Indiana Jones 4 Review
Thanks for checking out our Indiana Jones 4 review. If you’d like, you can watch the video version of our Indiana Jones 4 review at the bottom of the post.
For years… nay… decades, film fans have been patiently awaiting another Indiana Jones film. Everything was quite until about 7 years ago when it came out that Lucas, Spielberg and Ford were indeed interested in brining the all time greatest action hero back to the silver screen… there was even talk once of Kevin Costner joining the series as Indy’s younger brother (don’t laugh… it’s actually something that I thought had some merit, but probably better that it never came to pass). As the years past, the feasibility of an aging Harrison Ford wearing the great hat again seemed to get less and less likely… to the point that some people (like myself) gave up all hope of it ever coming to pass.
Then word came out that an Indiana Jones 4 film was indeed in the works. Hope ran high. Joy once again returned to the nation and even the 65 year old Harrison Ford looked great. So does Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull live up to the great “Indiana Jones” name? Unfortunately… no.
THE GENERAL IDEA
The year is now 1957 and our intrepid hero, Indiana Jones has been kidnapped by Russian agents who need his help to find an important artifact hidden at the infamous Area 51. When the Russians get away with their prize, circumstances draw Indy and a young man (Shia LaBeouf) whose mother is being held by the same Russians into a race to uncover the mystery the Russians are trying to unravel that revolves around a strange crystal skull that legend says leads to a great city of gold. And so the adventure begins.
THE GOOD
With Harrison Ford being 65 years old, one of my biggest fears was that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would just ignore the age issue and go on its merry way pretending like it just the same old Indy and asking us to suspend our belief about his age. Thankfully, the movie doesn’t do this. It not only acknowledges the age issue, there are a number of points throughout the film where they actually poke a lot of fun at it as well. I know it sounds strange, but just the fact that the movie often highlights the age issue sort of makes the action sequences seem more believable.
Let me talk about the action sequences here just a little bit. There are a couple of set pieces in this movie… including a car chase through the jungle and a motor cycle / car chase around the university campus, that really are spectacular. As a matter of fact, I’d go so far as to say that I think the jungle car chase scene actually surpasses that classic scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy gets dragged behind the truck. They were exciting, thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. Some really good stuff.
The movie does a nice job of subtly referring to a number of things from the previous movies. George Lucas, when left on his own, went way over board with this in the Star Wars prequels, so there was a little fear that they would do that, or go to the opposite extreme and not allude to the previous movies at all. I’m glad to say they found some very nice middle ground
THE BAD
Although I’m a fan of Shia LaBeouf, and despite the fact that there are a couple of pretty solid scenes with him in the movie… I’m sorry, but no matter how much I tried I just couldn’t get into his character in the movie at all. For the first 10 minutes we see him he annoys the hell out of me… and after that he’s a lot less annoying, but still kind of felt “in the way” more than anything else for the movie. In heidsight I think the film would have been much stronger had he not been in it (the character I mean)
Despite the references to the older films, and despite the fact that Harrison Ford was as charming as ever as Indiana Jones… the movie never really felt like an Indiana Jones movie to me. I watched all three of the originals again this weekend, and Crystal Skull just doesn’t fit in well with the other 3 at all in my opinion. The movie failed to capture that essence that the other films had… so although the characters were there, the lines were there and even some of the memories… the “flavor” just wasn’t there.
**POSSIBLE SPOILER** As many of you have guessed from the trailers and some of the early rumors, there is an Alien plot in the movie that never worked for me at all. As a matter of fact it made the whole movie feel like it belonged to another franchise all together. It was a bad idea in my opinion. **END OF SPOILERS**
OVERALL
I liked this movie. As a matter of fact, if this film had been called by another name, and the lead character was named “Edward Cummings” or something like that instead of Indiana Jones, I probably would have walked out of the theaters saying “You know what, that was a pretty damn good (not GREAT) movie”. But as an Indiana Jones film… one we’ve been waiting 20 years for, I can’t help but feel a little let down by it. Don’t get me wrong, I still think it was a pretty entertaining movie and well worth going to see… but it never felt like an Indy film to me, and it certainly wasn’t great enough to be worthy of the “Indiana Jones” name. So a good movie, that should have been better. Overall I give Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a 7 out of 10.
You can view our Indiana Jones 4 review video version here:
95 Comments, Comment or Ping
DON
good review John.
