On TV: For good, stupid fun, check out TNT's silly 'Librarian'
By MELANIE McFARLAND
P-I TELEVISION CRITIC
There is generic stupidity, and there is high-quality stupidity, the kind that makes you set your TiVo and mindlessly stuff your face with Mallomars. Knowing the difference is crucial. ABC's "Show Me the Money"? Avoidable. "The Knife Show"? Hide the kids if you want them to have a shot at doing well on the SAT's one day.
Then you have TNT's adventure movie "The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines." Now we're talking truly inspired stupid. Bob Newhart, Olympia Dukakis and Jane Curtin are in it, and it stars Noah Wyle. It is not entirely out of bounds to think of it as a vaguely smart kind of stupid.
For the benefit of those who didn't see "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear," Wyle is Flynn Carsen, a guy in his 30s who never had a girlfriend, lived with his mother (Dukakis) and was so afraid of the real world that he stayed in college long enough to earn 22 academic degrees. When his favorite professor kicked him out, he took a job at the Metropolitan Library, figuring it would be the perfect place for him.
But his superiors, Judson (Newhart, cuddly and stammering as always) and Charlene (Curtin), had other plans. For in the belly of the library is a labyrinthine archive of powerful legendary antiquities they're charged with protecting, including the Ark of the Covenant, the Shroud of Turin and Excalibur.
A premise like that keeps a share of stupidity at bay, when you think about it. Myths, librarians as action heroes, a handsome former "ER" star, what's not to like? Academics deserve a more realistic power fantasy to aspire to besides Indiana Jones, wouldn't you agree? Indy hasn't cracked his bullwhip since 1993 and, besides, most professors these days would get winded just by watching him.
Carsen can relate. Clumsier than he is athletic, the man can barely stay on a horse. Flynn even admitted in the first movie that the idea of having a "save the world" quest thrust upon him was, well, kind of lame. But he always returns intact and with his quarry, although his bosses dress him down for the trouble caused along the way.
Yep, "The Librarian" movies are as removed from stern as you can get.
"Return to King Solomon's Mines" drops in on a more experienced but no less curious Carsen. His world-saving derring-do, such as it is, has put a swagger in his step; that immediately dissolves when Mom throws him a birthday party. How sweet. And it gets the Librarian thinking about the father he never really knew. The only memories he has are silly bedtime stories he used to tell.
Carsen doesn't get much time to mope, because a strange package sets him on the path to find the mythical lost treasure of the Old Testament's most celebrated ruler, including the Book of Solomon -- which, naturally, has powers beyond the mere romantic loves poems we're familiar with. The obligatory group of power-hungry evildoers in khaki safari gear hunts it as well, led by the flinty General Samir ("Heroes' " Erick Avari).
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One can't dash headlong through ancient ruins without the assistance of a beautiful woman. Gabrielle Anwar assumes that duty as Emily Davenport, an archaeologist who happens to be even smarter and snippier than Flynn.
Given the enthusiasm with which people already received "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear," plenty must be ready to sign on this cable candy. An audience of nearly 7 million viewers made the original the top-ranked basic cable movie of 2004.
That doesn't mean millions of viewers can't be wrong; tons of CDs by "American Idol" also-rans are evidence to the contrary. But these viewers knew from high-quality stupidity. It's called "The Librarian," for goodness sake. Self-parody is its calling card.
And this sequel still has it down. Executive producer Dean Devlin and director Jonathan Frakes (yes, Trekkers, Commander Riker) ably recall the happy nostalgia of the weekend action matinee with a light touch, shunning any earnest or serious moments. There are unrealistic special effects and goofy sets; there is an improbable climax; there is a somewhat annoying and stereotypical African sidekick named Jomo (Hakeem Kae-Kazim).
It's absolutely corny, and completely forgivable, thanks to a group of actors obviously having the time of their lives. Wyle takes special glee playing a man who seizes his brilliances with a combination of naivet? and cluelessness. Without him, none of this would work. Think a little too hard, and it doesn't.
We're talking about good-time stupidity here. Don't think. Just watch, and grin.
