Vampires. You can’t walk down the street these days without stepping on one of them. They’re on television, in books and on the movie screen. Hell, one even moved down the street from me. Which, pardon the pun, sucks because he’s up all night, blasting Yanni tunes from his outside speakers. Hey, some of us living folks have to get up at sunrise and go to work! You undead idiot!
So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when the latest installment of The Librarian movie series — The Curse of the Judas Chalice — featured, you guessed it, vampires. Or rather, the search for the one true vampire and the chalice that would awake not only him but his undead minions. In the middle of it all is one Flynn Carsen, played by Noah Wyle.
Does Flynn survive his meeting with Vlad the Impaler? Or, does he become a sad-sack vampire with a long black coat who rescues the down-trodden of Los Angeles? Of course he survives! Whether he did it in an entertaining way is another story.
Turns out, that it was entertaining and, dare it be said, better than the second installment of this series. I think it was possibly the setting of this particular movie, in and around the outskirts of New Orleans, that made it feel more comfortable. It was also the subject matter: vampires are always entertaining. Then, it could have been that both Flynn Carsen and Noah Wyle have adjusted to their roles.
Just as he easily fit into the role of the young John Carter on ER, Wyle has become quite an adventurer/scholar. Plus, he really seems to enjoy the emotional roller coaster that his character goes through on a typical day. In this particular installment of the series his character went from having a mental breakdown to being joyful at taking a vacation and feeling somewhat normal. Even when he was being serious there was a smile hiding behind the actor’s solemn demeanor.
Meanwhile, Flynn has become someone that could begin to give Indiana Jones a run for his money. Sure, he’s still a bit of a klutz, but he is definitely showing signs of calmness, and ingenuity, in dire situations. A perfect example is his first meeting with the telemovie’s heroine, the 400-year-old Simone. Rather than cowering from the Russian tough guys, Flynn used his ingenuity and knowledge to help him and Simone to escape.
Despite Flynn’s acceptance in his current role, there is still some sadness to the character. Especially when it comes to the relationships he has formed with the opposite sex. His last two romances down the tubes, he really hoped that Simone would be the one for him. Alas, it wasn’t to be the case. For, when Flynn killed Vlad, the vampire that turned Simone into one of the undead, she had nothing else that needed to be accomplished. I will say that, while not a tearjerker, the final scene between those two was sad and romantic.
Show of hands from those who knew that Simone was going to be a vampire from the start. Uh-huh, I thought so. I had an inkling she was something more than a jazz singer when she began throwing Flynn across the bedroom. Her appearance in the warehouse to save him cemented that fact. At least she wasn’t one of those mopey vampires who skulked around the alleys of New Orleans. She was one of those friendly vamps you would want to take home to your mom for dinner. After sunset, of course.
Though it was a made-for-TV movie, The Curse of the Judas Chalice provided some pretty decent action and special effects. The best use of these effects was towards the end of the movie during the battle between Vlad and Simone. How they flashed in and out during their struggle was almost ballet-like in nature. Also enjoyable were the scenes that took place in and around New Orleans. It’s nice to see the city coming back after the devastation of Katrina.
If there was one thing to be negative about it was the lack of screen time for both Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin. Yes, this is really Noah Wyle’s baby, but it seems such a waste of talent not to use these two actors more in the series. Especially Newhart, who plays the most mild-mannered immortal seen on TV. Maybe a special or a webisode featuring just these characters could be made.
I swear that I heard this was the last of the Librarian movies being made. I certainly hope not, since Judson let an ominous statement slip that Flynn would be very important in the battle between good and evil. Perhaps TNT can get a Librarian mini-series produced that will tie up some loose ends. If I heard wrong, then I look forward to the next installment of the series.
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Dec 08, 2008 @ 16:29 EST5EDT
I’m not reading this because I didn’t even know it was on and I have enjoyed the previous, if hokey, installments. Thanks for the write-up; now I can catch it this week!
I saw an ad on TV that said this was the last chapter, so perhaps it is…for now. But, like Indiana Jones, maybe 20 years down the road The Librarian will return for another adventure.
Ditto what Modwild said. Thanks for letting me know it was on! The first two installments were a lot of fun.