Personally I am not excited about indy 4.
I am looking forward to mummy 3 more than this.
May 18th, 2008
Joseph
Have the Gods no mercy? Come on! First the Star Wars prequels now this…tis a dark age my friends.
May 18th, 2008
GoneAFK
Now was this pre or post Waterworld Kevin Costner?
Just the sort of review I thought this was going to get.
May 18th, 2008
John
Hey Joseph,
Don’t get the wrong impression dude. It’s still a “good” movie. Just not as good as I was hoping for.
May 18th, 2008
Legion213
The Crystal Skulls are thought to have a alien origin. Which is probably where the alien plot comes from. So if it was to stick true to the legends. I wouldn’t see any other way to do it.
May 18th, 2008
Dylkill
Wow, that is exactly what I expected from this movie, some good action scenes, but let down a lot by Shia LaBeouf. I’m still pretty excited for this movie, but there are a lot of movies this summer that I would much rather see. Good review John.
May 19th, 2008
James
Ok, after reading John’s spoiler, I think he knocked some points off because he falls into the camp that thinks it’s ok for Indy films to deal with invisible men in the sky but not invisible GREEN men in the sky?
This is not a shot, but an observation: some people are having a hard time with the Indy/sci-fi blend.
To each their own. I just don’t see the difference myself. It’s all otherworldly to me.
Nice review though. I have been surprised by all the good reviews. Ebert even gave it 3 1/2 stars…so, it looks to be, at the very least, a fun pulpy summer ride, which was the point all along.
May 19th, 2008
DarthMuppet
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… as long as this provides me with a good dash of goofy fun as it follows the adventures of (a now much older)Henry Jones Jr…. then I’ll be happy.
Really, that’s all the original films were… nice, goofy, pulpy fun.
I’m not expecting a cinematic masterpiece here, God knows that this series was never meant to be taken that way. Don’t get me wrong, Raiders is a classic, but at its heart it is nothing more than throwback pulp fun.
I’m not sure, but I think the whole “looking at the past with rose tinted glasses” thing may be coming into play here with some people. I’ve watched all three of the previous films on a regular basis since the day that they came out, and I’ve never really seen them as anything more than highly entertaining summer popcorn movies. With the exception of Raiders, all the films have had their share of cringe worthy moments… so I’m not going to let things like that put me off.
I do have one gripe with something you said John. I haven’t seen Crystal Skull yet, but… I’ve always thought that out of the three previous films, it was Temple of Doom that felt drastically out of place. I think it’s an enjoyable flick and all, I’ve just never felt that it gelled all that well with the other two.
May 19th, 2008
James
DarthMuppet…
You’re right. People seem to be forgetting the spirit in which this series was made: fun, pulpy B-movie action flicks, dressed up with A-movie trimmings.
If I hear another reviewer lament how Kingdom is not Raiders, I will scream.
NOTHING will ever be Raiders. Raiders was a freak of film..a once in a lifetime merging of talent and timing that was truly catching the proverbial lightning in a bottle.
May 19th, 2008
JordanC
One thing that drives me crazy about many good films (The Departed, Indiana Jones 4) is that they have that fat sack of shit Ray Winston. He’s a talentless shrek-man who can’t seem to get ANY accent right, and you always feel that the movie would be much better without him, and even any character he plays.
Why do they KEEP casting him? He’s garbage, and he damaged this film I thought.
May 19th, 2008
Kristina
Oh man, I feel a little bad that it didn’t rock you harder, John. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays. Do you still think it’ll be the top-grosser of the year now?
May 19th, 2008
Mozzerino
Jordanic, you are a madman, slagging of Ray Winstone like that. That guy will kill your monster, be sure of it.
He was also absolutely awesome in SEXY BEAST.
May 19th, 2008
AjaxLou
Overall reaction is mixed with a leaning to the positive side. A better outcome than what was feared so there is a quantum of solace to be taken.
May 19th, 2008
Robert(wolf)
I thought Indy 1-3 were just good…didn’t blow me away, maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up with them like most people have. But it does sadden me knowing Indy 4 is letting some people down this early on.
May 19th, 2008
Phil Gee
Wow, the Indy reviews have certainly been flooding in the past 24 hours. If the action is as good as you say John then that will be enough to put a smile on my face (after the limited action of Iron Man and the incomprehensible action of Speed Racer). Nevertheless, i will be there Thursday with zero expectations hoping to have a good time.
