A few days ago, Latino Review’s El Mayimbe suspected that Harrison Ford would be joining Cowboys & Aliens. That rumor has now been confirmed.

Cowboys & Aliens is Iron Man director Jon Favreau’s next project. The movie is based on a graphic novel series in which aliens attempt to conquer the Wild West. Cowboys and Apache Indians must put aside their differences in order to defend earth. You can read the first issue here.

The movie is moving forward based on a script by Star Trek scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelhof. The current cast includes Daniel Craig in the lead, Zeke Jackson, and Olivia Wilde as Ella.

Earlier today, Favreau confirmed the rumor, saying:

Please stop asking if Harrison Ford is in Cowboys & Aliens. Okay? He is. Please don’t tell anybody.

Harrison Ford is my all-time favorite actor. Han Solo and Indiana Jones are among the greatest characters in all of movies. That being said, his recent roles haven’t had the same effect. Hopefully, C&A can give Ford another gritty hero to play and, although the actor is quickly approaching his 70th birthday, I think he still has a lot more in him.

This past week, I revisited the Back to the Future trilogy, directed by Robert Zemeckis. These films essentially laid the groundwork for Michael J. Fox’s career — the man is synonymous with Marty McFly. The movies are a mad dash, guaranteed to raise your stress level and blood pressure no matter how many times you see them. I swear, I always think Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty are going to miss their one lighting quick chance to send Marty back to the future in the first film, despite watching it happen probably hundreds of times.

They got me thinking though — do we have any young actors like Fox in these films, frantic but cool, likeable but authoritative? Do any young guys have a role that’s so synonymous with their name that they’ll never be able to part from it?

Shia LeBeouf, for example, is probably most closely associated with the Transformers movies. As Sam Witwicky, he has the Spielbergian frantic nature of the young male role down pat. He’s aloof and certainly likeable (perhaps diminished by his off-screen personality, in some people’s opinions). But I never felt while watching those films that he was supposed to be anything but “cool.” Marty McFly was cool, but also in over his head, naive and fairly stupid. LeBeouf actually probably comes closer to resembling this in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a role that he was pretty hated for.

It seems that Hollywood has been unable to tether young actors to blockbuster roles the way Fox has forever been tied to McFly. Heath Ledger will obviously be legendary for his work as The Joker, but he was approaching his thirties, and certainly The Joker wasn’t a hero. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, despite turning in stunningly great performances, doesn’t conjure up a particular name other than his own.

Daniel Radcliffe is the only actor, in my mind, who has achieved this — he is the face of the Harry Potter franchise, and likely always will be. Perhaps Robert Pattinson in Twilight, as much as it hurts me to say, embodies this as well? Michael Cera still has a chance, as does Emile Hirsch, to become the face of a series or franchise that a generation can connect to.

Two notes before I’m out of here — first, this isn’t to say that young actors aren’t turning in good work. In fact, I’d argue that the shift from big blockbuster roles to more sophisticated character pieces is a great thing that’s happened. I’d much rather see Emile Hirsch turn in a wonderful performance in Milk than another Speed Racer, and Gordon-Levitt’s (500) Days of Summer was as relatable to me as a young man as any big blockbuster could hope to be.

Second: I’m not excluding female actors for any reason other than I intend to write more about their presence in big Hollywood films in the future. That, and I think the male dominance in pop culture-accessible roles like Marty McFly in Back to the Future has shifted to a female dominance in a big, big way.

Till next time, folks.

From a recent interview done by BBC reporter Lizo Mzimba, the scoop was given up by Transformers star Shia LaBeouf. When grilled away about the potential fifth movie of the popular action adventure franchise, this is what he had to say: “Steven [Spielberg] just said that he cracked the story on it, I think they’re gearing that up.”

Indiana Jones and the Evil of Rock N Roll?

What does that mean particularly? Well, for many of you who’ve seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, you might recall the ending (without spoiling it for some who have not seen it) where it appears rather impossible for Indy to continue anymore expeditions. Could the potential fifth installation require him to jump out of his ‘retirement’ of sorts and put back on his fedora hat? Will Mutt, played by Shia LaBeouf, take up the mantle and trade in his leather jacket for Indy’s man-purse?

The last addition to the Indy franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, penned by David Koepp and directed by Steven Spielberg himself, managed to rake in $786 million worldwide. Still showing that the property still peaks the interest of the general public (and that even though Harrison Ford is in his late sixties) we still want to see Dr. Jones kicking the crap out of whatever evil order tries to take away the hidden treasures of ancient times.

