Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

After an all-nighter of my Internet provider being down and trying to connect to upload the review, and not having the review up by 3 as I promised, here it is at long last, the Indiana Jones review:

Braving the undead? How about snakes, sandpits and booby traps? Those are the measures I’m willing to endure in order to bring you the review for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, Shia Lebeouf and Cate Blanchett. OK so maybe Henry Jones, Jr., Aka Indiana Jones was the one fending off the snakes and booby traps, but nevertheless, I attended the midnight opening show in order to bring you the review on this epic film.

Without giving too much away, this film works around Indiana Jones, professor and archaeologist, traveling around the world in order to save it from…gasp…the Russians! Taking place in post-World War II, tensions are hot between the two countries as they do whatever it takes to find a weapon that will force the other surrender. Shia Lebeouf plays the young protégé, Mutt, who is eager to find adventures of his own, often pushing Indy on or getting into more trouble than he can handle.

From the opening scene where we see the famous silhouette of Indiana Jones in the shadows, to their travels through South America, Jones and his crew are racing the Russians to find the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. One thing I really liked was the historical accuracy. Spielberg really took measures to make this look like it was released not long after its most recent predecessor, “The Last Crusade”, nearly 20 years ago. Always keeping things interesting, and at times comical, Spielberg does a great job of creating a most memorable experience. Ingenuitive scenes throughout the film show Spielberg’s creative genius, not going through the everyday motions in the fast-pace battle scenes, but rather choosing to utilize the elements of the Amazon rain forest and its South American culture.

There were no real places I could see that the movie was lagging or progressing slowly, but rather kept me on my toes and guessing throughout. Ford and Lebeouf make a great duo on the screen, the combination of their passion to make a great film and their tendency to bring some comic relief makes them a real joy to watch as Lebeouf’s character, Mutt, tries to become more like his mentor, the infamous Indiana Jones.

Always having been a big fan of the Indiana Jones movie, I was not let down, as one might have expected from its long delayed release. I would say it lives up to all the hype surrounding it and would recommend it as one of the better films I’ve seen recently. From the brilliant score by composer John Williams, to the special effects and the great acting, this is one film you’re all going to want to see.

Here I Stand

So here we are, six days before the official release of the new Usher CD, titled "Here I Stand". Luckily for you, All Around Critic has been fortunate enough to hear an early sampling of all the new tracks and is here to give you the heads up and let you know what to do with your hard-earned money!

Let me start things off with saying that this is a good CD. It is produced well and features some of the hottest artists out there including Jay-Z, Beyonce and Lil Wayne. That being said, I will be honest and say I don't think the CD will outdo "Confessions", Usher's 2004 nine-time platinum-selling release.

There are certainly some highlights on "Here I Stand", but it seems to me that the majority of the tracks will slip away into that nexus of forgotten music tunes. There is of course the first single on the CD, "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy. This song is definitely reminiscent of the 2004-2005 version of Usher, making huge party/club hits. The title track, "Here I Stand" is definitely a slow and building melodic song which does a good job of encapsulating accurately Usher's current stage in musical development. This CD is a lyrical masterpiece, but may not be exactly what his devout fans are expecting. One of my personal favorites is the track, "What's a Man to Do", which definitely has potential for radio play in the future, once the hype surrounding "Love in This Club" settles down a little bit.

All in all, it is definitely a must-have for hardcore Usher fans, and is a great addition to any R&B collection, but may catch people offguard a little bit. The popularity of 2004's "Confessions" will be hard to top, but we will find out in 6 days when "Here I Stand" hits the shelves on May 27, 2008!

P.s. Congratulations to David Cook, the newest American Idol, I knew it was going to be you, best of luck to you and hopefully I will be reviewing a DC album soon!

