submitted: May 30th 2008 |
by: Ace |
Total views: 57 |
Word Count: 685 |
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From the moment I heard that production was a go for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I eagerly anticipated its release and looked forward to catching up with a favourite franchise. It is a cherished film series for so many people and the minute you hear the opening music theme you can’t help but have a smile on your face. This film has its moments but there is also a fair share of negatives, making what could have been a blockbuster, simply another summer movie.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by George Lucas, you wonder what could possibly go wrong but in my own opinion it has nothing to do with Harrison Ford’s age or the amount of time that has passed since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but more with a lack of a challenging story line. The film keeps your attention, has some exciting chases, crashes, sight gags, and follow-ups from past Indiana adventures, but I found myself getting lost in the storyline. There were times when I honestly didn’t know or care what was going on. There were side characters abound including John Hurt as a crazy professor and Ray Winstone as Indy’s friend and associate Mac McHale. They neither added nor detracted from the story, they were just there. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pleasure to watch Indiana don the whip and signature hat but there just didn’t seem to be anything new or drastically different than other action films over the past few years. Needless to say, the film stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist/college professor Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr., tenured at Marshall College, teaching part time, digging the remainder and living during the communist scares of 1957. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull also stars Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams, a "rebel without a cause" type who approaches Indy about saving his mother from the grip of kidnappers, having received direction to do so directly from her. Karen Allen, the coolest girlfriend that Indiana every had (Raiders of the Lost Ark), returns as Marion Ravenwood, the hard drinking, adventurous bar keep daughter of Indy’s mentor Abner Ravenwood. When you see Marion for the first time it’s like she never left the character, just an incredibly entertaining moment seeing the two of them together again and Karen Allen hasn’t changed a bit! The scenes between Indiana, Mutt and Marion make this movie worth every penny if you are a fan of the series, though I must admit that Karen Allen is highly under used in this sequel.The bad guys this time are Russians, and in particular an evil female agent named Irina Spalko, played over the top by Cate Blanchett wearing a short bob black hairstyle and a ramrod straight posture. The Russians are searching desperately for a crystal skull with an overwhelming amount of secret powers and a connection to an event connected to Indiana and the US government ten years previous. Indiana goes toe-to-toe with the Russian agent and Harrison Ford appears to have done a good number of his own stunts.Although the storyline is lackluster, I found it worth the price of admission to revisit the character that has become a piece of movie history. It’s not up to the standards set by Raiders of the Lost Ark or the Last Crusade, which co-starred Sean Connery, but it’s better than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. We learn a little bit about what happened in the 20 years in between, including Indy’s war service, the relationship with his father and the location of the Ark of the Covenant. Shia LaBeouf and Harrison Ford share good screen chemistry and I wouldn’t be surprised if this carries over to future sequels starring the two of them.Despite its faults, as a fan of the previous three films, I was still entertained and left wanting more. If you are familiar with the series, it’s a must see but if you aren’t this could be considered a rental in a few months to come.
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