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Reviews
The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island (1997)
The true sequel to part 2, and better than the other sequels
"The Land Before Time 2" was a good film. It slightly altered the tone of the original film (which remains a true classic and the best of the series) with it's use of songs. It still had a fine mix of action, character development and of course introduced "Chomper". For me, sequels 3 and 4 were not that appealing, with unnecessary secondary characters that "dumbed down" the films. Part 5 returns to the nice tone established in part 2. There is adventure, surprise developments both in story and with the characters. And best of all we learn what happened to Chomper. If you want a true "trilogy" with a story arc, I recommend watching the original, then part 2 and then part 5. What an epic!
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Lost Opportunity
When George Lucas created the original Indiana Jones movie two decades ago, he aspired to reinvent the old Saturday Matinée Serial adventures. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, he (along with Steven Spielberg) did that and much much more, creating what many regard as possibly the best action film of all time. It was filmed on authentic looking locations, had strong religious and historical references and even created a great love story with a female character that was so much more than a mere love interest or damsel in distress.
In contrast the next film in the series, "Temple of Doom" had a more episodic feel to it, more like the serials that inspired it. Again great action set pieces, this time the supporting characters were more generic (Shortround the sidekick, Willey the "Bond Girl/screaming damsel needing constant rescue"). The weak link in the series.
Then they made part 3. "The Last Crusade" and again George and Steven really outdid themselves. The great action story about the search for the Holy Grail was really the backdrop for a more important quest: Indiana Jones and his lost father. More than a simple action film, it introduced the well written and acted role of Henry Jones Sr. played by Sean Connery no less. This father and son relationship element lifted that film beyond the limitations of a mere action flick and assured the series of films it's respected place in history.
Now skip ahead 19 years. 2008. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Years of fan anticipation wondering what would happen to these beloved characters. Would it be another film classic? Or a well made but simple action serial? George and Steven opted for episodic action serial. Again well made action sequences and the heroic return of several beloved characters. But now the "Lost Opportunity": (spoilers begin here) Instead of introducing another "Bond girl" for Indy, they brought back Marion from the original film. They introduced the "lost son" that Indy didn't know about. This could have been a great character piece like the Last Crusade. Yet Karen Allen's Marion was a shadow of her former self, and any time the character triangle between Indy, Marion and son was beginning to be developed, the action got in the way of what should have been the more important story. Ultimately we are left with another well made episode of cliff hanging serial adventure, which is what George aspired to do in the first place. I'm happy I chose to see it on a Saturday afternoon.
MacGyver: Thin Ice (1988)
MacGyver's ice hockey epic with a message!
This episode strays from the usual tone of a MacGyver adventure and is more of a sports story in the tradition of films like Hoosiers and Rudy. In a change of pace, MacGyver is asked to substitute for an ice hockey coach and gives him the chance to offer guidance and advice to a group of teenage hockey players who have their sights on reaching the "big leagues" and being selected to play for a professional team.
The main plot line deals with one of these young hockey players who is faced with a moral dilemma as to what is an appropriate way to reach the professional leagues. He must make an important decision while dealing with pressures from parents, agents and the lure of big money. MacGyver plays the earnest coach who tries to help him make a good choice. In light of recent scandals in professional sports of some who take questionable shortcuts (such as steroids) in their quest for fame, the topic remains timely and ultimately offers a positive message for young people thinking of making a career in sports.
As an "unpaid extra" who "acted" in this (9 hours of acting for 3 seconds of glory), I am happy that this important episode of MacGyver is now preserved for your viewing pleasure as part of the DVD box set for season 3. Scan the crowd scenes and you will see my face and many others popping up again and again in the background. We got moved around a lot to "fill out" the crowd scenes.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984)
Thomas: A show young children can watch and enjoy
Thomas and Friends, has been around for years now, first on television and later on video and DVD. Many parents may now be discovering it for the first time on DVD and wonder "Is it a good show for young viewers?"
In my opinion, this is an excellent program for young children, especially toddlers (age 2 and up). This program uses stop motion model trains as its central characters and each episode teaches a practical life lesson about getting along with others, sharing and in general respect for others. This is done in way that is both fun and exciting for little kids. These videos/DVDs used in conjunction with reading some of the Thomas books and playing with the toy trains can be used as teaching tools for parents. Young children can learn things like colors, numbers and increase their vocabulary. Many of the newer DVDs contain interactive features such as memory games. I've been amazed as my 2 and 3 year old gets the answers right.
In conclusion, the older Thomas shows are well written, mostly based on the original children books by W.Awdry and narrated by the likes of Ringo Star and Alec Baldwin. They hold up very well now and will be quickly adored by the average 2 and 3 year old.
The newer incarnation of Thomas and Friends available on DVD features improved animation techniques and more interactive/teaching features. Visually more appealing, the newer stories are written more for younger viewers in mind (and not just following the books).
In a world where many shows and movies supposedly for young children are full of violence and fighting, the Thomas and Friends DVD collection is a safe, gentle place for parents and their young children.