Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

With his past adventures behind him, Indy grapples with his destiny as an older man on the verge of retirement, when adventure comes calling once more...

Nostalgia goggles on. Indiana Jones is my favorite film franchise of all time, so I'm clearly biased, but this is still a solid action-adventure flick. The only thing this movie has going against it is its bloated runtime, but since this is purported to be the last in the series (Ford is 81 and claims the character will die with him), I will give it a pass. With its ruminations on life and death, this is the kind of movie that will age well as you revisit it again later in life and realize: Yes, I know exactly what they were trying to say about getting older. Life ain't all sunshine and roses, even when you're the world's greatest hero. It doesn't diminish the legacy of the character at all, despite the heavy subject matter. Harrison can still kick my ass up and down the block.

4 Tuk-Tuks out of 5

Note: For the sake of completion, I would give the first three films 5 out of 5, and the fourth would get 3 out of 5. This one is still not quite as divisive as the previous entry.

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)

Hoping to avoid conflict lest his inner Hulk surfaces, travelling lonely man David Banner (Bill Bixby) settles in a densely populated city, a place that's typically ass-hole central. As if to prove that his choice of locale isn't the dumbest thing he can do that day, he takes a ride on the subway, too.
In that same city is a blind attorney named Matt Murdock (Rex Smith), aka Daredevil. And where there's DD, there's Wilson Fisk (John Rhys-Davies), a crime boss with aspirations of becoming head of a vast criminal network.
Serving once again as a pilot for a series that didn't emerge, the story puts DD to the fore, with Hulk in a more secondary role. There's a kindred spirit element to the duo's relationship that makes it more textured than the Thor story, but it's still something that will appeal mostly to existing fans.

3 night happenings out of 5

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE [1989]

1989 was the beginning of the summer blockbusters going at each other's throats, with Batman, Ghostbusters II, Back To The Future II, The Abyss, The Little Mermaid, Star Trek V and of course the third instalment of the Indiana Jones series, The Last Crusade.
After the lukewarm reception the previous film which many considered too dark, director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas decided to lighten the mood and add in Sean Connery as Indy's dad, which resulted in a hilarious and believable chemistry.  River Phoenix gives a spot-on performance as a young Indy Jones in the fantastic opening sequence as do the rest of the performers.  There really isn't any imagery in the action sequences that are as memorable as the first two but it's an endearing and satisfying film that really makes up for the bitter aftertaste of the 2nd film.

4 bad pennies out of 5

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [1981]

Director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas team-up to create one of the greatest popcorn adventure films ever made and the first in a highly successful series.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark is filled with iconic imagery, a wonderfully smug performance from Harrison Ford, John Williams' sweeping score and a large boulder.  In the style of the serial films of the 1930's, Raiders never takes itself very seriously at all and instead opts for maximum entertainment value, of which it heavily succeeds. It's hilariously outrageous action sequences seem to throw everything at Indy Jones except the kitchen sink, leaving a eagerly anticipating smile on one's face, curious to see what's going to happen next.

5 bad dates out of 5

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (extended edition) [2003]

Peter Jackson & co. deliver an emotionally powerful, visually breath-taking grand finale to The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy with The Return Of The King.
Clocking in at over 4 hours it feels like no time is put to waste with it's satisfying character moments, terrifying battle scenes and beautiful backdrops courtesy of New Zealand.  So much care and love was put into every single element of the film you know it's a film for the fans made by fans.  Many might complain about the overly long conclusion but I find it more than suiting to wrap up everything while never wanting to let the characters go.  This trilogy as a whole is a fine achievement in film-making that has already found it's place in cinema history and with good reason.

4½ drinking games out of 5

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (extended edition) [2002]

With The Fellowship Of The Ring being a huge success, Peter Jackson & co. would have a lot to live up to with the second Lord Of The Rings film, The Two Towers.
Unfortunately it doesn't quite live up to the adventure of the first film.  It actually tends to drag in several moments with drawn out scenes of character interaction that does nothing to move the story forward or further develop any personality.  There's still several moments that are quite engaging, including the Helms Deep battle and anything involving Andy Serkis' fantastic performance as the demented Gollum.  In the end it's a mess of a film even Jackson & co. admitted to having great difficulty trying to assemble but still worth the time if you're a fan of the series.

3½ fat hobbits out of 5

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (extended edition) [2001]

They said it couldn't be with much doubt but Peter Jackson & co. brought J.R.R. Tolkien's classic epic fantasy novel The Lord Of The Rings to the screen with smashing success both financially and creatively.
The expanded edition of the first instalment The Fellowship Of Ring is easily the definitive version as it smooths out some of the rough skips and bumps in the original edit.  Fleshing out the vivid characters just a bit more added so much to the rich details Jackson gave the world of Middle Earth and it's inhabitants.   With a perfectly rounded out cast, dazzling special effects, beautifully intricate set design, dizzying photography and a powerful score from Howard Shore the film is a milestone in modern film-making.  At the heart of the razzle dazzle lays a wonderfully woven tale about love, friendship and hope in increasingly dark times set within a world of adventure, fantasy and horror.

5 2nd breakfasts out of 5 

In the Name of the King (2008)

A Uwe Boll film. It's Boll-esque. It's Boll-ox.

0½ FFW button out of 5