WATCH IT
"The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines," TNT; 8 p.m. , 10 p.m. and midnight Sunday; 9 p.m. Wednesday; 4 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. Dec. 9; 11:30 a.m. Dec. 10; 12:15 a.m. Dec. 16
The Librarian' fills in while we wait for Indy
By: ANN ZIVOTKSY - For the North County Times
Harrison Ford is reportedly preparing to star in "Indiana Jones 4" for a summer 2008 release. Ford is 64, so there's some question about how energetic Indiana Jones can be these days. Fans of Indiana Jones and Alan Quartermain stories need not despair because they have ---- a librarian.
Two years ago TNT aired "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear," starring Noah Wyle as a brilliant graduate student who is thrust into adventure when he's hired to protect the world's historical treasures. The very good movie led the year in ratings for a cable movie. "The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines," which airs this weekend, is an excellent follow-up film in what we can only hope becomes an annual series of films.
Flynn Carson (Wyle) holds 22 academic degrees but hadn't moved out of his mother's house when he got a job at the Metropolitan Library. He works for a wise man named Judson (Bob Newhart), who patiently explained to him that his role would be to protect great artifacts such as the Excalibur sword, Poseidon's trident, and King Solomon's mines. What adds greatly to the "Librarian" series is the exceptional interplay between Newhart and Wyle. The role is a perfect fit for Newhart's dry sense of humor.
In the first movie, the conflict came between Carson and the attractive ---- and deadly ---- woman he was teamed with to protect him on his adventure. Now Carson is more comfortable with his fighting and adventure skills, but he's teamed with Emily (British actress Gabrielle Anwar), who is as smart as Carson, and another terrific conflict develops between the two leads.
Also returning is Jane Curtain as a museum administrator who can't hide her motherly protection of Carson, even as she demands he bring her itemized receipts from his wild adventures. Olympia Dukakis also returns as Carson's mother, although she's not used enough in this installment.
Wyle is so comfortable in this role as the brilliant but slightly bumbling adventurer that my Christmas wish is that TNT can find a way to make a new "Librarian" film every year so we don't have to wait two years for the next episode. Add to Wyle and Newhart's fantastic performances the fact that "The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines" is set in Morocco and there are wonderful references to "Casablanca," and this cable movie is an early holiday treat.
"The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines" premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday on TNT. It will be replayed that same night and throughout the following week.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006...0711_29_06.txt
Not Your Average Work Day
Noah Wyle relishes the adventures of Librarian.
by David Martindale
Noah Wyle admits it: He plays for a living. "I'm a guy who never wanted to hold a steady job," he says, "because I was worried about the monotony." That's why, long ago, Wyle embraced the gypsy life of an actor. And that's why The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, a TNT original movie in which he portrays an unlikely action hero, "is right in my wheelhouse."
The movie, which premieres at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 3, marks Wyle's return as Flynn Carson, guardian of the greatest treasures in history, myth and legend. He first played the character in The Librarian: Quest for the Spear, the highest-rated cable movie of 2004. "What better job can you have," Wyle muses, "than you wake up in the morning and you look at the call sheet and you say, 'Oh, today I'm jumping over the lava pit'? Or 'Today I'm doing the horseback chase'? Or 'Oh, this is the day I do the swordfight sequence with Excalibur'?"
Here's one way to make that experience even more magical: pack your bags and shoot the whole thing on location in Africa. "We started off production in Kenya," Wyle recalls. "We had a really phenomenal two days shooting in an actual Masai village with Masai warriors. That was fantastic, being in their camp and trading with them and buying some of their wares and learning a little bit about their culture." The Masai people are masterful negotiators, by the way. "When I got back, I fired ICM and now I'm represented professionally by the Masai," Wyle jokes. "They go over all of my contracts now."
Cast and crew also spent a couple of weeks shooting exteriors at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Then they moved to Cape Town, South Africa, for interior work. "Everything came off without a hitch," Wyle says, "even though there are logistical problems about moving your production to the middle of a game reserve, where you're importing everything from equipment to power." There also can be perils when bringing Hollywood to Africa. "There was a cobra underneath the craft service table," the actor notes. "But we all lived to tell the tale."
