Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones is back in a new globe-trotting adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford as Indy, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull features an outstanding cast, including Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent and Shia LaBeouf. Frank Marshall is the film's producer. George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy are the executive producers. The screenplay is by David Koepp from a story by George Lucas and Jeffrey Nathanson.
Member Reviews
Lunch bag let down - Clarice_Starling
I loved the previous Indiana Jones movies so much that I bought them as they have a timeless quality I will love for years to come. Not so much with the final installment. I am surprised they even bothered making this movie. The plot is good but for some reason I just found it to be a very boring movie, I had to pause it 3 times while I had to get up to take a break - this is rare for me for any movie but for an Indiana Jones movie, very strange.
I suppose if you have watched the previous 3 you almost have to watch this one too, but keep your expectations low.Sub-Prime Money Grab - Stitch
I suspect this film will make a profit, what with a modest gate and a healthy DVD market. But I was left with a fair bit of disgust at the lack of effort taken to hold it to some reasonable facsimile of the original three. Either that or Spielburg and Lucas are suddenly as senile as the purported plot here, which I don’t believe. Another reviewer commented on their apparent disregard for holding to at least minimal cinematic standards, and I agree.
This series developed a cult following because at the time it was a new approach to fantasy adventure incorporating a more adult protagonist, pseudo-intellectual premises, humour, and some nice sexy touches to go along with the special effects. Now the best we can do is an androgynous villain and unconnected episodes with interminable and not particularly imaginative action sequences? Since this will not float, dump in Roswell, ET characters, and a familial twist so predictable it’s insulting.
So I sat through the whole thing feeling cheated, but not by the cast. Given the material, they did as well as they could be expected. Ford is far too long in the tooth to be convincing here and has never been noted for his range, but he’s probably the most convincing of the lot. But why did Blanchett initially agree to do this? Jim Broadbent? Ray Winstone? Because they trusted the producers? Granted Shia LaBeouf adds an off-beat characterization that is almost refreshing. Because nothing else is.
For you fans who gave this four stars, please understand I am only a few years older than Ford so was in my mid-forties when Raiders was released. I thoroughly enjoyed it for the adult touches of humour with sufficient plot to be able to suspend belief and cheer. Here there’s a mélange of gratuitous audience manipulators that add up to a lot of noise. But no cheers. Nor smiles. Nada. Sorry.Cracking Whips or Hips? - BlackSheep
The latest Indiana Jones installment opens with an impromptu drag race in the middle of the Nevada desert. (It actually opens with a silly, fake gopher making a face at the camera but that is far too bizarre for me to comment on.) A car full of teenagers, looking 50’s fresh, pass a number of army trucks full of troops. When they get to the front of the line, they encourage the army driver across from them to step on the gas and they’re off. In many ways, this opening sequence announces the tone for what’s to come in Steven Spielberg’s INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. The image is crisp; the camera movement is slick; and the thrills are swept up into momentary exhilaration. But then, as the cavalcade turns off the road and the teenagers continue on into the desert, it becomes clear that the entire sequence was speeding toward nothing at all.
There is no question that Indiana Jones is a cinematic icon, from his hat and whip to John Williams’s triumphant score. The danger with reviving the character after such a long period is that you run the risk of tarnishing one of Hollywood’s most celebrated action heroes. If you’re going to take that risk, there had better be a good reason. The premise and ultimate conclusion of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL leave you with some brilliant imagery, wavering levels of excitement and a nagging question as to whether this was the best they could come up with after twenty years. Indy does entertain with relatively little disappointment but while his latest adventure doesn’t kill the franchise, it does nothing for it either. Anyway, Spielberg best not wait another twenty years before the next installment. If he does, Indy will be a lot more likely to be cracking hips than whips.
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Lunch bag let down - Clarice_Starling
I loved the previous Indiana Jones movies so much that I bought them as they have a timeless quality I will love for years to come. Not so much with the final installment. I am surprised they even bothered making this movie. The plot is good but for some ...Sub-Prime Money Grab - Stitch
I suspect this film will make a profit, what with a modest gate and a healthy DVD market. But I was left with a fair bit of disgust at the lack of effort taken to hold it to some reasonable facsimile of the original three. Either that or Spielburg and Lucas ...Cracking Whips or Hips? - BlackSheep
The latest Indiana Jones installment opens with an impromptu drag race in the middle of the Nevada desert. (It actually opens with a silly, fake gopher making a face at the camera but that is far too bizarre for me to comment on.) A car full of teenagers, ...