Home entertainment for couch potatoes

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Cast: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf

The adventurer with the whip and fedora is back. When director Steven Spielberg ended the Indiana Jones trilogy, he had Indy riding into the sunset. "I wanted to move on," he says, "but the fans didn't agree." Harrison Ford too entertained the possibility of a comeback for five or six years and then forgot about it.

When producer George Lucas and Spielberg seriously began thinking of Indy 4, there was no doubt that Ford would reprise Dr. Henry, but he was 65 years old. "One of our concerns was: would Harrison be accepted (by moviegoers)," says Spielberg. But it was clear that Ford was an essential part of the franchise.

Ford quickly got into Indy mode. "I hadn't worn the Indiana Jones costume for 18 years," he says. "I tried it on, and it fit like a glove." And the resounding success of the movie clearly shows that despite his age, Ford hasn't lost his touch. Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, John Hurt and Shia LaBeouf also sparkle in their roles.

The year is 1957 and the US and the USSR are in the midst of a cold war. Indy is approached by a young lad Mutt (LaBeouf) who tells him that his mother Marion (Allen) has been kidnapped. He also shows him a map which has clues to where a fabled crystal skull is hidden.

The Russians, led by Irina Spalko (Blanchett), want the skull because whoever returns it to its proper resting place will get tremendous powers. Now it's up to Indy to show his prowess.

Rating: PG 13.

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior
Cast: Michael Capone, Randy Couture, Karen David, Simon Quarterman, Natalie Becker

Mathayus, the son of Ashur of Akkad (Peter Butler), is one of the few who manage to get enrolled at the kingdom's tough fighting school.
The boy gets into trouble on the first day itself as he confronts Sargon (Randy Couture), head of the military, for misbehaving with Layla, a girl who's disguised as a boy.

Sargon is unable to expel Mathayus but he has Ashur killed in a scorpion attack. Six years later when Mathayus (Michael Capone), now a handsome 19-year-old lad, graduates as a Black Scorpion, he finds that Sargon is king of Akkad.

Against his will, Mathayus becomes one of the king's personal bodyguards and his first assignment is to kill his brother Noah for threats against Sargon. Our young hero escapes, but the king manages to kill Noah.

Mathayus vows to kill the king but the task is difficult as he possesses dark powers. He teams up with Layla (Karen David) who has evolved into a fine warrior and is joined by Aristophanes of Naxos who recommends that they should acquire the Sword of Damocles to eliminate Sargon.

For this they have to enter the Underworld and kill a minotaur and deal with Astarte (Natalie Becker), the deity of love and war. But time is running short: the portal will close in an hour.

Rating: 12.