The Librarian The Curse Of The Judas Chalice (aka Librarian 3) (2008)

The first Librarian movie was good. The second was even better. The third is not as good, and that is hard to believe since it has vampires. I thought everything was better with vampires.

Noah Wylie is still appealing as the gifted, but not too serious librarian who recovers metaphysical and historical artefacts for the Metropolitan Public Library. Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin are again entertaining as his superiors. Stana Katic provides an exotic touch as this movie’s female lead/love interest, albeit with a dark side. And Bruce Davison is here as a good guy, or perhaps a bad guy, and he brings a touch of distinction with him. The story this time involves a search for the cup, made from the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot, that can be used to raise Vlad the Impaler and an army of vampires.

The film starts with some action unrelated to the main plot, and then spends too much time on Flynn Carsen’s (Wyle) identity crisis, rather than focusing on the core theme of the story. The movie also becomes too juvenile in places, and that doesn’t fit with the sense of doom generated by the threat of an army of marauding vampires. The scene involving the playful Excalibur is so trite it should be in Harry Potter, not The Librarian. When the story is in full swing, it’s okay, but it takes too long to reach that point and then takes illogical turns. If you are in a locked room, why would you bother blowing down the door without trying to open a window first? Still, it is better than Indiana Jones 3, or the Mummy 3, or National Treasure 3 (which hasn’t been made yet but I know it will be bad, even if it has vampires).