This wasn't Wyle's first trip to Africa, mind you. He filmed episodes of ER there when his character, Dr. John Carter, went abroad for "Doctors Without Borders" missions. Wyle's overall take on the continent: "Africa is a continent of extremes. You see extreme poverty; you see extreme opulence; you see extreme despair and extreme hope. Occasionally it's difficult to be shooting a comedy in the midst of it, but the crews were phenomenal and the people could not have been more excited or more gracious about having us there."
In the original movie, during Flynn's first week overseeing the treasures at the Metropolitan Library, our hero recovered the Spear of Destiny, the lance that was used to skewer the side of Christ when he was crucified. In this new outing, Flynn teams with a brilliant and beautiful archaeologist (played by Gabrielle Anwar) during a quest to find the fabled mines of King Solomon. There's already a script for a third Librarian movie, by the way. "I think the reason the first film was successful," Wyle says, "was it filled a void that exists on television for that kind of throwback Saturday-afternoon, matinee-popcorn flick, where the jokes are funny, the chase scenes are harrowing, the romance scenes are sexy and you leave the theater satisfied on all fronts."
Wyle is a big fan of this genre. But until the first Librarian movie came his way, he never had much luck being cast as an action-movie hero. "Maybe because I'm 6-foot-2 and only about -? what? -? 100 pounds," he says. But Wyle was an ideal fit to play Flynn. And now, "I get some really gratifying mail from librarians," he says. "They're very pleased that we're trying to rewrite the paradigm of what an action hero is supposed to be -- that it's not just might that makes right, that sometimes the biggest brain can win you out in the end."
Flynn, who holds 22 academic degrees, definitely has the biggest brain. But in Wyle's hands, the character never seems elitist about his intellect. Wyle's secret to making Flynn so appealing? "Somebody told me a long time ago," he says, "that the best way to play an idiot is to play him like a smart person -- and the best way to play a smart character is to play him like an idiot.
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/times...t/16123499.htm
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)
by Jordon Corson
I signed on to filmmonthly.com just before writing this review. The film review right on the front page of the site is for Old Joy, a film that seems to be an embodiment of the artsy-indie cinematic experience. A film such as that, complete with Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Yo La Tengo, is well deserving of a glowing and pretentious review. It is the kind of film that demands serious consideration and extensive discussion.
I'm reviewing The Librarian: Return To King Solomon's Mines. It is a Noah Wyle vehicle that is a sequel to the original TNT movie. There's an instant association with the idea of badness and former television stars playing ridiculous genre type heroes in poorly titled made for T.V. movies. Where Old Joy is made for pure artful cinematic purposes, I'm still struggling to understand for what greater purpose The Librarian was created. But here’s the thing. The Librarian is a pretty good movie. It’s one of those “take it for what it is” scenarios I guess, but I liked it.
In the film we are introduced to Noah Wyle as the learned adventurer traveling the world looking for lost treasure. Wyle is always brilliant in the role. He is sly like Indiana Jones, but also finds moments of honesty in the film. In a film that is made in Indiana Jones’ image, it is quite admirable that Wyle offers originality and makes honest choices.
Over the course of the film Wyle travels to distant lands looking for a long lost treasure. Along the way he meets an attractive, strong woman who at first he doesn’t like…but then he likes a lot. Also, he has a sidekick type of friend and…well, before I go into ellipsis overdrive I’ll just tell you that you can figure out the plot yourself. In fact, you could probably write it if you’ve seen any wanderlust adventure genre film with the sly masculine, but flawed character (again, Indiana Jones). The script feels like it was written in a day. The special effects were probably done on a budget under two hundred dollars. Even still, I want to reiterate, it’s a decent film.
Simply because one film may have different artistic ambitions does not constitute that film as better or more necessary. I don’t want to say that it’s that great of a film. But The Librarian is admirable for several reasons. Despite the terrible script and even worse special effects, the direction never mocks the story, nor does it employ too much irony. So, while it might be only a half decent movie that I’m taking for what it is, after watching it I think that The Librarian is equally deserving of a pretentious review as any other film out there.
