The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) Online

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.

As I recall, Spielberg created "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with the idea of recreating "Saturday afternoon" movies with a little something for everyone--humor, high-stakes, scary moments, spectacle.

"The Librarian" series has the same aim and hits it well, so you're guaranteed sheer mindless entertainment. Noah Wylie's geeky "Librarian" keeps saving the day with lots of knowledge and few social graces, generally making a fool of himself along the way. Bob Newhart and Jane Curtain are such steady pros, they make you laugh without appearing to try. There's a well-cast requisite gorgeous girl in each show, and thankfully these female characters can hold their own and do as much rescuing as being rescued. Plus, it's nice to see a series that shows the value of knowledge and learning, even if Flynn has taken that idea a bit far. Geeks and friends of geeks will see much that hits home.

The special effects are good rather than great, but they work just fine. This series doesn't have the massive special effects budget that most blockbuster movies have. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing, since many big-budget movies overuse special effects to substitute for plot and character, without making the movie or the effects more interesting.

I enjoyed Librarian #3 "Curse of the Judas Chalice" probably even more than the prior 2 in the series. I loved the New Orleans setting, the female lead Stana Katic, plus this time they left out Flynn's mother (a not well written character). Watch the movies in sequence if you can. I'm recommending the series to several friends, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!

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.

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!

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 .

Well I've enjoyed the other two parts of the movie , and I had high expectations for this one too. I wasn't wrong. If you want a funny adventure movie, filled with action and thrills this isn't a bad choice. It's a great one. Although I wouldn't let someone under 12 watching it, especially if it will be played at night. Some vampire scenes ( a few I have to say) will make your heart go faster. The plot of the movie is well constructed and it is light and refreshing. A young librarian who saves the world and fights vampires and former KGB agents ,just in time to rescue ( or in this case, be rescued by) the gorgeous maiden in distress. What can you want more for a Friday or Saturday evening movie ? I have to admit, there are some history issues, easter European medieval history ( I'm from Romania and I do know my history) but this will only make the movie interesting to watch. It will bring a new perspective over some boring stuff. To sum it up ... Go and rent this movie. It will be fun. How often do you see the nerd getting the gorgeous gall ?

The directing/writing team of Jonathan Frakes and Marco Schnabel are back for another movie in the series.

They open with a James Bond tribute. Our little nerd (Noah Wylie) has certainly come a long way. He is no longer a nerd, and has developed an amazing capability with a sword as displayed in a fight with an ex-KGB agent (Dikran Tulaine), who wants to restore Russia to its former glory.

His plan is to restore none other than Dracula, who will lead an army of vampires. With the success of "True Blood" and Twilight, a vampire story is expected, and it really made things exciting. Our villain has the body of Vlad the Impaler, and now all he needs in the chalice made out of the 30 pieces of silver given to Judas (The first I have heard of that!) But, Flynn Carsen (Wylie) is burned out. It is up to Jane Curtin, in a much meatier role, to get him started. But it is a dream sequence with Croation Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace) that gets him moving. What? No English heroine? Not appropriate in a movie involving vampires, you see.

With vampires, the movie is a bit more exciting and the special effects are ramped up. It is set in new Orleans and that is always a plus for the atmosphere and the music.

Oscar nominee Bruce Davison (Longtime Companion, Short Cuts) gives an impressive performance.

We get the expected ending, and are left wondering if this franchise has burned itself out, or if we will see our hero again two years from now.

The original movie was not terrible and had its moments, but I did find it lacking. The second is an improvement but is pretty much the same. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the third in the series. It may not be perfect, the effects range from decent to excessively mediocre, some of the explanation of the plot points was rather obvious and unneeded and some of the supporting cast are still underused so that they can't do much with their roles. However, the photography and scenery are splendid, and the score is suitably rousing. The dialogue has its witty and clever moments rather than the tired humour of the first two, and the story while somewhat derivative is actually exciting with some thrilling set pieces. Jane Curtin and Bob Newhart continue to steal the film with their subtly deadpan delivery, while Noah Wyle is at his most natural and likable, Stana Katic is the first female lead to not feel out of place or bland, she is sexy and with some steel, and Bruce Davison is also enjoyable. Overall, very enjoyable and the best of the series. 7/10 Bethany Cox

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.

