This edition of the Indiana Jones series proves one thing to me… films made for the next generation of movie-goers and/or mass audience appeal do not give credit to those watching the film. This movie shows sparks of the previous films but also gives us a generous helping of “dumb as hell, oh please, why God did they put this in the film” moments. Movies like this make me truly wish I had the money for an editing computer with all the trimmings because this could have been one hell of a film.

So, Indy (Harrison Ford) returns to the big screen being captured by KGB, caught in a military testing faculty and is razzed by the CIA. After all that and being fired from his university he receives word that an old friend is in trouble and only he can help him. The combination of that and the possibility of new discoveries lure the adventurer to South America where he confronts Russians and natives to discover the mystery behind an unusual crystal skull.

What I really like about this movie is that it is just what it is supposed to be — fun! There are some really great chase scenes, a few wonderful moments when Ford delivers great lines that only Indiana Jones can get away with and the characters were very typical of this series, all of which are good things.

I also liked the addition of Shai Labeouf as Mutt Williams. While he didn’t blow my socks off, he did well enough and the problems I had were more with direction and unfortunate scenes, than his acting. Bringing back the character of Marion (Karen Allen) from Raiders of the Lost Ark was a great move. She was always the best of the Jones girls with her strong personality and witty rhetoric. Cate Blanchett also did her psychic Russian persona great justice.

The problem I had with this flick is that it was far sillier than its predecessors. There were moments that actually had my hand covering my eyes and made me groan. The worst part was, it was always right when it felt on track, at those “yes, this is what an Indiana Jones movie is supposed to be” moments, then something tragically stupid would happen and would bring all that momentum to a screeching halt. I even checked out the comic book adaptation and found that some of those more questionable scenes were selectively absent.

Also, Indy seems more adept to his role as a teacher than adventurer. Sure he still puts up a great fight and all that but he’s definitely slower than he used to be and would stop at intervals in the movie to begin instructing whomever was around at the time. He is a teacher but his heart is for adventure so this feels out of character.

My other major beef with this film is that it removes Indy from his specialty of all things religious and mystical. I won’t mince words… moving this series from that aspect to science fiction is a mistake. Sure, it was all done in the cloak of archaeology but those roots only run so deep. When you thrust that into a cyclone, it can only withstand but so much before it loses its weak tether and goes spinning off into the atmosphere, just like this story does.

While I have to say that this is far from a great movie, go watch it. It is an Indiana Jones film after all and if you’re going to view it, best make it in the theaters where you’ll get the big screen punch you deserve.

Verdict | Watch It

I’m scared to watch this film.  I love the previous Indiana Jones movies.  This one feels like the first Highlander sequel - the second one in the series where they made it about aliens...UGHHHH....talk about flushing something down the toilet.  I’m afraid if I watch this, I will never want to see another Indiana Jones movie period.

Cait,

I hate it when they tinker with my childhood heroes, too. Speaking of Gondry, did you see Be Kind Rewind? What did you think of that?

What isn’t fun? Going to the midnight screening last night, paying my 8 bucks, and being disappointed. Anyone want to go to the Walker Ranch with me? I’m going to slap Mr. Lucas in the face, first for Jar Jar Binks (and the prequels) and second for this piece of garbage. Mr. Lucas should not have the rights to his own films, which he repeatedly BUTCHERS. Yes, I said ‘butchers’.

First, my sights turn to Mr. Speilberg. Sir, your unrequited ‘daddy’ issues, are played out, tiresome and downright nuclear in their own regard. I don’t know what happened to you and your Dad, but seriously, GET OVER IT. The whole father/son dynamic was such a cheap gimmick, and was just too empty for this film. However, thank you, for that last nudge at Mr. Lucas. For if the trilogy were to continue with out Indy and solely Shia LaDouche, I’d have to slap Mr. Lucas again.

I respect that you aged our hero, that was a nice touch. Harrison Ford reprised his role well, though I think his grit demeanor was somewhat lost in the fact that he probably found the script to be garbage. Shia LaBoef (or however his name goes) was the same awkward character he always plays...which was just mediocre, as per usual.

Mr. Lucas, I know that you spend a lot of money on CGI, but for godsakes, stop trying to pound out films. You already have more money than god, so take some pride in your work, PLEASE. The CGI was downright awful, and I’m disappointed that no one pointed out that you actually have to match the lighting of the green screen to the lighting of the actors. It helps in believability, I promise. ALSO, for the money that you spend on all these computer graphics engineers (who did a crappy job), you could have flown the crew to Peru, and shot this correctly. I found the softhearted family man Indy, to be half-assed and almost gaggingly cheesy. I understand that there has always been a sense of “cheese” in the films, but this was just nauseating. Shia LaBoef swinging on vines, like george of the jungle, god awful touch. ALIENS? Really? You had nothing better to write than Aliens? I have gave some benefit of the doubt to the Covenant of the Ark… souls melting faces, but this was just down right stupid. The least you could have done was left the Aliens up to the imagination of the viewer...remember that whole film school philosophy, “Sometimes it’s better to imply than show...”. It makes things more exciting.

Alright, I’ll stop ripping the film a new-one, and say, that (most) of the action sequences were still exciting, however CGI’d.

What bothers me, and it isn’t just this film, but several I have seen this year, is that for all the money that you are spending on these films, the production quality is shit. Take some pride in your work. Films are a lot of money and a lot of work. So please, watch continuity, read the script, watch the rushes, and ask yourself, am I really proud of this? If you aren’t, then don’t release it. Take some more time, or freaking fire all of the continuity editors in Hollywood. And I don’t put all the responsibility on the directors, I realize you are under pressure from your producers and production companies to be cheap and quick, but then maybe you need to change your methods of film making. Films like these are an embarrassment to the film world, ESPECIALLY for people who are supposed to be renowned for their skills. I am ashamed of you all. Seriously. People are paying A LOT of money for good work, and you insult us by giving us crap. I realize that more and more people (particularly lethargic Americans) don’t pay attention to what they are watching, but for the rest of us, who want to have faith in Hollywood, please put some effort in. Follow the lead of your European and south American counterparts. They are producing WONDERFUL films, films that they CAN and SHOULD be proud of.

So enough ranting, I’m going to go watch some Michel Gondry so I don’t lose total faith in film.