Jordon Corson is a film critic living in Chicago.
http://www.filmmonthly.com/Video/Art...ngSolomon.html
Librarian mines lots of fun out of King Solomon tale
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By Tom Jicha
November 30, 2006
The location of the mines must not be found.
'Rarely a dull moment' is not a phrase you expect to hear associated with a franchise dubbed The Librarian . However, almost 7 million viewers know better -- they made the first in the line, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear , the highest-rated basic cable movie of 2004.
The sequel, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines , doesn't disappoint, grabbing the attention of action-adventure fans in the opening frames and holding it thereafter with scads of things that go boom, wild chases and escapes from ghastly fates. African wildlife and landscape shots provide captivating scene-setters. It's amazing how advances in computer-generated images have allowed TV movies to take on a big-budget, big-screen look. The only thing missing from this Librarian is subtlety.
Noah Wyle has latched onto his post- ER annuity in Flynn Carson, whose timid persona belies a well-camouflaged heroic streak. The character is obviously a basic-cable knockoff of Indiana Jones, but the TNT movie also pays barely concealed homage to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Casablanca . And Wyle seems to be having as much fun as the audience will.
Also reprising roles from the original are Bob Newhart as library curator Judson, Flynn's mild-mannered, low-key mentor (Newhart's only speed), plus Jane Curtin as no-nonsense bean counter Charlene and Olympia Dukakis as Flynn's mother, Margie. The veteran actors have every reason to anticipate a string of easily earned paychecks from this series. They certainly don't break a sweat here. Robert Foxworth has a secondary role as Flynn's Uncle Jerry, who turns up in the most unlikely places for the most improbable reasons. Romantic interest is supplied by Gabrielle Anwar as the fetching and scholarly archaeologist Emily Davenport, who doesn't appear until a third of the way into the story. Her looks and provocative attire immediately capture Flynn's eye. However, when he gets to meet her he is dismayed that her academic credentials outshine his. Preoccupied by her own quest to track the legend of the Queen of Sheba, she has to be cajoled into joining his pursuit of the key to King Solomon's mines. It's a complicated assignment explained through cumbersome exposition, a soft spot in the movie. History and mythology buffs will probably get a kick out of tie-ins to the Shroud of Turin, Dead Sea Scrolls and the Arthurian sword in the stone, but you have to wonder how many heads in this audience these references will fly over.
Despite the attraction of the two leads, this is no mushy chick flick. Every time Flynn and Emily get close to a clinch, something menacing propels them to flight. Fortunately, Emily is also Flynn's match when it comes to physically fending off those intent upon doing them harm.
The villains want to unlock King Solomon's mines in anticipation of finding artifacts that will enable them to rule the world. It is left to Flynn and Emily to thwart them. The rarely assertive Judson states emphatically, 'The location of the mines must not be found.'
Of course, the location is found, but this is where the fun really starts -- and fun is the reason the books are not likely to close any time soon on The Librarian .
Tom Jicha can be reached at tjicha@sun-sentinel.com on tv Program: The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines Stars: Noah Wyle, Gabrielle Anwar, Jane Curtin, Bob Newhart, Olympia Dukakis Airs: 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and midnight Sunday on TNT (encores 9 p.m. Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m. Dec. 10)
Copyright ? 2006 South Florida Sun-Sentinel, All Rights Reserved.
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Source: http://www.topix.net/content/trb/1363212306374956605425164705613036502612
Pick of the week
SUNDAY
"The Librarian 2: Return to King Solomon's Mines," original telefilm, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Why you should watch: Noah Wylie, Bob Newhart and Olympia Dukakis reprise their roles in this made-for-TV sequel to TNT's popular "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear." All we know is that we love Noah Wylie, whether he's playing a puppy dog?eyed doctor or protector of the greatest secrets on earth
source: http://orlandocitybeat.metromix.com/tv/natent-tv-thisweeksreturningshows-s,0,2499049.htmlstory?coll=orlnatent-tv-headlines
Edited on 12/02/2006 5:16am
Edited 2 total times.