I enjoyed the 2nd installment of this series better than the original movie (and I enjoyed the original a lot!), but I believe that they've improved yet again with the 3rd installment in the series.

"Curse of the Judas Chalice" had the same light hearted and comic view of Indianna Jones style adventure, but I found the plot to be deeper and more surprising. This series has a surprising character turn as part of its 'formula' in each installment. This time the surprise was two-fold. Although I saw one of them coming well in advance, the other one got me.

These movies are ideal family fare ... amusing and entertaining for adults without including content inappropriate for even young children. Such movies are hard to find these days, but the Librarian series pulls it off solidly.

"The Judas Chalice" has many plot-twists: to see a detailed (and accurate) synopsis, click on that title on the title-page.

Jonathan Frakes has come-down from whatever trip he was on for "King Solomon's Mines" and directed a good film, scripted by Marco Schnabel. As Wyle produced "King" with these two guys, I guess they're going to be the team for future serials. I thought this movie was very good, but thought it lacked the "nerd" characteristic of the first two films. There is one scene with "Judson" (Bob Newhart) and "Charlene" (Jane Curtain) in which he relapses and jumps up-and-down to protest his being sent on another "trip".....he hasn't had any loving in a long time. He is told to "pretend you are a celibate monk," but "Noah" has taken to "Mom's" (Dukakis) idea of getting all he can. AND, he's horny. Oh, well - I guess Wyle wants to become a movie-star, as he was a star on "ER". In a dream-sequence, he sees a gorgeous lady beckoning him. He doesn't know how important that dream is till much later in the film.

I am from New Orleans (where the plot is set) and watched it mainly for that reason, plus wanting to see just what "the chalice" is all about. As it is widely believed it was made of the thirty pieces of silver given to Judas Iscarot, paid to betray Jesus, I was interested. I'm glad it caught me.....

One of the many scenes in "Chalice" provides the plot: high-echelon Russians are out to revive "Count Dracula", in order to put-together an army of vampires which can't be defeated, to return Russia to its greatness. My opinion is, that would be just a little insulting, causing Russia to dislike us more. The Russians DO find a mysteriously spooky crypt in Romania and transport it to New Orleans, which used to be a French colony. A factual priestess of Voodoo - Marie le Veux - IS buried in The St. Louis Cemetery, whose crypt is regularly worshiped by the occult.

"Flynn" (Noah Wyle) is sent to an auction to obtain (by hook-or-crook) a Ming vessel - which, through unintended dialog, he discovers he has bid a million lbs.....much more than the vessel is worth, EXCEPT it has something inside that is much more valuable. He drops the vessel to destroy it, and walks away with the artifact.

Another scene shows how "Simone" (who is the lady in his dream) has been attacked by Dracula (four hundred years ago) and is now a vampire. "Flynn" finds her in a nightclub which once was a church - the fabled "St. Louis Cathedral". I found that to be distasteful. Another scene shows "Prof. Lazlo" giving a lecture on the occult; he eventually is captured by the Russians. At any rate, all the Russians and Lazlo wind-up in New Orleans, just about the time that "Flynn" and "Simone" have a hot love-scene. Just after this jump in the hay, "Flynn" learns that "Simone" is a vampire, but has come through it without being attacked. She has a fridge full of blood, so she's not really into biting people, although we do see a scene with fangs, etc.

The famous French Quarter is shown supposedly during Mardi-Gras, the uninhibited celebration the day before Lent, but not nearly wild enough. All of the characters wind-up in a run-down house on the outskirts of the city (actually filmed in Louisiana), and it is revealed that "Lazlo" is the REAL Dracula, and gets possession of "the chalice", and wants to destroy everyone. He is not desirous of helping the Russians, because he's already a legend. Much fighting between "Lazlo" and "Simone" to protect "Flynn", who wanders outside of the house, looking for a spike to do-in Dracula. He does - and he and "Simone" are united, "Flynn" asking her to watch a sunrise. Well, you can guess that she sacrifices herself for her love of "Flynn". She melts in a flurry of lights.

I think I've told more of the plot of this movie than any other I've reviewed. I suppose it's because I'm from New Orleans, and have an interest in anything concerning Jesus. All that aside, I DID see (again) the townhouse I once lived-in on the corner of St. Louis and Dauphine Streets....never miss it when The Quarter is shown.