Utter the words Indiana Jones and immediately everybody knows what you’re talking about.  You’re talking about fast-paced, globe-trotting quests for long-lost artifacts, ancient deathtraps and amazing action sequences.  But most importantly, you’re talking about a cinematic icon who has become a household name for any film buff.  From the fedora hat to the bullwhip, Indiana Jones the character is one whom almost everybody loves.

This year, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released after a 19 year-long wait, and the results were for the most part a mixed bag for everyone.  Of course there were those (myself included) who continued to be thrilled and fascinated by everything, however there were also those who were disappointed by it.  All I have to say to those people is were you watching the same movie I was?  Because the “Indy 4″ I’ve now seen a total of five times retains everything that made the original three so great, making for yet another solid entry in the franchise.  Yes, i agree that sometimes it does stretch the boundaries of logic even by Indy standards (i.e. the whole refrigerator scene and a piece of the jungle sequence), but overall it’s a very fun ride that returns us to the world of a hero missing from the big screen for too long.

Without going into great detail about the plot, the fourth film involves a hunt for an ancient artifact that may contain clues to extraterrestrials.  Yes, aliens actually made an appearance in an Indy movie, although they’re commonly referred to as ‘interdimensional beings’ in the movie.  Along for the ride is Indy’s long-lost son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), a double-crossing friend (Ray Winstone), and old flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).  This time, the Russians are the bad guys and they’re led by the cold Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett).  Everyone’s after the Crystal Skull, which has a mystery surrounding it that has to do ith the mythical Lost City of Gold.

This 2-Disc Limited  Edition is loaded with behind-the-scenes features that detail every step of the filmmaking process.  Along with the film itself on the first disc are two short featurettes:  “The Return Of A Legend” and “Pre-Production”.  “Pre-Production”, of course, gives a brief glimpse into how Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and the others went about developing the idea for “Kingdom” and “Return Of A Legend” pretty much does the same thing, only it focuses more on the collaborative team behind Indy talking about how the dream of a fourth Indiana Jones movie finally became a reality.  The second disc includes more behind-the-scenes goodness, with a detailed 12-part look at the creation of the film.  With this multi-part documentary as well as the one featured on the “Iron Man” Special Edition gives me a renewed faith in the “Making-Of” features for blockbuster DVDs in the future.  Also included are Pre-Visualization Sequences that show exactly how three of the film’s most exciting sequences were conceived, prepped and executed AS WELL AS Galleries, Trailers and a Game Demo for the LEGO Indiana Jones XBOX 360 game.

All in all, this is a must-buy for anyone who enjoyed the film, or any Indy fan period.

In short – this is one hell of an action packed, white knuckle, thrill ride!

Eagle Eye, D.J. Caruso‘s latest film is the 2nd best film of the year behind The Dark Knight! Yes I know that is a bold statement with the likes of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Indiana Jones premiering in ’08.

Yes I also know that there will be Watchmen, and The Spirit and others out this year to follow. And I will stand by this film till the end. This movie kicked so much ass!

From the first few minutes of the film, introducing us to Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachael Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), we see a connection on the big screen. Not necessarily between the two of them but between the viewer and them. You actually start to care for these two strangers very quickly. You want to know what is happening, who their family is and most of all what their story is. Then all of a sudden the ride starts and doesn’t end for another hour and a half. This thrill ride follows two ordinary folks, or so it seems, through a maze of calculated steps to achieve an end goal of extraordinary measures. From FBI mishaps, to the Air Force, to top secret levels in warehouses that don’t exist, we follow these two everywhere.

From the start of the film you get a sense that something big is happening. Bigger than the people we are quickly getting to know more about. Jerry is a normal guy working at “Copy Cabana” and Rachael is a single mom working as a paralegal . With Jerry’s twin brother just dying and Rachael’s son just sent off on a school field trip, they are both very alone in their sad lives.

With a twist of fate the two each receive a phone call from a woman with very explicit instructions to follow. This is when the action becomes so intense I thought my fingers lost circulation from holding onto one another so tight.

The direction from Caruso was great if you ask me. The way the camera moves and the acting by Shia and Michelle made me believe I was part of their crazy thrill ride. The score itself left a little to be desired but at the same time, most folks don’t sit through a movie thinking, do I like the music in this movie?

Overall I would recommend this to almost anyone, short of folks who are stupid enough to bring their young children to any movie. The action is non stop, the intelligence is believable and the world we live in just got creepier.

