I wanted to like The Librarian, I really did. I do like the action/fantasy/adventure genres, and thought it would be halfway decent. But apart from some nice locations, a rousing score and some good subtly deadpan performances from Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin, The Librarian just didn't cut it for me. The effects were excessively used and at best mediocre in their quality, and the editing could have been much more focused, at times it seemed rather frenzied for my tastes. The script is poor with unfunny in alternative to humorous jokes and a lot of the dialogue itself is trite beyond belief. The story is never suspenseful or enthralling, instead it is convoluted, derivative(of Indiana Jones except without the thrills and fun) and dull. It also never knows whether it wants to be Sci-Fi, adventure, fantasy or action, it constantly switches between all of those and it gave such an all-over-the-place feel. The action sequences are unexciting and not all that memorable, and the characters are clichéd and not developed enough to make us empathise enough for them. Of the acting, only Newhart and Curtin are close to good. Noah Wyle is stiff in the lead, Sonya Walger is sexy but not much else and Olympia Dukakis and Kyle MacLachlan are underused. All in all, a movie of its genre that doesn't have enough of what a movie of the genre needs and comes across as bland instead. 4/10 Bethany Cox
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
(2004 TV Movie)
Some redeeming qualities, but on the whole didn't enthral me
5 September 2012