This most recent of "The Librarian" series is very professionally made and perhaps portends that more episodes are in the future. Hope so - it really is a very good movie, with everyone in the cast and crew producing an excellent, entertaining film. Cinematography is great - every scene is very convincing. This may be the last of the "nerd" - but, it's the beginning of a series that TV missed. Bravo !

I just wonder WHERE do they store all those "artifacts" when "the library" is changed ?......

After retrieving the philosophical stone in an auction but losing his girlfriend, the librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) has a breakdown and Charlene (Jane Curtin) and Judson (Bob Newhart) ask him to spend some days on vacation. Flynn travels to New Orleans and he has a crush on the French singer Simone Renoir (Stana Katic); however she discloses that she is the guardian of a key to access the Judas Chalice that is capable to resurrect vampires. Meanwhile the former Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Kubichek (Dikran Tulaine) is seeking the chalice to revive the vampire Vlad with the support of Professor Lazlo (Bruce Davison) and raise an army of undead to bring Russia back to the top of the world. When Simone reveals that she is a vampire, Flynn question whether she is not using him to reach the chalice and increase her power.

"The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice" is another entertaining and amusing movie of the librarian Flynn Carsen, a sort of combination of Indiana Jones and 007. The story is very funny, with vampires, full of action and the gorgeous and sexy Stana Katic in the role of a 403 year-old vampire. Fans of adventure will certainly enjoy this film. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Guardião 3 – A Maldição do Cálice de Judas" ("The Guardian 3 - The Curse of the Judas Chalice")

Morgus Bay is named for Dr Mommus Alexander Morgus, a mad scientist character who introduced horror movies on television in New Orleans for thirty years - he is still active. His side kicks are an executioner type named Chopsley and a talking skull named Eric.

The exterior for the building where the auction is held is the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge, the interior is the New Orleans Museum of Art. The exterior of the museum/library where Flyn works is the New Orleans Museum of art, the interior the Old State Capitol Building!

The interior of the Capuchin monestary where the chalice is hidden is St Alphonsus Church, the exterior is St Mary's Asumption. They are across the street from each other, St Alphonsus was the Irish Catholic Church, Saint Mary's Assumption was for German Catholics. (A third one for French Catholics has been torn down.)

If I had not watched the first two Librarians back to back before the third one I would not be so critical. The vampire theme was OK but the whole production seemed to suffer from the bean counters bringing down the quality of the movie. Cheap sets, dark lighting and background music drowning out the actors made it a tedious two hours. There seemed to be very little chemistry between Noah and Stana - what there was seemed forced and over the top. The relationship between Noah and Sonya Walger was much better and much more believable. In one scene Stana beats up the bad guys but in the next they easily capture her. Even the bad guys just seemed to be just phoning it in. I know it's tough to try to live up to the first one which in my opinion was by far the best but it seemed like someone said, "How cheaply can we make this and still keep the audience?" I hope they learned a lot from this one. I will probably not be adding it to my DVD collection.

There are movies that got the Oscar for best movie of the year and I have watched them only once, The Curse of the Judas Chalice never got that kind of recognition but I've watched it four times already and enjoyed each one of them. When I get to that part where Stana Katic sings that song in the bar, I always replay the scene once or twice. Stana Katic is Mona Lisa reincarnated in the twenty first century but better than the Da Vinci's version. Noah Wyle and the rest of the cast are always in tune with the story. Aside from a few exceptions, I'm not into vampire movies that much but this one makes the grade. Not having the kind of budget Indiana Jones movies got and succeeding in making a gem of a flick deserves praise. Hats off for their great work.

The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice is the last film of the three films of The Librarian franchise. It stars Noah Wyle as Flynn Carsen,the former perpetual college student who now works as a librarian that protects a secret collection of artifacts such as that from the likes of Vlad Dracula and his vampire hordes.Bob Newhart,Jane Curtin,Stana Katic and Bruce Davison co-stars.

In this TV movie,Flynn Carson is on a mission to recover the historic Judas Chalice when a French beauty Simone rescues him from dying.Unknowingly,Simone is into something deviant and evil behind her charm and beauty.Also,Flynn goes into New Orleans and tries to search the rumored remains of Prince Vlad Dracul wherein evil people intends to bring him back to life.

