Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
During the Cold War, Soviet agents watch Professor Henry Jones when a young man brings him a coded message from an aged, demented colleague, Henry Oxley. Led by the brilliant Irina Spalko, the Soviets tail Jones and the young man, Mutt, to Peru. With Oxley's code, they find a legendary skull made of a single piece of quartz. If Jones can deliver the skull to its rightful place, all may be well; but if Irina takes it to its origin, she'll gain powers that could endanger the West. Aging professor and young buck join forces with a woman from Jones's past to face the dangers of the jungle, Russia, and the supernatural.
Okay, the new Indiana Jones movie is a pretty good movie, but it's still not the best in the series. Harrison Ford may be old, but he can still get around on screen. There are some weird parts in the movie, but that's just a trademark of the Indy series. However, there are some unbelievable parts, like when Indy survives a nuclear blast just by hiding out in a refrigerator. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull isn't as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it's up to you to decide if it's worth seeing in theaters or just waiting until it comes out on DVD.
I won't take up too much of your time so I'll keep this short and to the point. GREAT MOVIE! I went into the movie after reading some other reviews which said that the new Indiana Jones movie was either bad or not very good at all. I am telling you know: Do Not Listen to these idiots! In my opinion, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was just as good as the original 3 movies. It is spectacular! You MUST go see this movie if you haven't already!
19 years. It had been 19 years since Harrison Ford starred as the iconic Indiana Jones. The last time he was on screen we saw him riding off into the sunset with his father, Henry Jones Sr., and his friends Sallah and Marcus Brody after fighting Nazis and finding the Holy Grail. But how do you try and follow up riding off into the sunset? And 19 years after too? Well, you make it crazy, you make it fun, you make it Indy! And after 19 years, it better have been worth the wait. Can Speilberg, Lucas, Ford, and Williams bring Indy back this long after? Can we still watch Ford running around and getting beaten up without thinking he's getting to old for this? Will Shia be the Jar Jar Binks of the Indiana Jones series? And will Lucas tarnish this movie like he did to the Star Wars series with the prequels? These are the questions everyone is asking themselves, and let me just say: It's awesome! Indy is back!
It was weird watching a new Indiana Jones film after seeing the first three so many times over the past 18 years. But it works. Picking up 19 years after The Last Crusade, the movie starts in Nevada, 1957. Indy and his friend and partner Mac have been captured by a group of Russian soldiers, led by the creepy as Spalko, and taken to a military warehouse where Indy must help them find a certain crate. Indy doesn't know what's inside it, but he goes along with it, and then the fun begins! In very Indy fasion, Indy escapes the Russians and goes back to Marshall College. He gets fired because the government thinks hes a Communist spy, ends up getting on a train to leave, meet's a kid named Mutt Williams who asks him for help to save his mom and Indy's old friend Oxley. This is where the adventure starts to find the Crystal Skulls. Oxley and Mutt's mother Mary got captured by the Russians while trying to find the crystal skulls, which is what the Russian's are looking for too. Along the way are classic Indy traps, creepy critters, and a reunion that all Indy fans have been waiting for!
So where do I begin? I loved this movie. I felt like a little kid again sitting in the theater watching Indy whipping, running, jumping, and fighting his way out of crazy situations that only Indiana Jones could get into. Its by no means on the level of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but nothing really ever can be. But its fun! It's Indiana Jones! I enjoyed every minute of it. The fact that Indy was back made me so happy, and it made me hope that we have another Indiana Jones movie very soon!
Harrison Ford was the best I had seen him in a long time! Lately, most of the movies I have seen him in, he seems stale, bored, and really just unmovtivated to act well in the movie. But he seemed fresh, like new life had been breathed into him. He was amazing as the now aging Indy, and he looked like he was having a lot of fun. He seemed to just be happy to be back as Indy, and that just made me feel giddy like a school boy (haha Indy references are fun ;D) inside. And his work with Shia is quite awesome. They played off each other really well, like Connery and Ford did in Last Crusade.
