Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

View our special Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull feature!

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" reviews

Movie

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-08-03 21:28:16

Rating

3.5/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

Nineteen years is a long time to keep a jones on for an Indy sequel, but Steven Spielberg's long-awaited fourth film in the series doesn't disappoint. It's a rousing, exciting, even nostalgic adventure that makes for a great time at the movies.

Story

When we last saw Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in 1989's The Last Crusade he was battling Nazis in 1938 and riding off into the sunset with Dad (Sean Connery) in tow. Now just like the movie, the story has advanced 19 years to the height of the Cold War in 1957--and a world living under the threat of nuclear annihilation. In a restricted desert area Indy barely survives a run-in with Soviet agents, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett)--a cold-hearted, whip-cracking woman who will stop at nothing to get what she needs. Because of government suspicions that he is colluding with the KGB (rather than spying on them), he returns home to Marshall College to find himself out of a job. As his train is about to depart, he is confronted by Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), a leather-jacketed biker who has a personal motive in presenting Indy with a map that could lead to one of the most amazing archaeological discoveries ever, The Crystal Skull of Akator. Off they go together on their mission to Peru's remotest jungles where they must escape more run-ins with Spalko and her agents as well as have an unexpected reunion with Mutt's mother, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy's old love interest. Does he eventually save the day? Have you EVER seen one of these films before?

Acting

There is no question that Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones were made for each other and even after nearly two decades apart, the marriage between actor and his most iconic role is still a perfect fit. Smartly, Ford lets Indy age, so even though he's probably Hollywood's only gray-haired action hero this summer--and there are more lines in his face--he's still got it. You believe he can still pull off all this derring-do which is pretty remarkable for an actor now eligible for Social Security checks. Best of all is the deadpan delivery of the arsenal of Indy quips screenwriter David Koepp has provided the actor. Just like River Phoenix in the last Indy film, Shia LaBeouf's Mutt may have been created to bring in a younger audience, but LaBeouf and Ford have genuine chemistry. They play off each other in style, especially when Indy discovers Mutt is his son. A "tip of the hat" between the pair at the end will spark speculation about just where this series could go next. The cast is rounded out by solid British actors, including: Ray Winstone, as a friend who may be double-dipping; Jim Broadbent as the president of the University; and John Hurt as Professor Oxley, a man holding a big secret. Blanchett seems to be channeling Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle, deliciously playing the thick-accented Soviet agent thing to the hilt. Karen Allen, back as Ravenswood, is an inspired idea and starts sparring with Indy without missing a beat. If this does turn out to be the last film in the series, they have found the perfect way to end it.

Direction

Let's face it, Steven Spielberg could probably direct this film in his sleep, but the lighter tone and the feeling makes this collaboration between Spielberg and his old friend, exec producer George Lucas, go down easy. Right from the opening set piece in which Indy is confronted by the Soviets, to a wild motorcycle chase ending in the college library, you know you are in the hands of a master of action. Fortunately, the best is saved for the second half with a stunningly filmed pursuit through Peru's coastal jungles that includes a great bit with flying monkeys, and another trip off some daunting water falls for Ford (Didn't he get enough of that in The Fugitive?) The big finale is full of the trademarked CGI effects work we've come to expect from exec producer Lucas' ILM and it's state-of-the-art technologies. Clearly for fans, this long gestating sequel is well worth the wait--an old fashioned movie experience that sparkles like "crystal."

Bottom Line

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Movie

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2008-05-23 16:40:35

Provider

Review

It may have taken him 19 years but Indiana Jones finally makes it onto the big screen once again. So has it been worth the wait?

Well, it certainly starts off in encouraging fashion. Indy has been taken hostage by evil Russians (who have now replaced the evil Germans from the first and third movies, and the evil Indians in the second one) led by Cate Blanchett's hammy soviet villain. They take our wisecracking hero to a warehouse that will be immediately recognisable for hardcore Indy fans. What happens next is pure Indiana Jones.

The dialogue may be worringly stilted but it appears to be a cracking thrill ride as Indy makes his escape in a near perfect opening credit sequence that makes us remember why we love the enduring character. It's perfect, it's exciting and it's wonderfully executed. But, wait a minute, the scene isn't quite over... For some unknown reason, Spielberg and Lucas (anyone who has seen the Star Wars prequels will probably be giving the producer the fair chunk of blame) conspire to add a little throwaway moment that probably cost millions of dollars to make and is just unbelievably over the top. We're not going to ruin it for you but all we're going to say is - nuclear bomb and fridge.

It's a horribly and laughably bad sequence that is as badly misjudged as the John McClane surfing on a Harrier jet moment in last year's Die Hard 4.0. Less is sometimes more, people.

Unfortunately, it's not the only misstep of the film as the action sequences rattle up with each subsequent one lacking more suspense than the last. By the time we get to Shia LaBeouf (who plays Ford's sidekick Mutt) doing a horrible Tarzan homage with bad CGI monkeys some will want to make an escape via the nearest cinema exit. But I'm afraid there is still about another half an hour of this to get through.

Tellingly the best scenes are relatively quiet ones - and both involve Karen Allen as Indy's returning love interest Marion Ravenwood and mother of Mutt. One scene has them trapped in quicksand where they spend more time arguing about why it never worked out between them rather than trying to escape. It may be goofy and old fashioned but it is precisely what made previous Indiana Jones films work. It's just fun - with Ford dusting out the roguish charm audiences haven't seen in years. Just a shame then that the rest of the film has Ford drowning in a film that is full of bad CGI, terrible exposition and lazy storytelling.

Stick to the original film instead.