Indiana Jones – Dial of Destiny

Cathryn and I always enjoy getting out to see a good movie on the big screen, even though there’s been barely anything to go see. If you’re a superhero fan then there’s been plenty of flicks to entertain you. But with the lack of attendance at local theatres and so many movies going directly to venues like Netflix and Prime, seeing a movie out is becoming a rare occurrence.

You would think that a blockbuster series like Indiana Jones, strategically released during Canadian and American holidays, would rake in the dough. But the Dial of Destiny grossed only tens of millions instead of the usual figures around ten times that amount.

Having seen all the previous Indy movies, we came away from this one a bit disappointed. Perhaps it was the same old Nazi villains, or Indy’s old friends, or the old Harrison Ford himself. There’s lots of computer magic in this film, even parts where they’ve dubbed in a younger face on the old one-time action movie star. It wasn’t hard to imagine the actors in front of the green screen through the sequence of chase scenes – so much looked way too fake.

But who could expect so much action from an old fart. After seeing Ford in the Yellowstone prequill, 1923, I wondered how and why he would take on another Indiana Jones roll. I guess the repetitious plot has finally worn itself out, much like Ford himself.

Having said all that, the movie is still somewhat fun and entertaining, and worth the trip out to eat dry and overpriced popcorn. Thankfully, I now qualify for seniors discount on movie tickets.

Solo – A Star Wars Story

Solo A Star Wars Stor_0I wouldn’t consider Cathryn or I Star Wars fanatics, but we usually get around to seeing the latest production. I was pleasantly surprised to see the film was directed by Ron Howard, and that Woody Harrelson was in it. The names of the leading actors didn’t ring any bells, but a couple looked familiar.

Solo is about Han Solo, not Hans Solo, the character made famous by Harrison Ford. The movie takes us back to destitute planet he grew up on, and eventually escaped. We get to see how me met Chewbacca, and how he came into possession of the Millenium Falcon – his supersonic spacecraft.

The movie is not part of the series, but gives us the usual dose of the familiar like rebellions and the empire. Its focus is on Solo and not The Force or the Jedi. As with past productions the creators have come up with exotic and creepy looking aliens who add color and a bit of humor to the film.

Alden Ehrenreich plays Solo, and although he’s no Ford, I thought he pulled it off well. Cathryn agreed when I mentioned he resembles a young DiCaprio. We both enjoyed the movie…she gave it a 9 and I a 7 out of 10.