The fate of the world is in his hands? That's so... sad. [Film Only] (The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (DVD))

Member Name: Teena2003

Product:	The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (DVD)
Date:	31/07/09 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lighthearted Indina Jones style adventure, easy to watch and not too long

Disadvantages: low budget, not the best special effects, typical made for TV movie

Original quote: The fate of the world is in my hands? That's so... sad. (Flynn Carsen)

There has always been room on screen for adventurers and treasure hunters. One of the best known ones is of course the Indiana Jones franchise which not only inspired four movies but also a television series based on the adventures of a young Indiana Jones. We watched movies like National Treasure or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen where similar themes are explored.

So there should be room for a new adventurer, shouldn't there? Enter The Librarian! You may laugh but there is more to this job than meets the eye.

When mid thirties, eternal student Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) is kicked out of college, 22 degrees should be enough for anyone; he does not know what to do with his life.

A mysterious invitation to an interview at the Metropolitan Public Library and an even odder interview sees him hired as the new Librarian. What should be a boring job turns out nothing at all like a quiet day in the library.

This library houses a huge number of priceless artefacts, generally only known from stories and often put aside as myth or legend, Excalibur, Ali Baba's flying carpet, Pandora's Box, a live unicorn and the golden fleece to name but a few.

During a break in only one item was stolen, the Spear of Destiny (or at least one third of it). According to religious beliefs, the spear was used to establish Jesus' death on the crucifix. Due to its apparent mystical powers, it was broken into three parts and hidden across the globe so that it will be safe from ever being assembled again and used for unbelievable evil.

Only a couple of days in the job and still wet behind the ears, Flynn Carsen is sent to retrieve the other two parts of the spear before they fall into the wrong hands. The clues where to find the artefacts is found in a book of bird language nobody had been able to decode. To aid and protect him on his quest, the library sent out a bodyguard for him, a fellow employee of the library but more the adventurous type, Nicole Noone (Sonya Walger). She is still dealing with the fact that the last librarian got killed on her watch.

Carsen and Nicole are desperate to work out the clues before the bad guys can and find the remaining two parts of the spear and make it hole again. But nothing is as easy as it looks and coming face to face with the leader of the Serpent Brotherhood (Kyle MacLachlan), Nicole's past is catching up with her fast.

Find out if Carsen can rise to the occasion, follow him on his quest to see what happens.


This is a made for TV movie from 2004 and is shown quite regularly on one of the SKY movie channels, often during daytime or weekends.

Broadly you could describe the movie as a low budget Indiana Jones but not without its charm. Of course it never had the big budget the Indiana Jones or National Treasure movies had, not even a big budget could improve Nicolas Cage's wooden performance. But if you take The Quest for the Spear for what it is, a low budget, fluffy adventure film for all the family, then you won't be disappointed.

The script is interesting with the premise of a larger museum of priceless antiquities often from myths and legends, where some secret order of Librarians ensures that they do not fall into the wrong hands. These people look ordinary but display extraordinary abilities - not necessarily when it comes to physical fights but unbeatable for their smarts.

Noah Wyle plays nerdy, studious Flynn Carson who enjoys learning more than going out and getting practical experience. He is not necessarily work shy but does not feel the need to go out and earn money. Wyle displays just the right amount of nerdiness not to become annoying to the viewer. He is smart but not worldly wise. He's the typical indoor type and not interested in going out into the 'real world'. Wyle is best known for playing Dr Carter in the long running medical series ER.

British actress Sonia Walger plays the part of Nicole Noone, a total opposite of the Flynn Carson character. She is a kick boxing, kung fu fighting girl who may not have book smarts but she has oodles of street smart and knows how to survive in the wild. I can't say that I can recall her in other shows but she has been a regular in a number of big US shows.

Kyle MacLachlan, lately of Desperate Housewives and Sex And The City's Charlotte's first husband Trey, plays Edward Wilde, leader of a gang of thieves looking to unite all three parts of the spear. He had a relationship with Walger's character which leads to complications and some funny dialogue.

There are a number of other characters throughout the movie that may be worth a mention. Carsen's superiors are played by actor/entertainer Bob Newhart. His character Judson is shrouded in some mystery. He appears to be older than expected and knows more about the underground Library than he lets on. He is assisted by Jane Curtin (Dr Mary Albright in Third Rock from the Sun). Both parts are small compared to the young leads in the show but they frame the movie quite nicely and operate well as 'narrators' to bring the story forward.

While adventure is a large part of the movie, don't expect mind boggling special effects you find in movies the likes of Indiana Jones. While the show could be seen as taking its ideas from it, it most certainly didn't have the big budgets. But that does not detract from its charm and it certainly worth a look into.

Recommended to watch with an open mind and without high expectations and you might enjoy it.

Summary: low budget Indiana Jones type adventure