Adn thats another thing, Shia. The haters will always hate him, but he DID NOT hurt this movie.He was actually really good. His character is actually really interesting and the way he negates Harrison's older, wiser, crankier Indy is hillarious. He was incredible as Mutt Williams. And I loved him in it. People will say what they will, but he was good. And what was even better was the return of everyones favortie Indy girl Marion Ravenwood. She is the mother of Mutt and it was great to see her again! She looked great, and she seemed to be having lots of fun being back on the Indy set again, and her and Ford still had that flair that made them so awesome in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The first time they saw each other, a little part of me started crying with joy. And they still argue so well! And when (SPOILER AHEAD) Marion and Indy are slowly sinking in a quick sand pit and she reveals to Indy that Mutt is his son, their is an incredible feeling of shock and disbelief from the aging Indy. And it was hillarious.
Unfortuently though, one of the sad things is the underuse of Ray Winestone as Indy's friend Mac and John Hurt as Oxley. They are both incredible actors, but are underused. When they are in it, they are good, but they just don't get to do it enough. Cate Blanchette as the evil Spalko, she is good, but she is creepy. I really liked her villian, but I wish they had given her more. They touch on the fact that she is pyshcic, but they never actually go into detail about it.
And thats the really problem with the movie. The script. As much as I love the movie, the script is flawed. David Koepp is a great writer, but his work on this is a little strange. There are plot holes here and there, there are a few too many characters, and its a little National Treasure-esque when it comes to Indy trying to figure out the clues to the Crystal Skulls. And he has a few very corny things in the script, including Mutt swinging through the jungle with monkies. It was a strange... The nice thing about the script though was the little nods Koepp added to the earlier movies, and it was nice to see that. You have to see the movie more than once to get all the little things in it. Another slight problem was John Williams score. Sad to say, there isn't much new and exciting stuff there. None of the new music really stands out like the Raiders March or The Well of Souls theme. This was heartbreaking for me, because I have been a fan of John Williams for quite some time, and to see that he lost his edge here was disconcerning to say the least. I just hope that all his scores won't be like this, because that would be a true loss of a great composer.
And yes, I've heard people complain about the fact that the movie has some Sci-Fi elements. It does. The Crystal Skulls are alien based, but it works. Aliens are not hard to believe, especailly with the power of God melting peoples faces, rocks that let you take over the world, and a Cup that gives you everlasting life. And also, there is CGI, and yeah, its corny looking, but thats the point. Its SUPPOSED to be like a 1950's sci-fi movie/1930s serial movie, and it is. Its done well.
If you like Indiana Jones, I think you'll like this movie. I think its a great way to spend two hours at the theater. Its like spending time with an old friend who you haven't seen in a long time. Now really, go check it out if you haven't already. I think you'll like it! There really is something here for everyone to like, and I've seen it 3 times, and come to realize that you appreciate it more each time you watch it. I just hope if they do make one more, that it adds closure to the story. We don't need to over kill the series, because that would just be horrible. I loved the movie, and I think you will too.
Patrick's Rating: 9/10
Take a tip from me if you like the indi movies so far. My tip is buy the extra large popcorn, sit back, and enjoy. Yes be prepared to be blown away with action-packed scenes and super duper high tech as Indi falls to great depths and meets a new side kick. His son? maybe. Just find out!
Old Harrison does us proud at his fine age. He's still got it? ooh yes. some may say its cheesie and unbelievable. No. No way is it cheesie. It's unbelievable? Yup but hey be honest what else is indi for?
I saw Indiana Jones last night and walked out of the theater totally bummed! This was a stupid movie. I realize that the Indiana Jones movies have over-the-top moments, but at least in the first three, the impossible was made to look believable. This one was like a cartoon. I was actually bored. There were unexplained scenes that left you wondering, "What was that all about?", and the ending was terrible...aliens??? This movie was a fantasy/science fiction flick...not an adventure movie. Fantasy is fine if you know that's what you're going to see, but don't sell it as adventure. This gets one star just because I like Harrison Ford.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Started out fine and is a good movie to see if you have nothing else to do, The problem with the movie is the story line compared to the last 3 movies was dull and obvious.
There were also sequences in the movie that made a peron go Duh, snake as a rope, fridge protecting you against a nuclear explosion, surviving a niagra fall like fall 3 times and have the boat only get destroyed on the last fall and everyone survives
Though it was entertaining, and hey thats what we want right, atleast make the movie believable.
As far as im concerned the movie had alot of hype but in the end it may make george and stephen alot of money but its the black sheep of the 4 films.
