The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice

This third installment in the popular ¨The Librarian¨ franchise (1ª: Quest of the spear-2004- by Peter Winther and 2ª: Return to King Salomon's mines-2006- by Jonathan Frakes) starts with our intimate friend Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle), he must encounter the ancient Judas chalice , a silver cup obtained by Judas Iscariote with the thirty coins after selling Jesuschrist . Meanwhile , Flynn is having problems , he just doesn't time for his life and relationship . Watching his young protégé is starting to burn out , Judson (Bob Newhart) gives Carsen some well deserved holidays . He goes to Bayou New Orleans , the Big easy , he enters a night club where sees a wonderful singer named Simone Renoir (Stana Katic). She identifies as Librarian and asks him for his help . An old scroll once belonging to Vlad Dracul -the famous and four hundred years old vampire- has been robbed from a museum by a Russian band commanded by an ex KGB agent and is rumored that the Judas chalice has the power to bring Prince of Romania back to life . The incredible adventures led them to a vessel where find the remains of the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte .

The mild-mannered as well as bungler Flynn Carsen strikes again with new adventures set on exotic places . The intrepid adventurer/librarian/explorer , though quite botcher gets his aims after several risks , dangers and uncountable adventures . Flyn is assigned various missions around the world and recover priceless objects guarded into the Metropolitan Library of New York where are the ark of Noe , the fountain of youth , Excalibur or Arturo's blade... Along with Noah Wyle appear the usual secondaries , as a deadpan Bob Newhart , Jane Curtin and Bruce Davison as professor Lazlo , though this time isn't the sympathetic Olympia Dukakis habitually playing as the Flyn's mother . The film was well produced for TV by Dean Devlin (¨Stargate¨ , ¨Godzilla¨ , ¨Independence day¨) in partnership with TNT and compellingly directed by Jonathan Frakes . He's the famous commandant Riker , and an expert director on Sci-Fi genre , as ¨Clockstoppers¨ , ¨ThunderBirds¨ and television episodes : ¨Star Trek¨ , ¨Masters of Sci-Fi¨ , ¨Roswell¨ ,¨ Twlight zone¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable, this exciting adventure has all the imagination , magic and silliness this kind of amusing demands .

How I love these movies! Sure, there is nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary about them, but the combination of humor (Jane Curtain, Bob Newhart,) Good direction (jonathan Frakes,) and a good solid lead (Noah Wyle,) just makes for enjoyable television. One of the most wonderful things about the series is that it doesn't presume the lowest common denominator on the part of the audience's intellect. It seems to be a series full of historic references that are designed to be aimed at people who can appreciate them.

I very much enjoy the whole setup to the characters themselves. They are each given delightful backstorys that are fun as well as convincing. I have seen this compared to the Indiana Jones movies. While I agree with that in concept, I think there is a certain playfulness in these movies that the more serious...and far more expensive...Indian Jones films lack. My only regret is that these movies only come out every couple of years. I think that it would be great if this were turned into a regular series...or at least a few of them each year. These movies, to me, make up for the wasteland that is most of "normal" television programming.

In bygone days people used to read cheap magazines printed on cheap pulp paper. These were full of stories which, if not particularly literary, were full of action, color and plot. Later these moved to the movie serials and B movies, whence they were lifted, in the 1970s and 1980s, as the inspiration for movies like RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, ROMANCING THE STONE and STAR WARS. This TV movie, third in the series, is in that vein.

CURSE OF THE OF JUDAS CHALICE is no ground-breaking movie, but it is enormous fun, with a script full of hip, self-aware humor -- Noah Wyle explains the key plot points as he goes along, and is twitted for always speaking in complete paragraphs -- action and a sexy vampiress. There is nothing in this that is original -- I could do a little digging and produce a list of where the key plot points and shots were lifted from -- but it is done with such good humor, that the viewer will have few, if any complaints about the result.

My sole complaint is that Bob Newhart is not on screen long enough with his deadpan delivery. You can't do much better for a dull afternoon's time-waster.

Flynn is burned out and takes some time off in New Orleans. He's not there an hour before he's caught up in a bizarre plot by an ex-KGB agent to revive Dracula (yes, Dracula) and raise an army of the undead. To do so, the agent needs to find a chalice made from the 30 pieces of silver given to Judas, hence the Judas Chalice. Along the way, Flynn meets a sexy singer who ably aids him in his battle with the Russian. Noah Wylie's Flynn is much more assured than in his first two outings, but he's still somewhat naive. Jane Curtin and Bob Newhart are back as Flynn's bosses at the magical library, and Curtin's role has been beefed up a bit. In fact, it is she who suggests the vacation. Bruce Davison has a meaty role as a befuddled scientist pressed into service by the Russian. A recent Bond girl, the very lovely Stana Katic, plays Flynn's exotic, ass-kicking love interest. In fact, the movie starts off with a James Bond gag and there are nods to (some might even say swipes from) other movies, including HARRY POTTER, Dracula 2000, BLADE and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. This special effects. photography and music are all first rate, and the jokes come just often enough. And wait until you see the revived Dracula. You may be surprised. Because of the nature of the plot -- the undead and bloodsucking -- I'd say keep the little ones away.

Just forget that this is a Made-for-Cable (TNT) movie, THE LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE is such a well made Film, with a fun pulp story with great acting and decent visual effects, it easily rivals theatrical releases.

Noah Wyle is back as Flynn Carson, The geeky Historian/Adventurer - this time around after retrieving the philosophical stone at an auction house in London and getting dumped by his Girlfriend in the process, Judson (Bob Newhart) and Charlene (Jane Curtin) decide that Flynn needs a Holiday, especially after his meltdown at the Library, so Flynn travels to New Orleans for a break away from his work as 'The Librarian'

His Holiday doesn't last for very long as an incredibly sexy & mysterious woman Simone Renoir (the gorgeous Stana Katic 'Castle') A guardian to a key which gives clues to finding the Judas Chalice (An artifact capable of resurrecting vampires) needs Flynn's help, because a former Russian defence minister is after the Chalice himself so that he can resurrect Vlad the Vampire along with the forced assistance of Professor Lazlo, an acclaimed Historian who they kidnap (Bruce Davidson).

The Direction by Jonathan Frakes is first class, The acting by all is solid - Wyle,Newhart and Curtin give very likable performances as always and Stana Katic is such a mesmerizing beauty. The Visual effects (considering this is a TNT Movie) are outstanding.

THE LIBRARIAN: CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE is just such an entertaining Film from start to finish - I have thoroughly enjoyed all 3 'Librarian' movies - They are the most superior quality of TVMs that I have ever seen, and would love to see another!