This is probably the best of the three films.It is funny,enjoyable and entertaining.Also,it was less cheesy and provided some realism into the story.We also have great performances from the cast.Worthy of mention is Bob Newheart who was nominated for an Emmy.What's also interesting is the fact that we have seen the complete transformation of Flynn Carsen from being a perpetual student to a worthy librarian that will go against the evildoers and risk his life for the protection of the memorable artifacts.

Overall,this great TV sequel is probably one good reason why The Librarian is now an on-going TV series.

If you've followed the first two movies, or perhaps even seen them all and the TV series also, then certain things are to be expected. Noah Wyle loves to make fun of his hero character and do it in a big way. Flynn continues to be mostly a klutz although at times his physical skills almost match up to his mental ones. The dialogue still drops historical trivia right and left and some scientific trivia also. It's nerdy stuff at its best.

In the previous two movies, Wyle as Flynn Carson, plays off two gorgeous and exotic women, but to me there was never a sentimental connection. In this movie, Stana Katic (also gorgeous and exotic) connects. Perhaps I am biased because I loved Castle through it's full run. But I really think it's more than that. Throughout this movie, Simone is giving Flynn these looks that said volumes both funny and sentimental at the same time.

The climax is so sweet.

I'm reviewing and rating this movie as a TV movie and not comparing it to any mainstream blockbuster. Last entry to "The Librarian" TV movie trilogy is the best one for me. It has a better story, better visual effects and good supporting cast. It's no gem or exceptional but a good entertaing light hearted movie that you could enjoy with your kids and family. For TV standards this movie outdid itself for the budget. Noah Wyle is the Librarian and he always will be.

There's no need to be very critical while watching Librarian because this movie is just plain fun and it succeeds, a treasure hunting movie with lot's of action, weird twists, and a lot of good comedy.

If anyone's having second thoughts about watching this movie after the second one "Return to King Solomon's mines", you definitely need to watch this because this is the best of the trilogy.

I really don't know why I ended up buying all three of these movies considering that they are now helping to clog up my house with useless stuff that I don't need, won't use, and will probably never watch again. While the second movie was actually quite enjoyable to watch, this helping pretty much falls flat on its face for quite a few reasons, including the rather annoying acting that seemed to have cropped up again.

While the first two movies were trying to be Indiana Jones, this movie pretty much decided to throw the whole adventure idea away and simply create what is little more than a vampire movie. Hey, they don't even go to an exotic place, they go to New Orleans, and the entire movie is set in New Orleans (with the exception of the beginning which is set in London, and is trying hard to be a James Bond opener) and a part in the middle where they go to an island, which as it turns out, is near New Orleans anyway.

Hey, now that I come to think of it, I remember that there was another vampire movie that was set in New Orleans, and even though I didn't particularly like that one, at least is was better than this helping. They even decided to make Russians the bad guys, which is a little bit too eighties, particularly since they were doing what they were doing to resurrect the glory of mother Russia. To me the whole idea of using Russians as bad guys (as well as fundamentalist Muslim terrorists, even before the 'war on terror') is just too clichéd. Hey, now that I think about it, pretty much any bad guy that I can think of from Hollywood is a little too clichéd (secret government departments, Columbian drug barons, Nazi's, North Koreans, aliens, mafia dons, and I'm sure there are a lot more out there as well).

Paradoxically, the third Librarian movie deals with less human characters, namely vampires, but with more human qualities. Instead of a breathless chase, these 90 minutes are well used to develop the characters with more detail. Thus the whole movie becomes less silly and more emotional. Simone (Stana Katic) is the vampire lady who falls in love with the librarian (Noah Wyle) during the search for the chalice of Judas, forged from the infamous 30 pieces of silver. Professor Lazlo (Bruce Davison) is obsessed with finding the same artifact. Continuing perfectly with the hints the two previous episodes gave us, we learn more about Judson (Bob Newhart) – or do we? I voted 8/5/7 for the Librarian trilogy, and don't think it needs to remain a trilogy, it seems to have potential for a fourth part.

