I just saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I liked it. Quite a bit, actually. My expectations were very low -- I just rewatched the first three films, and they were even better than I remember them being, particularly Raiders. Plus, while I think that Spielberg and the '80s are the best combination since peanut butter and chocolate, I haven't liked most of his films in well over a decade.
My first apprehension with this film was Janusz Kaminski, Spielberg's cinematographer (who has a very distinctive stlye, which was one of the contributing factors in Spielberg's creative downfall). I was afraid he'd shoehorn his usual aesthetic into the film, which would have been completely out of place (though I think it's been out of place in pretty much every Spielberg film since Saving Private Ryan, but I digress). But he was actually able to tone himself down (for the most part), and did a good job of mimicking the look of the first three (again, for the most part). Spielberg did a pretty spiffy job himself, emphasizing longer takes during action scenes rather than the more fashionable super-quick-cut style.
Then there's Harrison Ford, who seems to be getting gruffer and gruffer as he ages, and losing some of his charismatic appeal. He was in peak form here, and seemed perfectly at home with the usual assortment of fisticuffs and stunts despite his advanced age. The rest of the cast was just as good, even Shia LaBeouff (I know, I'm as shocked as you are). It was also nice seeing Karen Allen back as Marion Ravenwood, though I wish they had at least tried to keep the fact that she's in the film a secret (she doesn't appear until at least 40 minutes in).
Don't get me wrong, it's far from a perfect film -- it's easily the slowest of the four films, and probably a tad too long as well. And despite Spielberg's claims to the contrary, there's clearly a lot of CGI in the film. A lot less than your average summer blockbuster, but it is there, and it is noticeable. Also -- without going too far into spoiler territory -- there's a lot of sci-fi stuff (particularly in the third act) which feels a bit out of place within the context of the Indy universe (there's a difference between the mystical stuff from the first three and... well, you'll just have to watch it, I don't want to spoil anything).
It's definitely the weakest of the four films, but not by much -- it's actually fairly close in quality to the two sequels. The reviews seem to be really mixed so far, so your mileage may vary, but I thought it was quite enjoyable -- the type of rollicking adventure we don't see nearly enough of these days.
10 Comments
dagComment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)
The reviews I've read so far have pegged it as an non-stop action movie, moving from stunt to stunt. For me, these kinds of movies are a turn-off. If I want a thrill ride I'll go for a roller coaster.
The reason the last Bond was so good was not because of the action sequences, but the superb character development and interactions between the actors. Hollywood doesn't get this, or at least doesn't care. Action sells I guess, but I'll probably be watching this one via
BitTorrentDVD.
dystopianfuturetodayThanks for posting this. I can't wait to see it.
Sarzy>> ^dag:
The reviews I've read so far have pegged it as an non-stop action movie, moving from stunt to stunt. For me, these kinds of movies are a turn-off. If I want a thrill ride I'll go for a roller coaster.
Yeah, I've noticed that some people have been saying that, which I find kind of baffling. I mean, don't get me wrong, there's a lot of action, but there's also a lot of downtime between the action scenes -- probably more than in any of the other three films.
fireflySci-Fi channel ran an Indiana Jones trilogy marathon this past weekend, and yes, my butt was there watching it!
but after all that though, I'll just wait to rent the new one.
choggieone of the most long-winded reviews I have ever read.....part of-
I saw the 1st Indiana Jones Mooovie, it was real good.
blankfistWow, I'm envious of you, Sarzy! I probably won't see it until this weekend. I'm glad it sounds like it's turning out to be a good movie. I was worried for a while, and especially when Lucas came out and practically said something to the effect of "I hope people don't expect too much from this film. It's just an action movie."
FedquipJust saw it myself, I found it better then I expected aswel.. a couple scenes were iffy, but overall great movie.
MycroftHomlzAhh... prarie dogs, leadlined fridges, tarzan scene...
This movie was at best a parody of the original Indiana Jones movies, and while enjoyable did not have the same tones as the other three movies.
EDDOk, I've been a really big, nerdy Indiana Jones' fan and trust me when I say, my expectations were really, really low. Despite all that, I found myself agreeing with everything that's written below. It's a rant/review by another Indy fan which I found via imdb boards. In a nutshell, if I have to sum the film up in one word: meh. And a weak 'meh' at that.
This is probably (most likely) (pretty sure), the last time we will ever be able to see our childhood hero Indiana Jones in a new adventure. After years of waiting and wishing; after all the excitement, we get "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". The last chance for a new adventure and this is the waste we recieve. Digital prairie dogs, digital monkeys, and digital fire ants. I feel like I watched a cross between Caddyshack, Jumanji, and Close Encounters. Nothing can begin to describe how retarded this movie is.
The only thing epic about this film is it's fail. EPIC FAIL!!! Somewhere, someplace, some fan boys are killing themselves. This rant is coming from somebody who was quick to desregard nay-sayers and detractors of this film before it's release.
From a die hard Indy fan who honestly set his expectations low for this film, nothing could even begin to compare to how low expectations need to be for this film to be enjoyed. George Lucas should be ashamed and Steven Speilberg now strikes me as a man past his prime making movies just to kill time because he has too much money and nothing better to do.
SPOILER ALERT!!
When the flying saucer takes off, if Jar Jar Binks showed up in the window waving good bye, I would have expected it. At least it would have been satisfying to know that the film was just a big joke to begin with.
TrancecoachA 65 year old Indy looked like he could use a cane to help him get around a few of the scenes, and the whole thing looked like it'd be better as a cartoon. Three waterfalls and just a bit drenched? Oh, c'mon!
Discuss...
Enable JavaScript to submit a comment.