John, would you mind telling us what you thought of the performances by the other newcomers to the film, Ray Winstone, John Hurt and particularly Cate Blanchett? I figured she’d be a slam dunk in the film but a lot of critics are saying she’s not that good. Also, is John Williams music as good as ever?
May 19th, 2008
James
Not sure what reviews you are reading Phil, but Blanchett has been getting most of the raves, outside of Ford. The Irina Spalko character is more in line with the pulp sensibilities of the 50’s, so it lends itself to being a scene stealing role. Ebert is practically waxing romantic over her character in his review. *LOL*
If there are any criticisms about the characters, it’s in how they are used (or underused)…..and not in how they are portrayed by the actors per se.
May 19th, 2008
kiyo
it does kinda suck that the movie didn’t deliver as much as was expected but i don’t think that the points you’ve mentioned will affect my enjoyment of the movie anyways. i guess because i didn’t grow up with the films and am not attached to the mythos it won’t really seem like such a problem to me. probably won’t even notice. man Thursday can’t come any sooner
May 19th, 2008
Kristina
@Rober(Wolf)
I’m with you, man. I like the movies, but I don’t hold them in high regard, like the rest of the internet seems to.
May 19th, 2008
DarthMuppet
James:
Exactly! I keep seeing the same basic trend with the reviews I’m reading… Those who are walking away either hating it or slightly disappointed seem to be going in expecting an oscar caliber film or forgetting just how much of a goofy B-movie serial the original films really were. Those who are coming away loving it are the people who went in only expecting to see another fun as hell installment in a kick ass pulpy B-movie serial.
You’re also right in another aspect… there is no way in hell this film could ever be another Raiders, that would just be impossible! Anyone who goes in expecting that is bound to be disappointed, no matter how much fun the movie is.
Now, John… I’m not knocking you for your opinion of the film. I just wonder if your expectations are the reason you came away slightly disappointed.
May 19th, 2008
digital drew
Maybe its too much CG ?
just guessing
May 19th, 2008
Mark-Salinas-MN
Good review.
I will go see the movie….hopefully it will be worth the time?
Mark Salinas, MN
May 19th, 2008
nbakid2000
I should really stop reading reviews/discussion boards, I’ve already learned too much information about this film that I shouldn’t know. Damn. But I’m a sucker for discussion.
Anyway, I’ve heard good things about this and I’ve heard bad things about this…
******SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER********
Apparently people don’t like the use of CGI in this film (I said they were going to CGI the crap out of this thing regardless of what they told you, and apparently, according to some reviews I’m right), Shia swinging around with a monkey army (a CGI monkey army), and the fact that Indy never seems in any real peril through the action sequences, and the film is very talky. And a lot of the people have mentioned the characters other than Indy are poorly used and also, the third act of the film basically involves Indy and Co. standing around.
******END OF SPOILER END OF SPOILER********
I just hope they’re all wrong and I have a blast at this thing. If this sucks, you can blame Lucas, Spielberg and David Koepp for ruining a good thing.
May 19th, 2008
nbakid2000
**********VERY MINOR POSSIBLE SPOILER**********
Apparently a lot of plot points don’t get sorted/ended out either.
******END OF VERY MINOR POSSIBLE SPOILER******
John, how as the CGI usage in this thing? More than the 30% (for “background elements”) we were promised? Did they lie about that?
May 19th, 2008
DJ Machismo
This is good news for me. I tend to lean towards the side of liking movies such as this more than most people (for instance I absolutely loved the Star Wars prequels and do not think Lucas messed anything up with them).
So it bodes well for me that I will get a good amount of enjoyment out of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Very nice, now I am even more excited!
May 19th, 2008
Amish_Bill
John,
Was it a good-not-great movie because your anticipation level was so high (like you said 20 years in the making) or was it really just an OK movie? I think there’s a difference. I know I build up movies so much in my mind that they are inevitably bound to disappoint even if it was a solid movie. Do you get what I’m saying?
May 19th, 2008
Meli
I’m glad you weren’t completely disappointed, John. That would have been a shame.
