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

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 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.

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

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")