My "Robin Hood Trifecta" marathon

Saw the new Ridley Scott version of "Robin Hood" last night. Umm, left a little to be desired, but I was having trouble putting my finger on exactly what was missing. When I was little I was a big fan of the Disney version, and then "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" when I got a bit older. So today I embarked on a quest to review these modern classics and find out what makes the perfect Robin Hood film. (And yes, I know there are other Robin Hoods out there -- Errol Flynn, "Men in Tights," etc. -- but come on, I did need to get a couple other things accomplished today besides watching Robin Hood movies, so I had to draw the line somewhere.) I started with Disney's "Robin Hood," a cartoon featuring personified animals as the Robin Hood gang. Obviously being a children's movie, this is the most light-hearted of the three films, with jaunty musical numbers in place of violent battle scenes. I felt the biggest strength of the Disney version was that it featured the best Robin Hood. Okay, so yes, I understand he's a cartoon fox, but hear me out. Unlike the over-brooding Russell Crowe or the over-American Kevin Costner, Disney's Robin Hood seemed to hit the perfect note. Imagine if James Bond were a medieval do-gooder/archer, who knows when to be dashing and charming, when to courageously save the day, and when to provide comic relief. THAT's Robin Hood. Another great thing about this movie? It's never to early to train American children about the evils of paying taxes. But should we cut government spending or just steal from the rich to feed the poor? Ahh, the debate remains. Next I popped in my VHS copy of "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." My favorite part about this version was the "buddy comedy" relationship between Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman. After Robin saves Azeem's life by helping him escape from the Turkish prison where they were both enslaved, Azeem vows to stay at Robin's side until he can return the favor. So the dynamic duo (a pair that probably wouldn't fly in today's anti-Muslim climate, but that played quite nicely in 1991) brings their cross-cultural shenanigans from the Holy Land all the way to Sherwood Forest. Also, I loved Alan Rickman's scene-stealing performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham and the excellent archery displayed throughout. Which brings us to the latest Robin Hood variation starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. After watching the other two films, I believe I figured out what was missing here -- the fun! I did enjoy the drunken revelry of Robin Hood's band of merry men, but otherwise, this movie was definitely missing its sense of humor. The jokes were few and far between and the ones that were attempted seemed to come across as forced and awkward. Compared to Kevin Costner, I appreciated the badass quality that Russell Crowe brought to the role, but on the other hand, he fully takes himself too seriously. And okay, sure, Ridley Scott is entitled to make his gritty take on the Robin Hood legend, but don't expect me to love it. I mean, isn't swashbuckling silliness part of the essence of Robin Hood? Do we really want to see Robin debating politics and Marian sweating in the fields? I should say though, I didn't hate this film. It wasn't terrible -- it was just void. But come on Hollywood, we're still in a recession, so just lighten up and let us have a good time at the movies this summer!

Time to shake your body down to the ground

When Michael Jackson died last year I can't say it surprised me, because of all celebrities, he seemed to be the one you might expect to die unexpectedly. Shocking or no, his death was still mourned by millions -- our "King of Pop" was gone. But out of the tragedy came "Michael Jackson's This Is It." The film was not meant to be a documentary, it was just raw footage of the preparations for Jackson's upcoming "This Is It" concert tour, but in the wake of his death, it became a celebration of the performer and a small consolation to his mourning fans. What I enjoyed most about watching "This Is It" was that the rehearsal footage was a great reminder of how Michael Jackson was truly and undeniably one of the greatest performers of our time. In the past two decades, his talent and energy as an artist became so overshadowed by the controversies and quirks of his private life. It seemed in all the craziness, many people forgot that Michael Jackson was still Michael Jackson. But he was there all along, and this film is proof. Hearing him sing his greatest hits and dance like no 50-year-old man should reasonably be able to dance was inspiring, but not just that, it was fun. I found myself singing along to the songs, which included everything from "Black or White" to "Thriller" to hits from back in the Jackson 5 days. It's just nice to know that a superstar who probably knew he could easily get fans to shell out $100 plus for tickets no matter the quality of his show still wanted to work so hard to deliver perfection. Even in rehearsal, the sets and special effects were amazing, the dancing was tight, and Michael Jackson was larger than life. "This Is It" isn't a "documentary" per se, so there were no interviews with Jackson, but watching the behind-the-scenes footage of the genius at work seemed to give an even more intimate feel to the film than a typical question-answer format would have. My biggest complaint about the movie is that it was just kind of a tease. I found watching snippets of rehearsals for what looked like the greatest concert that never was to be a bit disappointing -- I want to see the full "This Is It" show! Yeah, I know it's never going to happen. Even if Michael Jackson were still alive and the show had gone on, I'm sure tickets would have been well out of my price range anyway. But at least we'll always have the movie.

A childhood favorite revisited

"I went to see 'Joe and the Volcano.' It was very funny. It had tom Hanks and meg Ryan. My mom and dad took me my sister went too. I like the part when Joe was on a raft and he started danceing. Soon he reached the Island. They had fun until the time Joe had to jump in the volcano. But when Joe and his girl friend jumped into the volcano they got Busted out agin. Joe's lugege poped out of the water and Joe out of it. Joe and his girl friend floated away." (Written by me on September 28, 1990. Please excuse spelling and grammatical errors -- I was 7.)

For the record, the movie is actually called "Joe Versus the Volcano." I saw it as a child and it has been a favorite of my family's ever since. Some films don't really stand the test of time and maturity. For example, a movie like "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" might not hold the same charm for me now as it did 20 years ago. But I recently watched "Joe Versus the Volcano" again and it was as good, nay better, than it was back when I was 7. As an adult, I can relate to the story on a whole new level -- not to mention I understood more of the jokes. Anyone who is tired of the daily grind will love the opening sequence where Tom Hanks arrives at his utterly depressing office and pours himself a cup of bad coffee under the flickering fluorescent lights. After being diagnosed with a mysterious terminal illness called a "brain cloud," Joe is asked to travel to Waponi Woo and jump into a volcano as a human sacrifice to an island god. Joe must decide between spending his remaining days punching his card at the office or having the adventure of a lifetime -- a no brainer it seems. Between then and his run-in with the volcano on Waponi Woo, Joe encounters a variety of interesting characters and sees and does things he never could have imagined. It's an example of the classic irony, he never learned how to really live until he was facing death. If you're around my age and haven't seen "Joe Versus the Volcano" in a couple decades, I highly recommend that you check it out again. If you liked it back then, you'll love it now. And if you didn't like it (which is highly possible because it's an entirely under-appreciated film), maybe you'll learn to love it. And hey, it's Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and the most awesome set of luggage ever witnessed by mankind -- what's not to love?