Myself, I’m not expecting a masterpiece, but a good bit of fun. From your reivew it seems like it will deliver that much. I never have felt cozy with Shia’s character, especially from the trailers and feared it would turn out like you said in your review. Oh well. The kiddo really likes him, so that’ll be part of her enjoyment during the flick. LoL
May 19th, 2008
carlm
I hate when when somebody says it was good but not as good as the orginals, like with Star Wars or Indy. You sperm burpers have to realize that your not 10 years old anymore. Movies are much different seen the the eyes of a kid than that of an adult.
May 19th, 2008
Jake Vermont
@ John Do you still think Indy4 will be the movie of the year?…..
May 19th, 2008
John
Hey Jake,
I never said it would be the movie of the year.
@ Everyone asking if I only gave it a 7 because my expectations were so high
My expectations were never actually all that high. My HOPES were high. But as I said right in my review…. if it were any other movie I would have said “That was a really good… but not great movie”. Crystal Skull would have got a 7 from me regardless.
It’s a good movie… but not great. But that’s just MY opinion.
May 19th, 2008
Sound Designer Dan
Maybe it never got the essence because it had too much CGI? Or maybe because Denholm Elliott (R.I.P.) or John Rhys-Davies isn’t in it?
Hopefully, this movie doesn’t have too much CGI because the lack of CGI made the prior 3 feel real.
May 19th, 2008
Dragonslayer
I ain’t seeing this, I’ve finalized it in my mind. And it’s not because of the review. As I have said, I ain’t all that excited about this movie. Iron Man and Prince Caspian both fufilled their purpose, in fact they both are down so far as the best films of 2008, at least of the summer. But that’s my opinion. The Dark Knight and Incredible Hulk are probably the films I wanna see this summer. Maybe Wall-E instead of Hulk.
May 19th, 2008
DON
IRON MAN has set the bar so high that all movies are gonna look not so cool.
Action wise some may surpass IRON MAN but overall none of the big blockbuster movies will match it.
May 19th, 2008
Jay
A fitting review that matches my expectation. I also had the same perception that this would be a decent adventure-actioner and not having the ‘Indy’ vibe. I’m skipping this till DVD release.
May 19th, 2008
andrew
Although from the review it sounds like it will be a good movie i really think there should have not been another Indiana Jones Movie. Harrison Ford seems too old to still be running around on treasure hunting. For example, I’ve never seen a 65 man move as fast as he does in the trailer. Also, the stunts seem bigger and more grand then they did in the original trilogy making the age issue even more relevent because how could someone believe that Indian Jones was able to do even more physically demanding stunts as an old man then he did when he was in his prime.
May 20th, 2008
Gutpunch
Just saw it as well and I simply don’t know what to make of it. Now I went in there with no expectations simply because outside of Raiders, Indy movies do nothing for me and irritate me more than anything. This stepped so faaaaaaaaar over the line it wasn’t even funny, the monkey scene? The refrigerator? Was that an homage to Road Runner or something? Everything was by the book here and you knew exactly how it was going to turn out.
The acting for the most part was poor, Harrison Ford was terrible most of the time, muttering lines that were obviously made to have people cheer in the theater but fell completely flat.
I chuckled a few times and I think most did but there was only one, count them, one guy in the whole theater that laughed out loud, but he came dressed in a leather jacked and a fedora so…
It seems that they were trying too hard, so hard in fact that you sort of felt sorry for them and wanted to pat them on the head and smile. Tunnels for tunnels sakes and flood of insects just because all the other films had them. The snake scene was just stupid and was clearly crammed in there so we could laugh at Indy because he’s afraid of snakes.
It took all logic and threw it out the window for sakes of cheap laughs and giant set pieces.
Raiders captured the feel of the pulp novel and adventure serials perfectly without making every scene a computer game fodder or an amusement ride attraction. It never went too overboard with the supernatural elements but when we get silly monkey swinging action and the alien from Close Encounters I think they need to step back and take a good look at what they’ve done with a great character. Bah! Humbug!
But I did get a kick out of seeing Andrew Divoff as one of the Russian thugs in the beginning and Pavel Lychnikoff, Blazanov on Deadwood, as one of the last surviving russians.
May 21st, 2008
Edvin
Just came back from watching the movie, long time Indiana Jones fan here.
This movie was all kinds of awesome….
This feels and acts like an indiana film if you account for the time gap.. remember this takes place in the 50’s so it makes sense that the movie will feel a tad different.
Don’t listen to the naysayers and go see this movie, with the gleeful hopefulness of your former 10 year old self.
