Librarian - Quest for the Spear is a made for TV movie that has ambitious plans and almost pulls them off, but not quite.  The film tries to be a funny and exciting version of Raiders of the Lost Ark but turns out to be a mildly amusing version of King Solomon's Mines (1985).

Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) is a thirty-something nerd who still lives with his mother.  He's a professional college student with 22 degrees and no intention of ever getting a real job.  When he gets kicked out of school though, he's forced to find a means of supporting himself.  He doesn't have much luck until he gets a strange letter in the mail.  It says that he's been selected to interview for the position of Librarian at the Metropolitan Library.

He goes to apply, and finds that there are a LOT of people also there for the job.  Using his uncanny ability to deduce lifestyles from small clues, something that would make Sherlock Holmes green with envy, he lands the job.

This is no ordinary library though.  In the depths of it's vaults lie fabulous treasures: the Arc of the Covenant, Pandora's Box, The Golden Fleece, and Excalibur, among others.  It will be Flynn's job, aided by Judson (Bob Newhart) and Charlene (Jane Curtin) to watch over and catalog the many rare artifacts.

On Flynn's first day on the job though, a section of the Spear of Destiny is stolen.  This was the weapon that was used to pierce Jesus' side while he was on the cross.  It is a very powerful item, and it is said that whoever possesses it can conquer the world.  Since it is so powerful, a previous Librarian hundreds of years ago separated the spear into three parts and hid the sections around the world.  The only clues to the location of the other two sections are in a book written in the Language of the Birds, the tongue that all humanity spoke before building the Tower of Babel and being punished to speak different languages by God.

Along with the book and a tough but sexy body guard, Nicole (Sonya Walger), Flynn sets off to retrieve the other two pieces of the Spear and save the world.

This film started out pretty good, but went slowly downhill as it progressed.  The first act was cute, where he gets the job and sees the Library for the first time, but after that I had a lot of trouble suspending my disbelief.  Some of the plot was just silly, like the fact that the "most secure place in the entire world" is guarded by two rent-a-cops and a pull-the-book-to-reveal-a-hidden-door trick.  Other parts just didn't make sense, like the main action of the movie:  that Flynn is going after the other two section of the staff.  In Heaven's name why???  Just burn the book with the clues or keep it in a vault.  Then the bad guys can't complete the staff.  Whatever you do, don't send someone out to lead the bad guys to the other sections!  but that's what they do of course.
 
Another bothersome point is that we've all seen this before many times.  Borrowing from just about every action/adventure movie from the last few decades, this film could be used to make a fun game: see how many film 'borrowed' scenes you can find.  Here's a few to start you off:  There's the jumping-off-a-cliff-into-a-river-when-cornered scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the invisible bridge over certain death from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and of course the 'two people treking through the jungle who don't get along but are really attracted to each other' plot from Romancing the Stone.

The fight scenes are fairly pathetic too, with villains falling over Flynn when he ducks and the head bad guy using the wrong end of a spear while fighting.  (Yeah, that's brilliant!)  Luckily these are few and far between.

The acting is only so-so.  Kyle MacLachlan has a supporting role as the leader of the evil gang that stole the Spear, but he really just walks through this movie.  He seems board with the role, and isn't nearly as evil as he could be.  Noah Wyle overacts in a few places, but is generally decent, though he really doesn't have a knack for comedy.  (Though some of that could be due to the director.)  The one person who really shines is Bob Newhart.  His dry delivery and slightly bored attitude makes his character a lot of fun.

Overall this isn't a horrible movie, though I may have made it seem like that.  For the most part it is a fun romp, though you really have to turn your brain off.  There are a lot of plot holes and things that just don't make sense.  If you can look past that, it would make a fun family movie.

Audio:

This movie comes with a 5.1 English audio track that sounds good for a TV movie.  The rear channels aren't used as much as I was expecting, and some of the action scenes are not as enveloping as they could be.  The dialog is clear, and there are no audio defects worth noting.

Video:

The widescreen image looks about average.  There is good definition, fair colors and details, and no edge enhancement.  A solid looking transfer, even if it isn't anything great.

Extras:

When you read the back of the case is sounds like this is a loaded disc, but it really isn't.  Most of the extras only last a couple of minutes.  There  is a 3-minute introduction to the film by star Noah Wyle, a behind-the-scenes clip that only lasts two minutes (!), and a photo gallery.  The "Visual Effects Commentary" is a five-minute collection of shots from the film that the director talks over, and gives some sparse details.  I was actually expecting a lot more from this DVD and was pretty disappointed.

Final Thoughts:

I'll admit it, I get bugged by sloppy scripts.  This was a loose script, and the writer, David Titcher, also wrote the recent Around the World in 80 Days which had similar flaws.  If you don't mind throw away lines that make no sense, abundant plot holes and a lot of scenes that were "borrowed" from other movies, then you can have a great time with this film.  Even if you are like me and those things bother you, this isn't a horrid movie.  I never though "God, when will this be over!"  It was fun movie with some problems.  It's still worth a rental.