Tuesday, March 6, 2012

League of Extraordinary Bloggers Weekly Theme: Things That Make You Go “Whoa.”

This week's topic: What media announcement had you throwing fist pumps and doing roundhouse kicks in the air? Did the final result live up to your dreams?

So, I sat here for a while trying to think about this week's theme, coming up empty, I then went about my day, occasionally checking in on the back burners of my noggin to see if anything was boiling yet, only to end up with zip.

As I thought back on my decades of fanboyism, one would think there is at least one time when I heel-clickingly jazzed about some upcoming comic, TV show, game or movie, but for the life of me, no moment particularly stood out. I mean, sure, as a kid I would work myself up into a frothing fervor over every little detail I could scavenge in the weeks before the releases of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and I even remember a heart-thumping moment when that all-too familiar music kicked in on my first viewing of The Phantom Menace teaser, only to be quickly squashed as soon as I saw Jar Jar. 


But none of those moments had that certain punch that I was looking for. Then it hit me.

I do remember sitting in a theater one evening and feeling that jolt of electric excitement shoot right through my chest and pin me to my seat, to stare unblinking at the screen for a solid two minutes as I watched a familiar shadow place a fedora upon its head to the rising march of John William's score.

The thing that made me go "whoa", was the trailer to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.



Yes, yes... I can hear many of you groaning already. But hear me out.

I had been waiting for another Indiana Jones movie for 20 years, and like many fans, had given up all hope of ever seeing one. But the giant stone ball started rolling and I was on board immediately, and by the time I saw the trailer, I was poised to willingly go on whatever adventure Lucas and Spielberg had in store for us. That single teaser trailer was more exciting to me than all of the Star Wars prequels combined and I would end up watching it countless times in the weeks leading up to its release.


Now for the big question; Did it hold up?

Well, for me at least, it sure did.

I know all too well how the rest of the planet (or at least the pedantic pontiffs of internet nitpickery) hated every single second of the film, but I have to declare right here and now that I absolutely love this movie and as god as my witness, I honestly feel that this was a brilliant addition to the Indiana Jones mythos. It had everything that I expected; uniformed bad guys, musty crypts, supernatural artifacts, edge-of-your-seat chase scenes, sword fights, cracking bullwhips and, of course, fedoras.

I listened to all the hate towards this movie and for the life of me couldn't see that point of view. What did people expect? Alien skulls are no more far fetched than magical glowing stones or, for god's sake, the actual Holy Grail. And quite frankly, I thought Shia did a great job. He was a hell of a lot better, or at least less annoying, than Short Round. In fact, I defy anyone to prove to me that Temple of Doom was any less silly than Crystal Skull.


So there it is. My first viewing of this trailer knocked my socks off. And so did the movie and I don't care who knows it. In fact, I want nine more Indiana Jones movies! And when they eventually make Mutt Williams and the Mystery of the Sphinx's Nose, I'll be there, bullwhip in hand, slapping down my hard earned cash for a ticket, then carefully straightening my fedora before entering the theater.

Okay, I'm kidding about the fedora part. I look stupid in hats.

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