Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
What’s the deal with all these old action heroes these days? Does it mean that our current heroes suck? Or is it just a cash grab capitalizing us 30-something's heroes of the past? Maybe it’s a bit of both…Rocky, Rambo, and John Maclean have all recently shown their geriatric faces with relative success, but none could compare to the anticipation of the return of Indiana Jones, the most charismatic figure in popular movie culture, who sits in a very special place in many peoples hearts as the ultimate action hero. I guess that’s why I was most sceptical about this one. If Rocky or Rambo bombs, big deal…but Indy just couldn’t. This movie could kill a beloved icon. Plus, was Harrison Ford really capable of playing this character again? I was frightened, so I never let myself get overly excited (at least I pretended not to be). First of all, I need to qualify that I love ALL of the Indiana Jones movies. Raiders is obviously takes the crown as the best, but it really doesn’t matter. Will/can Crystal Skull really live up to Raiders? No, Raiders was in a league of its own. But luckily, the latest Indy adventure is completely on par with the sequels and I would rank it in-between The Last Crusade and Temple of Doom.
I love the fact that this movie doesn’t focus on the aged hero as much as the other resurrected film franchises have. Time has passed, America has changed, and Indy has evolved accordingly. There are some quick comments regarding his age, but its not focussed on, and cliché’d to death. This is still truly Indiana Jones.
One of the more interesting aspects of this movie is how it addresses the interests of the times: Communism, Atom Bombs, and Aliens. All of these elements combine to make a great adventure set in 1957. An adventure that numerous high points and only a few low-points.
On to the high points. First and foremost Harrison Ford has come back from the land of the dead! Of any of my worries, he was my biggest. I wasn’t convinced he could capture the charisma of Indiana Jones…but he did, and it seemed effortless. I guess he was born to be this character. From the wise-cracking to the whip-cracking Indy was back! The supporting cast was also very strong and the return of Marion Ravenwood was a welcome one.
The other major high point was the story. I loved this story. All of the Indiana Jones movies have a theme that the story is built around. Raiders was about faith/believing, Temple of Doom was about retribution, and The Last Crusade was about pursuit of dreams and the ability to eventually let them go. Crystal skull is about the give/take that is experienced as time goes on. Indy is left alone, his father has died, his best friend has died, and the government is beginning to turn on their former war-hero. But amidst all of the crazy action of this story, Indy learns that even though many things have been taken away from him over the years, he is still being given quite a lot.
There weren't many low points to this movie, and my complaints are relatively miniscule. One was the music. I loved the individuality that the Indiana Jones scores had from one another. They were all very recognizable and memorable. Crystal Skull seemed to reuse some themes from the previous movies, and didn’t appear to have a unique score of its own. Maybe upon a second viewing, this will be different. My other complaint is that Cate Blanchet’s character just didn’t have the presence that the villains normally have in these films. The villain is hugely important in a film like this, and she just didn’t come through. Her acting was top notch, but she seemed more silly (Indy even thought of her so) than menacing.
Overall, Indiana Jones is back and I couldn’t be happier to see him again.
8.5 out of 10
Why not 9? Mutt’s Tarzan scene in the jungle………what the hell?
Why not 10? If I gave it a 10 it would be Raiders of the Lost Ark!
What’s the deal with all these old action heroes these days? Does it mean that our current heroes suck? Or is it just a cash grab capitalizing us 30-something's heroes of the past? Maybe it’s a bit of both…Rocky, Rambo, and John Maclean have all recently shown their geriatric faces with relative success, but none could compare to the anticipation of the return of Indiana Jones, the most charismatic figure in popular movie culture, who sits in a very special place in many peoples hearts as the ultimate action hero. I guess that’s why I was most sceptical about this one. If Rocky or Rambo bombs, big deal…but Indy just couldn’t. This movie could kill a beloved icon. Plus, was Harrison Ford really capable of playing this character again? I was frightened, so I never let myself get overly excited (at least I pretended not to be). First of all, I need to qualify that I love ALL of the Indiana Jones movies. Raiders is obviously takes the crown as the best, but it really doesn’t matter. Will/can Crystal Skull really live up to Raiders? No, Raiders was in a league of its own. But luckily, the latest Indy adventure is completely on par with the sequels and I would rank it in-between The Last Crusade and Temple of Doom.
I love the fact that this movie doesn’t focus on the aged hero as much as the other resurrected film franchises have. Time has passed, America has changed, and Indy has evolved accordingly. There are some quick comments regarding his age, but its not focussed on, and cliché’d to death. This is still truly Indiana Jones.
One of the more interesting aspects of this movie is how it addresses the interests of the times: Communism, Atom Bombs, and Aliens. All of these elements combine to make a great adventure set in 1957. An adventure that numerous high points and only a few low-points.
On to the high points. First and foremost Harrison Ford has come back from the land of the dead! Of any of my worries, he was my biggest. I wasn’t convinced he could capture the charisma of Indiana Jones…but he did, and it seemed effortless. I guess he was born to be this character. From the wise-cracking to the whip-cracking Indy was back! The supporting cast was also very strong and the return of Marion Ravenwood was a welcome one.
The other major high point was the story. I loved this story. All of the Indiana Jones movies have a theme that the story is built around. Raiders was about faith/believing, Temple of Doom was about retribution, and The Last Crusade was about pursuit of dreams and the ability to eventually let them go. Crystal skull is about the give/take that is experienced as time goes on. Indy is left alone, his father has died, his best friend has died, and the government is beginning to turn on their former war-hero. But amidst all of the crazy action of this story, Indy learns that even though many things have been taken away from him over the years, he is still being given quite a lot.
There weren't many low points to this movie, and my complaints are relatively miniscule. One was the music. I loved the individuality that the Indiana Jones scores had from one another. They were all very recognizable and memorable. Crystal Skull seemed to reuse some themes from the previous movies, and didn’t appear to have a unique score of its own. Maybe upon a second viewing, this will be different. My other complaint is that Cate Blanchet’s character just didn’t have the presence that the villains normally have in these films. The villain is hugely important in a film like this, and she just didn’t come through. Her acting was top notch, but she seemed more silly (Indy even thought of her so) than menacing.
Overall, Indiana Jones is back and I couldn’t be happier to see him again.
8.5 out of 10
Why not 9? Mutt’s Tarzan scene in the jungle………what the hell?
Why not 10? If I gave it a 10 it would be Raiders of the Lost Ark!
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