May 21st, 2008
Stefan
Well, I just saw it, midnight screening here in the UK, and - I really enjoyed it. Now, just because I ENJOYED it doesn’t necessarily mean it was a GOOD film. But it was enjoyable. I still have no idea where I’d rank it - I’d need to watch his film about half a dozen more times to be comfortable comparing it with the other films which I’ve seen countless times.
Let me get down to the details. I thought the best things that worked really well in this film were a) The action and b) the humour. The action sequences were fantastic. Many easily rivalled those in the previous Indy films and lasted justt he correct length, never too short or stupidly overlong. There were 3 main action sequences I can remember and they were all great, the last one being the one John mentioned as better than the classic car chase in Raiders, and I may be inclined to agree.
There is certainly more humour in this film than I expected, and in fact, it could be said that this film is the second most humour-driven of the Indy franchise (after Last Crusade). Many of these jokes come from Indy’s age, but many also are to do with references and nods to the previous films. I can’t think of a single moment in the film where they tried to make it funny but it didn’t work - each humorous moment got at least a giggle, if not a full belly laugh from me. Speaking of nods to the previous films, there’s quite a few of them and they help to connect this film with the franchise as a whole, in fact it’s quite fun seeing how many of them you can spot. There’s even a nice Han Solo/Star Wars reference at one point (but subtle enough not to be cheesey).
The cast was great, Indy is on form as usual, Mutt was not the Short Round annoying sidekick I thought he’d be, it was nice to see Marion back and Ray Winstone was a delightful supporting character. John Hurt, while he played the role well, was somewhat wasted, and I think Cate Blanchett as the main Russian villain should have been given more screen time, as she played the role very well.
As to whether this “feels” like an Indy film - yes and no. I agree with John that the Alien component of the film did not fit with the franchise; it would have been much better had they left it out. Also, making Blanchett have psychic powers (apparently) and then never using or explaining them was a very stupid plot point/hole. I did not like the revelation of the Skull so early on and its discovery had none of the wonder that, say, the Golden Idol had in Raiders. Indy just rummages around and hey presto! he has the Skull. Also, I feel Indy’s opening adventure should have been, like in the other films, not connected with the main adventure.
OVERALL: A very enjoyable film with great action and humour. As an Indy film - well it’s a bit out-of-place, but then in my opinion so was Temple of Doom when I first saw it compared to Raiders and Last Crusade, but multiple viewings have led me to accept it as an Indy film. I am sure that multiple viewings of this film shall do the same.
May 21st, 2008
bobasbounty
first of all
@@spoil alert@@
shia lacrap killed it. instead of playing the role of indys abortion that got away, he is playing a role of a greaser who has a gang of monkeys who got his back when it comes to tarzan swingin across the amazon to kick some alien head stealing russians ass. second for those who think this is a indy film ur wrong its really scolly and molder in indy cosplay running around trying 2 make extra cash before x files2 comes out. awsome movie lightning in a tolietbowl. raiders looks like temple of doom now, thanks shia love, george lucas, fuc you steven spielberger
May 22nd, 2008
kris
the was horrible i just got back from the theatre never done this and i just had to tell the internet world DONT SEE IT(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)
May 22nd, 2008
Paul
I loved it.
** Comments on spoilers**
What I can’t get a grip on is that almost the entire fan base of this flick has seen Spielberg do aliens, a lot, and Lucas do aliens, a lot. But in the movie about a guy who goes after an ark filled with ghosts, magical stones and cups o’ immortality, aliens are ridiculous?
So, what other myths are off limits to Indiana Jones? Why are aliens wrong, and Jesus’ accessories are okay? Where is that line, and why do you draw it there?
May 22nd, 2008
Edvin
Roger Ebert gives the movie 3 1/2 star out of four.
This movie was soo good and it really felt like the old Indy set in the 50’s.
And the alien plot was so very nicely done, that they even had a little line saying “Saucer Men From Mars” Some of you will know what I mean.
I liked that.
Somewhere along I think a lot of the internet generation has just turned into whiney little brats. Whining and moaning about how their favorite movie franchises are being ruined. Get of your God Damn high horse.
This movie felt and looked like an Indy movie.
And those Prairie Dogs had me laughing for a full 5 minutes.
If you thought you could do any better, why am I not seing your masterpices in the movie theaters?
