Television Review: The Librarian - Curse of the Judas Chalice
by R.J. Carter
Published: December 6, 2008
ER's Noah Wyle returns as Flynn Carsen, the over-educated Indiana Jones-like agent for the Metropolitan Public Library, an archive of artifacts unlike any other in existence. But globe-hopping at the beck and call of his superiors, Charlene (Jane Curtin) and Judson (Bob Newhart), has begun to take its toll on Flynn. His dating life is a mess, as he can never keep an appointment, losing his latest girlfriend because he has to obtain the Philosopher's Stone -- and, of course, he can never tell his lady friend's what he really does for a living.
So it's not really unexpected that, when Judson (emerging from the Fountain of Youth, in a wing harboring a flying saucer and what appears to be H.G. Wells' time machine) prepares a new assignment for Flynn when he's just finished the last quest (and last girlfriend), Flynn flies off the handle and has an emotional meltdown, earning a little vacation time from the flustered Judson.
The Lady is a Vamp. Stana Katic as
Flynn's new gal, Simone.
(Photo Credit: Mark Hill) |
Following a supernatural calling (there are a lot of supernatural things that happen as a matter of course in this made-for-cable film, so get used to them), Flynn decides to spend his time off in New Orleans, where he makes the acquaintance of his dream girl, Simone ("Quantum of Solace" Bond girl, Stana Katic), a sultry nightclub singer who harbors a few supernatural secrets of her own. While Flynn tries unimpressively to pick her up, she immediately recognizes him as a librarian, and pulls him into a hidden catacomb where begins a race against a former KGB agent (Dikran Tulaine) for the long lost Judas Chalice. Reluctantly assisting the ex-Soviet is the aged and infirm Professor Lazlo (Bruce Davison), whose intellect nearly rivals Flynn's own. If the KGB agent finds the Judas Chalice, he will gain the power to rebuild the Soviet Union by raising an invincible, unkillable army to lead into battle.
I had not seen the previous installments in The Librarian series, so I was not prepared for how lighthearted the plot takes itself, far more so than even the lightest moments in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," which would sort of be the counter-film to this one. (In fact, when Flynn learns from Simone that he's to be looking for an ancient chalice, he thinks she means the Holy Grail, and informs her that the library already has it in storage, describing its appearance identically to the one in "Last Crusade.") The mysterious and magical appearances of Judson, which Flynn accepts as completely normal, also left me questioning how much of this was meant to be serious adventure and how much was meant to be a sendup, and the purported origins and abilities of the Judas Chalice seemed a bit of a stretch, although the writers did manage to connect a few mythic threads in a plausible manner (in a whole suspension of disbelief sort of way).
To Live and Die in (New Orleans,) LA. Flynn (Noah Wyle) visits the Big Easy.
(Photo Credit: Erik Heinila) |
TNT is counting on viewers sticking around after this special movie event for the premiere of their new dramatic action series, Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton. Given the nearly complete lack of compelling story, I think it's more likely that Leverage will be instead helping the ratings of "Curse of the Judas Chalice," as interested viewers click over early. The idea of the Librarian character is, actually, a very compelling one, but this film, directed by Jonathan Frakes, just didn't serve the concept well, despite enjoyable performances by everyone in the cast; another case of the story failing the characters.
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