Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull review

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Starring Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, and Shia LaBeouf
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Rated PG-13 for action violence and scary images
Score: ****1/2

This is the moment I have been waiting for my entire life. Raiders of the Lost Ark is my all-time favorite film. Ever since I was a child playing with a homemade whip and cheap plastic fedora, making up my own Indiana Jones adventures with friends, I have longed for a new film. Sadly, I almost feel that this film came 5 years too late. My childhood is gone, after all, but perhaps the cynic and critic in me can take a backseat and let the inner child shine through.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sees famed archaeologist (played by none other than Harrison Ford) being captured by the Russians in 1957. The Commies and their feisty Captain Spalko (Cate Blanchett) force him to help them track down an ancient crystal skull, which may contain an unforeseen amount of power. Along the way Indy meets up with Mutt (Shia LeBouf), who becomes Indy’s new partner in adventure.

The movie is beautiful, a fantastic display of Spielberg’s mastery of special effects. It is especially apparent in the major action piece of the film, where Indy and his posse fight the Commies in a car chase through the jungle. The scene is very reminiscent of both the car chase in Raiders of the Lost Ark and the tank fight in The Last Crusade. But it isn’t derivative. It has plenty of original material.

That leads me to the story. The screenplay had been re-written so many times, with writers from all over the place, including Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont, giving it a go at one point. The guy that finally got the job, David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Carlito’s Way, Stir of Echoes, Spider-Man) did a smash-up job with the material, making any Indy fan proud. I really wish I could give away some finer plot details, but I just can’t for sheer respect for all the Indiana Jones fans out there.

The cast works very well together. There is no doubt that these are good characters. The villains may be a little stereotypical, but since when have they NOT been in an Indiana Jones film? Cate Blanchett and Shia LeBouf are very welcome in this picture, and I’m shocked about the performance of the latter. LeBouf just isn’t my kind of actor. After his performances in Holes, I Robot, and Transformers, I wasn’t sold on his potential as an actual actor. But he did very well in this movie. He and Ford had great on-screen chemistry.

Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones. He is back with the same wit, the same, style, the same outfit, but in a different setting this time. He’s in his late 50s, and like he says in the opening lines of the film his line of work is “not as easy as it used to be.” The film makes a few lighthearted jabs at Indy’s age, but most of the time it just lets Indy do his thing. Believe it or not, Ford doesn’t look that old in the movie, at least not when he’s wearing his hat. It doesn’t detract from the movie at all.

What does, unfortunately, somewhat detract from the film, is the new setting. Most Indy fans are used to the 1930s or 1940s, with Nazis the focus. Obviously they couldn’t do that considering the age factor, but it’s somewhat unfamiliar territory. It isn’t pulled off bad, per se. In fact, Spielberg did a great job with the ‘50s theme. I’m just not used to it. It’s different. It kinda took me out of it a little bit.

As well as taking place in a new era, the film was made in a new eras- the era of $300 million CGI blockbusters. This film uses CGI to its fullest potential, and the outcome is mesmerizing. But once again, I’m used to practical effects and real location sets. This film almost loses that realism the first three films had. Maybe it’s just me being nostalgic again.

It’s no spoiler that Karen Allen is in this movie as Marion Ravenwood, the love interest from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I, for one, loved the character in that film, but here she just seems like fanservice. One could make an argument that the entire film is fanservice, but I just felt she needed to be more prominent at times.

I saw this at the midnight showing premier in my hometown. The place was literally packed with fans, many of them sporting fedoras and at least three wearing the full Indiana Jones wardrobe. And that is what makes Indiana Jones what it is- nostalgia. Fanboyism, if you will indulge me for a moment. The feeling I got when watching the movie with so many likeminded individuals who have been waiting for this movie for years- magical. You just can’t match it. To me, this isn’t just a big summer blockbuster. This is a life-fulfilling moment, and I’m not embellishing anything. Sure, it has a couple small flaws. But they are just that- small. This film was a joy to watch. Part of me has been fulfilled inside. I would say it’s better than Temple of Doom, and very, very close to being as good as The Last Crusade, but it doesn’t reach the stature of Raiders