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Year Released 2008
Duration 122
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Editorial ReviewMovie Summary
Rated:
M
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Starring:
Cate Blanchett, Harrison Ford, Jim Broadbent, John Hurt, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, Shia LaBeouf
Editorial Review
As if to acknowledge they've got a tall order ahead of them, Indy 4 opens on one of those Lucas-Spielberg jokes they almost do so well: the Paramount logo becomes, rather than some far-off exotic peak, a prairie dog hill in the American mid-west. What follows - a rock 'n' roll burn-off between a teen-packed dragster and a 1950s army convoy - reminds us of just how exciting Spielberg can be as a director. That it's also a nod to Lucas's first hit, American Graffiti, signals that this is going to be something of a greatest hits package (ETs, archaeology, Jurassic Park-y bit with a car in a tree). Who's complaining though, when the men behind the camera have delivered some of the most iconic and exciting adventures in cinema history
Indeed, for the first 20 minutes, Indy 4 doesn't put a foot wrong. We're dropped straight into the action as our hero and sidekick Ray Winstone are arrayed against Cate Blanchett and her Russki horde in that warehouse, home not only to the Ark but some remnants from a little place called Roswell. This is helter-skelter, kinetic and funny, perfectly choreographed and, arguably, as deliriously good as anything in the series. But then - then - as is the wont of kids who don't always know when enough's enough, Messrs Spielberg and Lucas kick it one notch too far with a bit of fridge business that shatters our suspension of disbelief. A shame - and a misjudgment made again at the very end of the film's other exhilarating set piece jungle-chase sequence.
It'd be churlish to make too much of these over-the-top moments because, well, the Indiana Jones movies have always been about the breathless fantasy of the cliffhanger.
The big question hanging over Indy 4 was whether, at 65, Harrison Ford could still do derring. The answer is a resounding yes. Moreover, newcomer Shia LaBeouf, veteran Karen Allen and a terrifically enjoyable Blanchett also get their licks in, and most often not in the annoyingly far-fetched fashion common in the age of CGI and wire-fu.
But high-spirited hijinks were only ever half the story. Humour, heart and a smart lightness of touch humanised Indy; made him our guy. Here Ford and Co.'s banter sometimes seems off by a beat. There's still much to amuse, but some lines fall flat and emotional revelations depend as much on our nostalgia as inherent warmth. It's not the fault of the cast but rather a script that has its fair share of clunkers ("I should never have doubted you, old friend" belongs in Attack Of The Clones), a surfeit of characters (Winstone's flip-flopping Mac, Hurt's jibbering Ox) diluting the opportunities for Indy-Marion-Mutt banter, and a plot that requires hunks of exposition (so there's these alien-mummy-skeletons, see, and they want their power-key-psychic skull back...) and yet resists simple understanding.
This is not to say Indy 4 fails. Whenever it's moving, it's a time-space portal to our younger selves and more fun than anything else in cinemas so far this year. It's just that when we baulk at Indy and his gang's indestructibility, when we wince as dialogue creaks instead of snapping, and when we're cloyed by schmaltz replacing a knowing smirk, we can't help be reminded it's not only Harrison Ford who has aged.
Michael Adams
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3 comments
David: Welcome back Indiana Jones! This is a great way to spend a couple of hours in the dark. For anyone that is a fan, go and enjoy an old fashioned adventure with all the old favourites, snakes, monkeys, whips and that great music. (18 June 2008)
Colm: Sorry but this movie was utter nonsense. I left the cinema feeling disappointed but more than anything asking myself the question; whay make this movie to begin with? Who needed the money> Ford, Lucas or Spielberg? None of them would be my guess but from some of the reviews I read, it was Lucas who pushed the other two to make it. Yet again, Lucas proves he can;t leave well enough alone (a la Star Wars pre-quel fiasco). Indiana Jones was a hero from mu childhood. Now he's the same age as my Dad - and looks it. Cate Blanchette plays a card board cut-out charicature of a cold war communist. Even her great talents can bring nothing to such a poorly written role. There are some moments of mirth but most of it all falls flat. 2 stars and that's only because Indy could still use his whip. (07 June 2008)
Nik: What happned? Lucas and Spielberg listen up; you got it wrong! Flying saucers, aliens and messy editing contribute to a disappointing addition to the Indiana Jones series of films. On the up side Harrison is still sexy and his humour has remained intact. (04 June 2008)
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