The Gaudi Key

At an independent bookseller down in Ann Arbor, I recently got ahold of an advanced "uncorrected proof" of a book called The Gaudi Key. It was written by Esteban Martin and translated into English from its origins in Spain. The final edition of the book doesn't hit the shelves until August 2008, so I figured what a better way to get the advanced insight than on All Around Critic!

Let me say that although The Gaudi Key offers some cheap thrills, it is essentially nothing more than a DaVinci Code incognito. The basic premise is the same, a dying grandfather passes off a set of clues to his granddaughter in order to protect the greatest secret in all of Christianity. After completing the read, I realized the full extent to which these books are similar, but I think the more detailed background on esoteric architect Antoni Gaudi adds a little bit to what DaVinci Code was lacking.

Martin definitely did his research while writing this book, even if the plot material is an indirect copy of Brown's work. Regardless of how similar the two books were, I found that I couldn't often put it down and wanted to know what would happen next in María's cat-and-mouse game with the evil Corbel.

I wouldn't recommend it to anybody who didn't like The DaVinci Code, but it is a fairly quick read and if you are a fan of Gaudi's work, it should not be overlooked!

Lights EP

I recently came across an up-and-coming starlet from Toronto who goes by the name of Lights. You may recognize her tunes from recent Old Navy commercials, which is where I initially heard this talented female electro-pop artist. With a voice that can sound seductive, needy, angelic and blending through the whole spectrum, this is one of my latest favorites.

Interestingly, Lights creates all her own beats and would perform on her own if she had enough arms! Fortunately, she has two talented fellows who assist her when performing live, like her upcoming performance at Milwaukee's Summerfest, taking place June 26-July 6 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The 5-track EP (four if you purchase it through iTunes here in the United States (she is from Canada)) is chalk-full of great songs, including the clip used in the Old Navy commercial titled "The Last Thing On Your Mind". This particular song will especially appeal to the females out there, but has a quirkiness that helps broaden its horizons to all genders. Another personal favorite on the short, but sweet EP is February Air, the strong opening track with a subtle musical track with Lights' crooning and talented electronic lyrics.

Check it out for yourself at her MySpace Music page: http://www.myspace.com/lightsnoise

Mario Kart - Wii

The newest installment in this fabled franchise known for its all-around family orientation and utter chaos does not disappoint. Mario Kart - Wii, takes the classic gaming to a new level with a robust choice of driving options.
Players can opt to use the included "Wii Wheel" to simulate the driving experience in a more realistic way, as well as using the Wii-mote and nunchuk setup, classic gaming controller, or even the gamecube controllers for the alumni of Double Dash on the Gamecube.

There is quite a variety of characters, as well as the introduction of motor bikes and various karts. Also included is the first time ability to choose a manual or automatic transmission, allowing a challenging experience from newcomers and old pros alike. With an impressive collection of 32 tracks, mixing new and old, as well as some remakes of classics like Rainbow Road, Mario Kart Wii is a true gem and should be an essential buy on the Nintendo Wii!

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

The 3rd studio album by talented singer/songwriter Jason Mraz, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, demonstrates Mraz' abilities to woo many different audiences. With ingenuitive marketing, Mraz hyped his album with three individual 4-track EPs, titled the We Sing EP, We Dance EP, We Steal Things EP, respectively. These short EPs contained tracks from the new album that were performed at various events and were typically uncut and raw. Although they were thoroughly enjoyable, the final cuts in the studio album are much more polished and complete. Some of the highlights of this album include the first radio single and fan-favorite, "I'm Yours" as well as tracks like the fast-paced and lyrically stunning "The Dynamo of Volition" and the humorous and youthful "If It Kills Me". I've had the album for about two weeks now, and the EPs as they respectively released themselves, and it has a special place in my heart as one of the best albums of this summer. "I'm Yours" has a record-shattering 104 plays in my iTunes top 25, and this is an album I would recommend to all. I don't care if you download it, stream it, listen on youtube, or purchase the album, just stop reading and go listen to some of the best lyrics from a respected artist.