Enough ranting :)
Seriously this movie kicked ass!
May 22nd, 2008
Vamz
Ok, i just got back from seeing it. I am one of the few peeps that have barely seen the previous Indy films, so unlike a lot of reviewers/posters my assesement isn’t tainted by any sentiment I have towards the franchise.
Basically, it sucked. It had a few great moments, like right at the start when he got pulled out of the car boot and you saw the hat and the shadow against the car and then he put his hat on, that was some great cinematography. However for every 1 moment like that there was 5 other moments of absolute idiocy. Apparently in order to survive an Atomic Bomb you just need to hide inside a fridge, as long as it’s made of lead. Whatever.
The plot was a joke. I felt like I was watching an X-Files episode featuring Indiana Jones. Pathetic. The main prop for the film, the crystal skull, looked like something that you get in a showbag.
I am stunned that so many people on here thought it was good.
May 22nd, 2008
jalanc
Just saw the movie and John’s review was spot on. A lot of plot holes though.
SPOILER****
What the hell happened to the crystal skull they found in Area 51? So apart from the 13 aliens who originally arrived, there were more? Meaning these aliens were regular visitors to Earth?
What exactly did Ox do in the city of gold? went there, decided not to return the skull to the body, then returned the skull to the tomb?
END OF SPOILERS
I expected a lot more from Spielberg and Lucas… I can accept something like this from the Mummy franchise, but dammit this is a Henry Jones Jr. movie that we waited almost 20 years for!!
and when did Indy win all those medals? i hope they explore this in an Indiana Jones tv series…
May 22nd, 2008
ACsleep
We agree with reviewer. We saw this Tuesday night and felt the same way. We felt it was missing “something” worthy of being called Indiana Jones. It didn’t flow like the other movies in the series, and seemed to be a lazy production.It was like a step lower than Temple of Doom.
SPOILER
The ending puzzled me. The real treasure is “knowledge”?
END OF SPOILER
Never felt the correlation or connection to the movie. This movie was a mess. We did like it, but definately Indiana Jones material.
May 22nd, 2008
ACsleep
We agree with reviewer. We saw this Tuesday night and felt the same way. We felt it was missing “something” worthy of being called Indiana Jones. It didn’t flow like the other movies in the series, and seemed to be a lazy production.It was like a step lower than Temple of Doom.
SPOILER
The ending puzzled me. The real treasure is “knowledge”?
END OF SPOILER
Never felt the correlation or connection to the movie. This movie was a mess. We did like it, but definately NOT Indiana Jones material.
May 22nd, 2008
Gutpunch
Jalanc
The alien corpse that Kate Blanchet shows Indy is the one they took from Area 51, don’t know why they needed it but I guess it got the ball rolling. The Aliens in the ruins were it’s ancestors, more powerful or something.
I also wondered why these creatures would collect all those artifacts only to destroy them when they leave earth. And why do ancient temples always have to collapse in movies like this?
May 22nd, 2008
Wahoomilko
I’ve got an answer for johns review on why this indy film didnt feel like it belonged with the other 3, and the answer is THE FUCKING OVERLOADING OF THE CGI. I was hoping Lucas would settle down with his new love for animation and CGI after he did the 3 new star wars movies, but apparently he didnt feel it was appropriate.
The cgi doesn’t make the movie seem real, everything seems to perfect. With the older Indy movies, the special effects at times seemed cheesy, but at least it was putting a real actor against a green screen with a real background. In this movie, its just actors and a bunch of CGI feeling in everything else. I want to punch Lucas in the face.
May 22nd, 2008
George
Not just an overload of cg but an overload of BAD cg. Sorry but I think this is ILM’s worst work in years. If the effects had been great I wouldn’t mind so much but most of the effects are really bad and way to distracting.
May 22nd, 2008
DarthMuppet
Sorry guys, but the muppet man fucking loved it.
It looked, sounded, and felt just like more of the same… which is exactly what I wanted!
A solid 8.5 out of ten for me.
May 22nd, 2008
Daniel
I have to agree on the above written revieuw.
SPOILER WARNING!
