New on DVD: 'Chaplin,' 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (two-disc special edition) - Tell me, how can a movie that includes a nuclear explosion, interdimensional aliens and hordes of man-eating ants be so dull?
Somehow, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg manage it. "Crystal Skull" is the fourth chapter in the Indiana Jones franchise, and it arrives 19 years after the third installment, 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Instead of breathing new life into the series, Lucas and Spielberg recycle the same banter and action sequences we've seen time and time again in these movies. A lot of people enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I felt cheated.
"Crystal Skull" is set in 1957, and the bad guys this time are a crew of Russians led by the sword-wielding Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). They're after a crystal artifact believed to have mind-control powers. An older but just-as-spry Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is after the artifact, as well. He's joined this time by his old flame Marion (Karen Allen from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the first Indy film) and a young Brando-esque biker named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf).
Like its predecessors, "Crystal Skull" delivers high-velocity action sequences, including a jeep chase on the edge of a mountain cliff and an encounter with waves of computer-generated killer ants. A few of these scenes work, but most feel drearily familiar. (How many times do I have to see Indiana Jones duking it out with the bad guys in a moving truck?) The movie's only breaths of fresh air come from Blanchett, who attacks her role with cartoonish glee, and Allen, whose feisty, sexy presence was sorely missed in the last two Indy films.
Complaints aside, Paramount's two-disc DVD gives "Crystal Skull" a stellar presentation and a wealth of behind-the-scenes supplements that explore just about every aspect of the making of the film. It's a good set, but for my money, if you're looking for an Indiana Jones fix, go back to "Raiders." (PG-13; Paramount, $39.99)
"Chaplin" (15th anniversary edition) - This is the film that made everyone realize that Robert Downey Jr. can act. (I contend that people should have realized that after watching the '80s guilty pleasure "Less Than Zero.") Downey does a superb job mimicking the unique tics and movements of Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin's screen persona, and he captures the sadness and insecurity of Chaplin the man, as well. Richard Attenborough's biopic isn't as good as his earlier "Ghandi," but Downey's Oscar-nominated performance and solid work from a great supporting cast (Kevin Kline, James Woods and Charles' daughter Geraldine Chaplin) make it worth watching. This new DVD includes frank, revealing new interviews with Attenborough. (PG-13; Lionsgate, $19.98)
"Stuck" - Here is a grim, suspenseful thriller from cult-favorite horror director Stuart Gordon ("Re-Animator") that will, ahem, stick with you for days. Stephen Rea plays Tom, a down-on-his luck former executive struggling to find work after being downsized. Mena Suvari plays Brandi, a hardworking nursing home employee who finds out that she could be receiving a promotion soon. After a night of partying with her boyfriend, Brandi hits Tom with her car. He flies headfirst into her windshield and becomes lodged there, bleeding and howling in pain. Panicked, Brandi races home and parks in her garage, leaving Tom stuck while she tries to figure out what to do.
From there, the movie becomes a two-character battle of wills, as Tom tries to get help and Brandi tries to protect her own future. "Stuck," inspired by a horrific true story, works both as heart-pounding drama and a blackly funny social satire. The DVD, unfortunately, includes nothing but the trailer (a two-disc version with supplements is available at Blockbuster Video only). (R; Image Entertainment, $27.98)