Summer Viewing

From superheroes, to adventuring archaeologists, to federal marshals, I take on this summer's new mystery and crime offerings on the big and small screen.

I had my doubts about Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man until seeing him in character. He made me care about Stark as a flawed man trying to atone for past mistakes. His natural delivery made the jokes better and steered the emotional moments away from melodrama. In short, I hung on his every word. The supporting cast (Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard) likewise brought the full weight of their talents to their roles.

Despite major star power, Iron Man featured the attention to detail more common to pet projects. It's the rare superhero movie that raises the bar. Kudos to director Jon Favreau.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite movie all-time, so I was also wary about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull . An older, wiser Dr. Jones is coerced by the Russians to locate a crystal skull while searching for a former colleague. It was good to catch up with Indy after eighteen years, but the plot--patched together from several writers' work--wasn't too cohesive, and the pace felt rushed. Still, I preferred Skull to Temple of Doom, which I consider the low point of the series. I also enjoyed it as a bonus for Indy fans and would recommend it to any fellow fans.

My brother wanted to see Kung Fu Panda more than I did. Jack Black voices Po the Panda, an admirer of the exploits of five legendary animal warriors until one day he is inexplicably tapped to join them. Soon he's forced to train for the arrival of a fearsome enemy. The computer-animated adventure had a surprising script and captured the feel of the best Saturday matinee kung-fu movies while remaining family-friendly. Also starring the voices of Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Ian McShane.

Catching The Dark Knight a month and a half after its premiere, I not only ignored the hype; I forgot most of it. Yes, Heath Ledger's performance was great, but all the actors were immersed in their roles. For a movie said to be very dark in tone, there were plenty of funny moments, too.

The movie's main misstep is its length. I lost any feel for pacing with about an hour to go. As well as The Dark Knight explores heroes and villains, the script begins to explain what it's exploring, and subtlety goes out the window.

On the TV front, I watched two new series this summer. As a fan of the movie Out of Sight and the short-lived series Karen Sisco , I thought I'd like USA Network's In Plain Sight (premiered June 1) Mary McCormack stars as hard-charging federal marshal Mary Shannon working the Witness Protection program in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The show is billed as an action-comedy and while Mary's boss, her partner, her dysfunctional family are funny, I find Mary too straight-ahead, sour, and unlikable. The show performed well in its Sunday 10PM timeslot, though, and has been picked up for a second season.

ABC Family's The Middleman, created by former Lost writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach, aired from June 16 to September 1. Showing cool in the face of a monster attack, struggling artist Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) is recruited by a mysterious organization dedicated to keeping comic-book style threats out of the public eye. Part The Man From U.N.C.L.E. , part Men in Black , the show teams Wendy, a jaded young woman of today, with a classic wholesome American hero (Matt Keeslar as The Middleman). Given the odd Monday 10PM timeslot, the ratings were borderline, and the show may become another cancelled favorite. I hope at least the first season comes to DVD.

I had hoped to include capsule reviews of Get Smart , Hellboy II , and The X-Files: I Want to Believe in this space, but I didn't have a chance to see them before they left theaters.