|
Indiana Jones and The
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford
Genre:
Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Run Time: 124 min.
Release Date:
May 2008
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Although able to spark a
significant INDIANA JONES sense of nostalgia, and add a possible
newcomer to the ranks of what might be future Indiana Jones
films, there’s not much else to Spielberg’s latest adventure film
...except an ending that harkens back to the not-so-good ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE film.
Understandably Spielberg was waiting for the perfect script, but
Harrison Ford wasn’t getting any younger, so it is my assumption that
Spielberg took the leap and decided to direct a so-so film rather than
let Ford’s character forever fall into obscurity. The film itself isn’t
necessarily so-so, but the concept and ending are not, shall we say, in
keeping with the Indiana Jones film mentality.
Although I’m no Harrison Ford fan, I did enjoy his early work on such
films as STAR WARS, BLADE RUNNER and AMERICAN GRAFFITI.
His later work became mundane and unexceptional, myself only being able
to see Harrison Ford playing Harrison Ford and not the character(s) I
was supposed to see. But the Indian Jones series was an entirely
different ball-game. Funny. Action-packed. Historically ...strange. And
just fun to watch. These are the things that make for entertaining
cinema. And although this fourth installment in the Indiana Jones
films carries many of those items, it does not carry it all the way to
its newfound ending.
And speaking of newfound, Shia LaBeouf (A
GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS) as Mutt Williams,
Indiana’s spawn and possible successor, was a very good idea. He’s
cocky, strangely funny, and enough not like Indy to make the character
believable. The sword fights on top of careening cars as they travel
through the jungle and disrupt his testicular fortitude were just the
right amount of zany action and ridiculous comedy that needed infusing
into the story.
Nostalgic-wise, the incorporation of Indiana and his love for his hat
are immediately taken to heart as we witness him being ripped from the
trunk of a car by communists, the main one being Irina Spalko (Cate
Blanchett,
THE LORD OF THE RINGS), a sword-carrying and tough spy in the
likes of actor Paul Freeman who played Rene Belloq in THE RAIDERS OF THE
LOST ARC. Most Indy fans will also be very happy to see Karen Allen
reprise her role as Marion, Indiana Jones’ love interest from the first
film. Although the years show heavily on Mrs. Allen, she’s still spunky
enough to give a fine performance.
Lovers of the original soundtrack will also be happy how it was folded
into this latest release, portions of the music being liberally
sprinkled throughout the story. The filming used for Indiana Jones 4 did
not use digital cameras, so the original style can also be seen and felt
by the viewing audience.
Where the story begins to crumble, however, is in the storyline that
reuses old themes from the Raiders film (anyone who looks at or knows
what they shouldn’t is wiped off the planet), and adds Spielberg’s
heavy-handed sense of science fiction that helped destroy the end of the
aforementioned Artificial Intelligence movie (“It’s a portal to another
realm!”) The crystal skull(s) also just seemed like a key to a puzzle
that easily could’ve been solved by anyone, not just the supposedly
adept Jones (and his new prodigy). Which makes the “alien” ending seem
all the more ludicrous.
My assumption is that Hollywood and Spielberg himself think that
audiences need something bigger, better, and more spectacular than the
last. That’s not necessarily true, especially when dealing with
nostalgic cinema the likes of Indiana Jones. Audiences will come because
they want that old timey feel, not something bigger, better, and more
“alien” than before.
Regardless of this film’s failings, it is entertaining. The action is
practically nonstop throughout its 124 minute length, making it seem
shorter than it actually was. That’s something, I guess.
(back to top) |
Image from Indiana Jones
and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
DVD cost: $29.79
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
To be consistent with the
previous films, Steven Spielberg shot the film using traditional stunts
and kept the use of computer-generated imagery to an absolute minimum,
although during filming he estimated about 30% of VFX would have to be
CGI.
Movie Quote: "Damn.
I thought that was closer."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
   |
