The Dark Knight's Blockbuster summer

by Ian

"Prince Caspian" has been considered something of an expensive wash, a film buried in the height of summer that probably would have fared better in the fall and has had to work harder overseas to make a profit. Suddenly, the Narnia franchise looks like it may not even get to "The Silver Chair."

As for Indiana Jones, something that would normally have been considered a fun film was put under the scrutinizing microscope of high expectations due to the success of the previous 3 films. Harrison Ford has a blast, some of the action was great and Shia LaBeouf acquitted himself, but there is a large contingent of people who saw the film who wanted more. It's a very talky film, it has some truly bizarre moments which seem out of place in the franchise (though not when put into the context of George Lucas' ever more warped way of thinking) and a climax that is less than heroic to put it mildly. Making the film more about the relationship between Ford, LaBeouf and Karen Allen's characters would have been a big asset, and perhaps that is what the next film will try to do. As it is, the anticipation factor is what propelled this film to great heights, but its variable quality is what kept it behind Batman and Iron Man in the box office sweepstakes.