't help but feel like Crusade dials it back a notch, especially after Doom and Raiders.

Crusade came out in 1989, and the series was thought to be done. 19 years passed until Spielberg, Ford, and Lucas came back to give us Crystal Skull in 2008. As I've said before, I agree with everyone that Skull is the weakest of the franchise. But this is totally expected given the huge gap between films. It's almost impossible to recapture the "magic" of the original films when there is such a layover. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was amazing, and one of my favorite 2012 films. But as great as it is, it just doesn't quite capture the magic that was the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the early 2000's. Whether it's bloated expectations or the difference in tastes years later, a long wait for a storied franchise makes it difficult for the sequel to live up. Live Free or Die Hard, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and The Godfather Part III are just a few more examples of this trend.

Let's get the bad stuff about Skull out of the way, and there is some. The first 20 minutes are a mess. The opening credit scene, something that Indy dominated in the first three, follows characters we don't know in some sort of strange 50's drag race. I understand this is framing the setting, but in an Indy movie we want to see our hero as soon as possible. "Nuking the fridge" is probably the single worst offense, as evidenced by the fact that "nuking the fridge" has become a common phrase to replace "jump the shark". This is when Indy is trapped at a nuclear blast test site, and his only escape is to lock himself inside a "lead lined" fridge. Indiana Jones literally survives a nuclear blast. Yes, I'm right there with all of you, this is way over the top, more so than anything else in the series. "Nuking the fridge" is bad, and I'll give that to you. There are a few more over the top action moments that might annoy throughout the rest of the film, but these are my least favorite parts.

Now let's get to what works. Bringing back Karen Allen as Indy's lost love might be the single best move of the movie. She and Ford work really well together, and since everyone's favorite film is Raiders, bringing back Marion was a slam dunk. "Do you know what what was wrong with all those other girls?" Indy says to Marion, "They weren't you, honey." The 50's time period meshes perfectly with the extra-terrestrial facets of the movie. The 50's had Area 51 and the UFO craze, and it seems logical to have Indy explore this. If you think that aliens being apart of the Jones universe is too "out there", you need to go back and watch the first three films again. There has always been an element of the supernatural in them: in Raiders, ghosts fly out of the ark of the covenant, in Doom, a man's heart is ripped out of his chest, and in Crusade, there is a man that guards the holy grail and is hundreds of years old. Point being that given the setting and the time period, aliens being a  part of the story makes sense. South America, a place Indy has never explored, led to some great settings. Jones exploring the jungles and ancient Mayan ruins is pretty cool. I love his old war buddy 'Mac', played by Ray Winstone. The two do a great job of filling in the gaps between movies in the Indy timeline, and I love the "triple agent" discussion. Shia "Transformers" LaBeouf is a good foil as Indy's estranged son. Their relationship encapsulates elements of all three previous films: Indy and Marion in Raiders, Indy and Short Round in Doom, and Indy and his father in Crusade.

Crystal Skull is a great adventure movie. Sure it has some over the top action, but you can't tell me that Indy jumping out of a plane in a raft in Temple of Doom isn't over the top as well. Even if you don't like it, I think that saying that it "ruins" the other movies and we should act like it doesn't exist is too far. I choose to enjoy the heck out of Skull, and am happy to have it alongside the other films in my set!

Top 10 of 2012

2012 has been an outstanding year for movies. Three highly anticipated entries in established film franchises all lived up to the hype, with Batman, Lord of the Rings, and James Bond rounding out my top three. Quentin Tarantino returned to his Pulp Fiction form with Django Unchained, his first foray into the Western. Two extremely well made sci-fi entries made my list, along  with The Avengers which was about as sci-fi as a superhero movie can be. I didn't make it to the theater as much as I would have liked, as post-college life has its responsibilities, but I still got to see a lot of great movies. There might be a few more I haven't seen that would crack my top 10, but this current list is pretty solid. After a lackluster 2011, Hollywood has struck back in 2012 both in terms of quality and box office performance. Enjoy my top 10 for 2012!





1. The Dark Knight Rises
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. Skyfall
4. Django Unchained
5. Looper
6. Argo
7.  Prometheus
8. Silver Linings Playbook
9. Zero Dark Thirty
10. The Avengers

Honorable Mentions: 21 Jump Street, Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games, The Bourne Legacy,  Moonrise Kingdom, Wreck-It Ralph

EDIT: Silver Linings Playbook moves in to the number 8 spot, Zero Dark Thirty at number 9. Had to edit the list after catching up a bit more.