With lots of oohs and ahhs from the crowd, you can’t expect much more from a sleeper hit. This movie will do well and I promise you will be worth price of admission.

I was able to bring a buddy of mine to the showing who works in the intelligence sector and working with data encryption, way over our heads. His statement at the end of the movie, a big smile and said “That was the best movie I have ever seen”. Take it with a grain of salt, but this should knock your socks off.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

The Dark Knight’s shattering records left and right, and has already surpassed
the box-office total of Batman Begins. However it’s beaten its predecessor’s
total in another area too, as eagle-eyed fans have spotted 22 mistakes, listed
on movie website moviemistakes.com, as opposed to only 12 bloopers in the first
film. That total’s propelled it straight into the top 10 most mistake-ridden
movies of 2008 so far, despite only being released less than two weeks ago.
They range from give-away landmarks from being filmed in Chicago, through to
changing hairstyles and mis-matched audio. A few examples are below.

When Harvey is in hospital talking to the Joker, from one angle Harvey is
wearing the heart monitor clamp on his middle finger with a grey wire, from the
other angle it has vanished. It disappears and re-appears every time the camera
angle changes.

When Two-Face is holding a child hostage and is flipping the coin to decide who
gets to live, he flips and catches it in his left hand, but we then see a
close-up of the kid’s face – Two-Face is suddenly stroking the kid’s hair with
his left hand, and the coin has vanished.

In the car chase, the convoy has 2 police cars at the back, behind the SWAT
van. A garbage truck pulls up next to the convoy and takes out the second to
last cruiser first. Another police cruiser then magically appears in front of
the truck, which has to be destroyed before the truck can get to the SWAT van.

After the tunnel ambush when they get air support again, they show the view
from the helicopter of a SWAT member with an M16 and an EOTech sight attached.
The red dot scope is mounted backwards on the weapon.

The full list can be found at http://www.moviemistakes.com/film6359.

The Dark Knight is looking well on the way to beat the current most
mistake-filled film of 2008: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull, which has 61 errors.

Well, what can I say, if you are a Sex and the City fan, you will love the movie!

Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha are back and bigger than ever and do I mean bigger. The laughs, the outfits, the stories, all bigger than real life in that “Sex and the City” way.

This movie picks up right where an episode would have. What a great movie with lots of laugh out loud moments. The critics and the audience were laughing all the way through this one.

We pick up with Carrie and Big, Miranda and Steve, Charlotte and her little adopted daughter, and of coarse Smith and Samantha in L.A.

Carrie and Big take steps to plan the wedding that Carrie has wanted for a long long time. Miranda and Steve go through some pretty rough times, and Smith and Samantha realize things may not be what they are cracked up to be. Lets not forget about Charlotte and her gorgeous adopted daughter and hairy hubby Harry.

I would like to point out that the movie runs long. This should not stop you from seeing it but it may be a “girls” night out type of flick. I would hesitate to say this will make a ton of cash as it may only hit up the cult following of the show. It may not have a large reach on the mainstream audiences. I would put it up there at number 3 or 2 on the list but not knocking off Iron Man or Indiana Jones.

Guys be warned if you are a little squirmy when it comes to seeing other “man parts”, this is rated R for a reason. Yes there are some pretty nice boobs in the film, but it is a chick flick at heart and definitely hits the nail on the head!

The wife said it best… “If you watched the show you will love it, if you are a guy you may get a few laughs out of it, if you didn’t and you get dragged along by your girl you will definitely see some boobs and possibly get lucky at the end of the night for at least trying!”

I would recommend this to the friends, but probably as a rental due to the 2.5 hour running time.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

I hope this finds you well after a long weekend. I can’t complain although after a few parties and a wedding this weekend, I am seriously missing out on some solid sleep.

I thought I would do a weekend recap and throw you folks a bone. Enjoy the latest in news from some of my friends in the business.

• Watchmen is clocking in at just over 3 hours? Can you sit that long without your arse falling asleep?
• Sydney Pollack dies at age 73.
• Indiana Jones make well over 300 million in its opening weekend, is that more than Iron Man?
• Sienna Miller looks hot in dripping Blood. G.I. Joe updates.
• Tolkien’s son is trying to stop The Hobbit.
• 80 photos of The Happening, now you don’t need to see the film!

There is a ton more out there on the web, you can find it if you want more! I, for the time being, need to get some work done for once!