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Movie Notes: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

May 30th, 2008

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

starstarstar = 3 stars

Starring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett
Directed by Steven Spielberg

Synopsis

A much older Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) becomes entwined in a Russian search for mysterious crystal skulls, which take him to South America with his son “Mutt” (Shia LaBeouf), and old flame Marion (Karen Allen).

The Good

  • The Russians prove a decent substitute for the Nazis, and Cate Blanchett is completely immersed in her role as Irina Spalko to where I almost swallowed all the hokey ESP stuff her character spouts.
  • Harrison Ford is also solidly believable, as a much older and weary Indy.
  • Some decent action sequences, namely the Area 51 adventure and the hungry ants. I also really liked Indy parting cobwebs in jungle tombs, recalling Raiders and Temple of Doom.
  • Karen Allen fares as well as could be expected, tying up a loose end from Raiders, and Shia LaBeouf was tolerable.
  • The plot more or less fits in with the Indy theme of humans struggling to comprehend the unknowable.

The Bad

  • Several head slappingly ridiculous moments took me out of the film completely – a flying kitchen appliance, eye contact with a crystal skull, vine-swinging with monkeys, and the totally nutball ending borrowed from the X-Files. Somehow, I think Lucas was involved in of all four, and as a result I never felt completely caught up in the adventure.
  • The “object” Indy quests after isn’t as satisfying as the Ark or the Holy Grail, although it’s better than the Sankara Stones from Temple Of Doom.
  • I grow weary of excessive CGI for action sequences. Watching the other three Indy flicks beforehand made me more appreciative of the originals – a stunt man working his way beneath a speeding car was infinitely more satisfying than Shia LaBeouf hit in the crotch by virtual jungle plants.

Conclusion

Despite its moments, Crystal Skull is easily the worst of the Indy films: I would have been fine renting it several months from now. It’s even more embarassing when one considers how long this flick was supposedly in development – over twenty years of labor, for this?

It seems Spielberg and Lucas are plumb out of ideas. I pray there are no more installments – I fear Indy handing the bullwhip to “Mutt”, he of the plant-whacked nether-regions. Unfortunately, based on the ridiculously undeserved box office cash pouring in, we may yet see Indiana Jones V: Mutt vs. The Zombie Dolls From Outer Space.

Still, Harrison Ford (and Cate Blanchett) are real troopers and are largely up to the task of fielding all the retarded curve balls tossed their way. Ultimately, I still found Crystal Skull fairly entertaining as a brain-dead, summer action flick, and preferable to the Michael Bay nonsense that was Transformers.

IMDB: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Wikipedia: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Rotten Tomatoes: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull 78%

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  • AdrianHerritt
    I totally agree. It just didn't feel like Indiana Jones for me.
  • I really disliked this film. Out of 5 stars I might give it 1.5 or 2 stars max. I definitely felt the Lucas "excesses" in play here. The guy just can't seem to control himself (fridge escape? donkey kong jr. vine swinging?).

    Even the ant sequence near the end -- while cool -- felt a bit stale (reminded me of a similar scene from the, dare I say it, *superior* film from 1999 'The Mummy').

    Now I love the first three Jones films. I even like Doom a lot. I honestly felt a greater let down with Crystal Skull than I felt with Phantom Menace. At least Phantom Menace despite its many flaws was something I'd still want to watch again (albeit while cringing frequently). I have zero desire to ever watch Crystal Skull again. Really.

    And re: Transformers. It was pap. But at least it had Megan Fox!!! :-)
  • I felt while reviewing this flick I was a bit hemmed in by my rating system. I liked Crystal Skull better than transformers which I gave 2 stars and it was definitely better than the crap that was Heartbreak Kid. 3 star tends to be films I think are fine as a rental but not worth paying the 10 bucks to see in the theater. That's how I see this Indy installment. I wish I had waited to rent it, but I still enjoyed it and thought seeing it was worthwhile.

    So in my mind I have put Raiders and Crusade as the best at 5 stars, Doom with 4, and this Skull flick as 3 which is pretty average.

    It does kind of raise an interesting issue - we might place more importance on these films we enjoyed as kids since we were kids when we saw them - certainly far easier to impress a kid. So I wonder if this film seemed crappier because we have totally built up our image of Indy and imagined this installment already in our minds.

    Like - I can't be objective about the original Star Wars - I would give that 5 stars even though it has problems, and the prequels were just so disappointing. I might have to force myself to revisit those for this blog...
  • You raise a good point. Pam was wondering the same thing -- if the kid factor was elevating the earlier films for us and that as adults we are seeing through the schlock which is the same as it ever was.

    But she did have another good point which was that we've seen the stone gears and doors and antechambers and cobwebs before. So there's also the sense that we've been there, done that and that it's all become just a bit too repetitive by the 4th installment.

    I guess this is why superhero movies, of late, have latched onto the concept of a "reboot" wherein a series is reinvented/reinvigorated by new blood and a new cast.

    Actually, the 007 movie Casino Royale is a great example of this.

    Makes you wonder how interesting an Indiana Jones movie in the hands of a solid director and good cast (unlike others I'd be ok with someone else giving the role a shot) could be.
  • It's rather silly that hollywood is so into "sequel-itis" where every
    ancient series is fair game for just one more installment. I hear yet
    another Rambo movie is coming, three more terminator movies, more
    transformers, etc. There's even another Meet the Parents movie called
    "Little Fockers" in the works which will make that series a trilogy.

    Yes, as you mention, it's totally possible to "reboot" some series - Casino
    Royale I loved, the new Batman looks excellent, and I think The Hobbit has a
    lot of promise. Then there's a rare situation where a movie with a lot of
    old, recycled ideas can somehow come off fresh and exciting with the right
    cast and director (Iron Man). Now that's one flick where I was ready for the
    sequel right after it was over.

    So I had some hope for this Crystal Skull since the early info was
    promising, especially with Cate Blanchette and Spielberg directing. But
    based on the results, Lucas has failed hard.
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