I saw the original Librarian movie when it came out and I think I liked it (that was a long time ago). I never knew there were any sequels until recently, when I was searching for adventure movies. This one is really fun, and a vast improvement over the second movie. It's got a nice Indiana Jones vibe, it's well paced and it's got just a little New Orleans color to it. Like in the second movie, the Librarian is unhappy and mopey, but whereas that second movie let the whole emotional-journey thing swamp the fun, this time it's just a nice setup for a light, fun little romp. The plot holds together well, the lead girl is good, there's a fun scene in a barbershop with Bob Newhart, and it's got vampires. What more could you want? I hope they make a forth one of these sometime.

The movie is plain horrible. The only good thing are few non cliché dialogues, but that's it. The acting is horrible, and plot is just as bad.

Let me just tell you of one scene: Actors gets locked in an old, rotten ship, and in order to get out they decide to blow the door out with a cannon.. That, despite in two scenes you can clearly see a large window behind them, which and adult can get through..

Not the worst, but far from good.

Not to mention that russians who can barely speak English is a very old cliché, same goes for all their acting.. sigh..

You take 3 parts Indiana Jones, 2 parts Harry Potter. For a leading man, star a young TV veteran from a hit melodrama of the last decade. In each installment cast an affordable exotic beauty in her late 30's. For a villain, cast a recognizable but unnameable TV actor from the last century. Leaven with 2 aging but able sitcom stars of the 1980's. Cook with just enough sex and violence to pass basic cable standards, but no bad language, so reruns can occur on broadcast TV on weekend afternoons when there is no sports game.

As I write, this, the third installment of the Librarian, is up in a 6 hour marathon of the trilogy on a Turner station. It is not bad for a lazy Sunday afternoon, if you have other things to do indoors to distract you.

As many have already noticed, it is a blatant riff or rip-off of the Indiana Jones franchise, except set in today's world. Noah Wylie wears Indy clothes and works for a "library" that is much like Indy's museum. Except the Library has not only a collection of fantasy icons from the past (from the bible to King Arthur to Grimm tales) but also wizard-like magic straight from Harry Potter. Noah is sent on a major quest in each episode, with magic-wielding villains to overcome and a sexy babe as his companion.

This third one is the darkest, I suppose, what with vampires in New Orleans (where did they come up with that, I wonder?) and Russian mafia types. Unlike Spielberg and his big-time budget, the special effects here are pretty cheesy computer graphics. The smaller the screen, the better they look.

I read that a basic cable series (hour-long format) is in the works for The Librarian franchise. Noah Wylie makes an appearance here and there. But younger actors do the heavy lifting, and apparently John Larroquette takes over the aging sitcom star duties.

Having said all that, it isn't all that bad, as long as you aren't after real thrills, real drama, or real comedy. It is passable eye-candy and decent time-filler for shut-ins on a rainy day. Nothing too gory or scary for youngsters beyond the first grade. And nothing too sexy to embarrass your grandma who may be baby-sitting. Just clever enough and good-looking enough to keep from reaching for the remote.

In short -- just what the TNT production committee ordered!

Indiana Jones lite continues, and the franchise now (already!) appears to have run out of ideas. They were always stealing from superior films, but now they're crossing genres to do so. Oh, and they dropped the part about the movies they use the plot of being better than this one. On the whole, this is the same level of quality as the first two, meaning mediocre. The storyline is fine, and with the formula firmly in place(long before the original of this trilogy came out, in fact), there are few surprises or twists. While there is something to it other than the adventure, it's entirely predictable. The acting is hit-and-miss. Katic(fans of her may want to watch this just for her) isn't half bad(and she certainly is hot), and Newhart gets to do his thing a little bit, for the tiny portion of this that he appears in. This isn't all that exciting, though some of the fighting and chasing is OK. The effects are decent at best, and their integration with the live-action footage is unimpressive. This takes place in New Orleans, and the music, fitting the environment, is enjoyable enough. The comic relief is irritating, and the humor in general is typically too silly to make you laugh. With that said, it is funny on occasion. There is mild violence and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to those who like the other two. 6/10

This is pretty sub standard Indiana Jones style family capers with a bit more of the supernatural thrown in. This is the third movie in the series and quite frankly I am surprised they have made it this far. Everything here is done by numbers and I for one find it hard to accept Noah Wyle as an action hero. Still maybe children will find it more entertaining than I did but for me a great family movie has to work for the adults as well. So if you want to amuse the children for a few hours then maybe this will fill the time, but I for one will not be watching it again and I will not go out of my way to seek the other movies.