Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Wilsford's Review

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Notable Characters:
Harrison Ford – Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett – Irina Spalko
Karen Allen – Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf – Mutt Williams

Plot (contains spoilers): In the 1950’s/60’s, somehow Indy has been captured by Russians and taken to a military installment. The head Russian, Irina Spalko, forces Indy to find a peculiar artifact. Once found, Indy manages to escape Russian gun fire and live through an atomic blast via refrigerator. However as a result of being tangled with the Russians, he is believed to be a communist and is fired from the university. On his way to a new life, he is found by Mutt Williams who needs his help in finding a lost colleague who was searching for the crystal skull. Intrigued by this adventure, the two set off in search of the professor and unbeknownst to them are being followed by commies. The two get captured and we discover that the professor, who has gone crazy due to the crystal skull, has also been captured and so has Mutt’s mom, Marion Ravenwood. Indy is forced to read the mind of the mad professor, with the aid of the skull, and learns of the location of the temple that the skull needs to be returned to. On the way fill in some action sequences (gun fire, punching, cars falling off cliff, swinging through jungle, etc.). Once at the temple we learn the true secret behind this hidden civilization: aliens. They came down, blessed the people with technology, covered the city in gold, and gave them some artifacts from around the world. Everyone makes it home safely and Indiana and Marion are finally married.

Reasons why I liked it:
· Harrison was a big question mark for me. However, despite what you may have read, he still has it. He kept up with all the action sequences and stepped into the shoes of our beloved archeologist perfectly.
· Sound effects. Maybe I’m just a geek, but when the punches were being landed, the iconical “smack” brought back some fond memories.
· In similar fashion to the old Jones movies, the makers found cool, unique ways to make the villains die. Face melting (Lost Ark), ripped by crocs (Doom), and rapid aging (Crusade) are all great but this one had one that was pretty sweet.

Reasons why I didn’t like it:
· George Lucas should stop writing movies. I was scrolling through his resume and was looking at what his good writing has brought: Herbie, American Graffiti, obviously Star Wars (4, 5, and 6), Lost Ark, Willow. These, with some debate, are probably considered his best work. Willow was made in 1988. Since then it has just been Star Wars 1, 2, and 3 and I think we know how those turned out. This one fared no differently.
· Most of action sequences are dumb. I know that Indiana Jones movies are built around extravagant action scenes but there is always some degree where it could happen. Surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge? Swinging through the jungle on vines? The scenes were cheesy, silly, and only done to show off average special effects.
· Aliens, how original. Again, Indiana Jones movies have always had some supernatural aspect but they have been original. Alien involvement is not original, it is silly.

Final Notes: I feel that I need to say this up front: I can’t judge this movie on its own. Which brings up the question: should this be judged on its own or should it be judged in light of its predecessors? I find myself in the latter group. I grew up with the originals and it was primarily because of those, that I wanted to see this one. It was entertaining but a very poor capstone to an amazing trilogy.

Young's Review

To say there was a lot of hype heading into 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' would be to revel in understatement. Fans of the original trilogy were worried about the movie living up to the glory of its predecessors and wondering if Harrison Ford still had what it took to carry the franchise.

While there are enough holes to fall short of the original three films, Ford's performance still makes Indiana Jones 4 entertaining enough. That is why I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.

The movie opens in 1957 in the remote Nevada desert. Rogue Russian military officers have captured Mr. Jones and his friend Mac (Ray Winstone) in hopes that Indy can lead them to an ancient artifact that guards a massive treasure. The commies, led by the cold and calculating Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), don't quite realize who they are dealing with. Mac reveals himself to be a traitor, seemingly leaving Indy in a no-win situation. The audience knows better, however, and an action packed chase scene ensues.

Not long after his escape, Indy meets a brash young man in need of his assistance named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf). Mutt explains that his mother, along with Indy's mentor Professor Oxley (John Hurt), has been kidnapped by the Russians. Furthermore, he explains that his mother instructed him to find Indy to help out. Reluctantly, Indy finally agrees, and the adventure is on.

What follows is the typical Indiana Jones experience on steroids. The car chases are a little wilder, the fight scenes a bit more hectic and the believability factor stretched even further. All the hijinks are fun, but be warned: this movie is not for someone who needs their action to be realistic. The sequence in the jungle is so off the wall it makes a James Bond movie look like a documentary by comparison. The crowning moment is the ridiculous sight of Mutt doing his best Tarzan impression by swinging from vine to vine to catch up to the enemy.

Legendary director Steven Spielberg maintains a breakneck pace from the start. He also pulls out a fourth consecutive good performance out of Ford. Much was made about Ford's age prior to the movie's release, but Mr. Han Solo is up to the task. He still exudes the perfect blend of charm and cockiness, while always maintaining his Average Joe persona (yes, he still hates snakes).

LaBoeuf is a pleasant surprise as Mutt. His greaser look is a tool for laughs throughout and he holds his own in the presence of Ford. Blanchett is the perfect choice for the villain, and Karen Allen looks almost the same as she did nearly 30 years ago as Indy's old flame Marion Ravenwood, who as it turns out is Mutt's mother.

The ending is a bit much to take as things turn a bit weird. If you can get past the unblievable nature of the action scenes, though, this is an entertaining way to spend two hours. Number four is not as good as the first three, but taken on its own is a fun time.