0709 September 2007

A shameless rip-off of Indiana Jones, with a bit of Mission Impossible thrown in. J.T. Striker (love that name) is a rebel treasure hunter, and no one tells him what to do! I've seen a lot of 3D movies, but this takes the prize for most things hurtled at the camera. Every time an arrow, gunshot, or exploding body part comes at the audience, the shot is repeated 3 times in slow motion just in case you missed it. The plot is nonsensical and full of accidental laughs. (For one thing, I only counted three crowns. That's one crown short, guys.) I really wish MST3K could have done this one, it's calling out for a sarcastic commentary track.

The more I watch it, the more I love it. A great mash-up of screwball comedy, Chinese fantasy, and action genres that was before its time. I love that new characters are constantly introduced without warning, usually to deliver exposition with rapid-fire dialogue. Kurt Russell's Jack Burton can't do anything right, but doesn't seem to notice. James Hong is amazing in all incarnations of Lo Pan. Carpenter's music, as usual, is deceptively simple but drives the movie, particularly in how it ties together the opening scenes.

Terry Gilliam introduces the DVD with a Hitchcockian preface. This is a fantasy story about innocence. You may or may not like it, but as long as it makes you think, he's happy. That may sound defensive, but it also puts you in the proper mindset. There's a lot in this movie that can offend, but it doesn't have to be taken literally. 9-year-old Jodelle Ferland holds the film together. Her imagination runs wild and you believe she is truly playing, not acting. Her performance in last year's Silent Hill was grating, but here she's charming and sympathetic. Director Gilliam has fun capturing her fantasy world and tipping it into sunshine and darkness.

They say it's a classic, and I can see how it would have been shocking in its day. Watching it in 2007, Deneuve's character is uneven and uninteresting.

I love the anachronistic design of this movie. Victorian dress, gothic architecture, and 50s cars with reel to reel tape players and automatic door locks. Great performances from everyone, even the baby. Good morbid fun.