These days, made-for-TV movies really don’t get a lot of love, even if they do have the same appeal as Indiana Jones. Most of the time, the efforts have a much lower budget, have a lot less star power, and typically are made-for-TV because they don’t have enough mass appeal to be a full-fledged theatrical release. Despite that, there are a few gems and The Librarian series could be seen as just that.
Featuring the same kind of adventure with hints of supernatural whimsy as the Indiana Jones franchise, The Librarian series managed to capture the same heart of the original Indie films back in 2004. It’s that very thing that has led some to call The Librarian, and in particular the first outing, The Librarian: Quest For The Spear the modern Indiana Jones film the world deserved. Some even prefer the trilogy from 2004 to 2008 more than Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
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What Is The Librarian: Quest For The Spear About?
Perpetual student Flynn Carsen is kicked out of college in his thirties after the completion of a model of a great pyramid. The man has been in the field of learning for so long that he has more than twenty degrees to his name, making him brilliant, but unfortunately, Flynn is horribly socially inept. His professor has no issue letting him know that Flynn needs to get out and experience real life, and his own mother seems to share that same sentiment. Luckily, Flynn happens to receive an invitation to interview for a role perfectly suited to his skillset, a job as a librarian.
As it turns out, the job Flynn is offered is anything but average. Instead of a mild-mannered librarian, Flynn is set to take on a highly respected and historic role reserved for heroes. Being a Librarian sees an individual setting out to protect sacred relics and pieces of history from those who would use them for evil, and the job has existed for more than a thousand years – now, it’s Flynn’s turn. Unfortunately for the new Librarian, his life gets complicated in a hurry as those seeking powerful artifacts are always working in the background. A group known as the Serpent Brotherhood breaks into the restricted section of the library and manages to steal a part of the Spear of Destiny, a tool that allows the wielder to control the world as a whole. The problem is that the man responsible for the theft is actually the previous Librarian, Wilde.
Thanks to Flynn’s immense intellect, he’s capable of tracking down the other parts of the spear, though the massive nerd finds himself needing help from a strong ally in another library worker, Nicole. She quickly demonstrates her use by protecting Flynn in a battle against thugs from the Serpent Brotherhood, but she makes it clear that she’s going to keep her distance from Flynn due to her previous entanglement with the last Librarian. Despite the previous Librarian being behind the evil plot, Nicole believes he was killed, and that she is at fault for the entire situation.
Traveling through the Amazon, Flynn and Nicole manage to navigate an ancient and booby-trapped temple to find another piece of the spear before the Serpent Brotherhood. Unfortunately, Wilde and his thugs are waiting to capture the Librarian, and Flynn is forced to make a deal to get the final piece of the spear in return for Nicole’s life. Heading to Shangri-La, Flynn and Nicole manage to get the final piece of the spear while also escaping from the Serpent Brotherhood with some help from the monks at the temple they visited.
Retiring to a hotel, the pair decide that a celebration is in order, but things quickly take a turn for the worse. When Flynn wakes up, Nicole and the portions of the spear have vanished, though a call from the owner of the library helps Flynn figure out what might have happened. The model pyramid from the beginning of the film was a part of the puzzle to restoring the spear, meaning that Flynn has to head back to where his adventure began in order to save the world.
How Is The Librarian Series Rated On Rotten Tomatoes?
The Librarian series as a whole has been received a bit roughly by audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The Librarian: The Quest For The Spear is sitting at 60% from critics and 57% from audiences, with the next two films in the series not having official critics ratings and audience scores of 56% and 49%. The reviews tend to come down to either those feeling like the movies are just Indiana Jones wannabes and others feeling they are worthy spiritual successors. It is worth noting that the franchise wound up getting a fairly successful television series that is even more beloved than any of the TV films, with a further spin-off supposedly on the way soon.
How Does The Librarian: Quest For The Spear End?
Flynn heads back to the place the story kicked off in the first place, his old university. Instead of having to go in alone, the owner of the library, Judson arrives to help Flynn take on the previous Librarian and the Serpent Brotherhood. They find the villains preparing to restore the full spear, though Flynn and Judson jump into action to save Nicole and stop Wilde. Judson handles the various henchmen, Nicole handles Wilde’s right-hand woman in a fun fight scene, and Flynn takes on the previous Librarian and his life-stealing spear in a battle of strength, bravery, and wit. Of course, the heroes manage to defeat the bad guys thanks to Flynn’s knowledge of the pyramid model, reclaiming the spear before it could do any serious harm.
Placing the spear back in the library, Flynn is officially recognized as a part of the order of Librarians, and the latest to officially hold the respected mantle thanks to a new portrait of him with his prize. Some time passes and Flynn shows his mother that his life has changed forever as Nicole rides into where the two are sharing a meal in dramatic fashion. After a brief meeting and the disbelief of his mother, Flynn rides off with Nicole in order to battle with more forces with nefarious purposes. The two ride off prepared for what adventures await them in the near future.