The Storyteller: Greek Myths - 1991

Mildly entertaining. Although patterned after the original Henson "Storyteller" series, these darker myths have little of their charm. Michael Gambon as the storyteller/narrator does an exceptional job but the stories themselves are dreary and depressing. The myths are very adult in nature and far from family friendly. Typical for Greek myths, but unless you are a fan of Greek mythology, they are not as enjoyable as the fairy tales and legends used in the first series. Filming is Ok, but the special effects as well as the sets and costuming are very simple with very dark lighting. Although not rated, this should probably be PG. Just OK. ***

The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice - 2009

So-so third installment to this series of films. Flynn must again secure a mythical artifact, this time fighting vampires! Although this film had a fairly strong start, it didn’t seem to have the charm of the earlier two films. The story itself just wasn’t as appealing. Performances were again pretty good and the special effects were equally up to the task but they just couldn’t make up for the lackluster script. We found ourselves rolling our eyes more than once and even considered skipping through certain scenes. We all stuck with it but would certainly not watch this one again. Maybe 2 1/2 stars. **

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines - 2006

Enjoyable sequel. With the world again at risk, Flynn (Wyle) sets out to retrieve an ancient artifact. This film managed to do a good job of following in the footsteps of its predecessor. The story was a light-hearted adventure that included a little humor and romance. Performances again fit in well with the story and enhanced the characters. Special effects were also well done. If you liked the first film, you are sure to enjoy this entertaining sequel.  ***

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear - 2005

Entertaining! After finally being forced to leave college, Flynn (Wyle) becomes a “librarian” and protector of antiquities. With a script that loosely follows in the footsteps of “Indiana Jones”, this film was great fun with adventure, humor and romance. Admittedly, the story was highly implausible, had several plot holes and was certainly far from family friendly. However, it never really pretended to be anything other than a light-hearted adventure that wanted you to suspend belief and just enjoy the story. The performances were pretty good, fitting in well with the style of the film, and the special effects were also well done. This is one we’ve enjoyed watching more than once. ****

The Storyteller - 1987

Wonderful collection of fantasy stories and myths produced by the masterful Jim Henson. Filmed more like stage productions, these are darker stories rather than your typical light-hearted fairy tales. Each episode is a wonderful blend of live action and mild puppetry, but one of their main strengths is really the talented narrative of John Hurt as the “Storyteller”. His "storytelling" is truly magical and will have you completely entranced. Definitely worth your time! On a side note, although family friendly, these would probably not appeal to a younger audience.  *****