The Alien plot is totally out of place… especially the final part with the space ship and all… I just got back from the Premiere (I went through all the trouble to go there fully dressed as Indy and drag my friends into this)
But after the Aliens and the Space Ship… I felt the urge to cry… Where as in ROTLA the fiery beam was okay but just a tad over the edge and TOD had too much darkness in it and gore, and as LC was a very succesfull recuperation of ROTLA (btw LC IS my favorite) but a similar
movie alltogether… This one is WAY over the edge…
Don’ get me wrong great entertainment… But In my honest opinion the
MAIN STORY LINE is NOT worth of the name of Indiana Jones… all the rest is… Just not the Alien storyline… With all the other BRILLIANT Legends and Myths going around in this world. This one just isn’t Indy like…
Daniel
May 22nd, 2008
Ride It
I was watching American Idol last night and I saw a movie trailer that I thought was produced by Ford, did anyone see that trailer? Do you know the movie website?
May 22nd, 2008
Thos
Just saw it. I didn’t care for it much. It had its moments, and I liked it better than Temple of Doom, but it felt like they took The X-Files movie, the first Mummy film and Book of Secrets and mashed them together and put a fedora on it. Shia wasn’t as distracting as I thought he would be. The Russians were a poor choice for the “bad guys”, imo. The whole alien thing was a bit silly. My favorite part was the glimpse of the Ark, and that’s because Raiders is my all time favorite movie. I think it’s brilliant. I thought Mac sounded just like the rat in Flushed Away, and I couldn’t get that out of my head. I thought is was “okay”.
May 22nd, 2008
Steven C
This movie was a giant piece of shit, and almost unwatchable. I can’t believe Lucas and Speilberg took 20 fucking years to come up with this pathetic movie. Neither one of them should ever even think about making another movie ever again after completely fucking up a great trilogy.
It was so bad, that it even made the Star Wars prequels look great!!!
May 22nd, 2008
thomas040
think you head the nail on the head there steven C.
the star wars prequels were almost better… or kinda the same crap…
May 22nd, 2008
Gutpunch
I know it’s silly but for some reason aliens in an Indy film seem out of place and too far out. Even after the first and the third film basically said God exists and everything in the Bible is true. Yet aliens, which are more plausible than God existing IMO, made one go “Oh come on! That’s going too far.”
I think it would have worked better if they had hinted at aliens existing but not shoved it in our face with a giant spaceship tearing up large chunks of the area.
May 23rd, 2008
Dan
I saw Indy Last night and it was the biggest pile of rubbish i have ever seen. by far the worst movie of the decade. Lucas / Speilberg need to retire as i don’t want anymore of my childhood spoilt.
Poor script, poor acting, and that STUPID ENDING!
May 23rd, 2008
Brad
WOW, where does one begin. I truly can’t fathom anyone being all jazzed about this new adventure.
Granted it was great to see Indy and Ford did a great job playing the 65 yr old mans man.
But the rest of it was such a let down. I was crushed. The story was tossed together, characters were not properly thought out, and the ending was to over the top and out of place for Indy.
Also why did they have to call Indy Henry all the time. What the F!!!
Maryian was pointless and I think they should have kept her out.
The decorated spy angle was fine but unused.
Nucular testing and a fridge - come on!
Shia should have been one of his students or something.
I just expected more, and I don’t think its wrong for me to feel that way. It didn’t need to be the best, I feel it could have been more solid.
I will see it again, and I will learn to like it better. But if there is to be a follow up film; I swear to god if Shia puts that hat on I’ll track down Lucas and Steve and posin them with bad dates.
May 23rd, 2008
Chris
————— SPOILERS AHEAD —————
I agree with John, this film really didn’t feel like an Indiana Jones movie. For me it was partly to do with the alien. Now don’t get me wrong, I LIKED the alien plot and I think it fit well with the 50s setting but actually seeing the alien corpses and the alien at the end felt kinda out of place.
In Raiders we see the ark but not God, in the Last Crusade we saw the holy grail but not Jesus and I think Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would have been a better film had we seen the spaceship but not the aliens.
Had the crystal skull activated somekind of alien technology rather than resurrected an actual alien, I think it would have been much more in keeping with the rest of the Indiana Jones series.
May 23rd, 2008
Austin
Ok John, I have to disagree with the jungle car chase being entertaining. I am usually not one to pick apart the reality of movies but that scene was just ridiculous. Shia LeBouf sword fighting while straddling two jeeps and getting nailed in the nuts time and again by plants? Are you serious Spielberg? Good thing young Indy had taken those fencing lessons at prep school eh? That was just one of many disappointments in this movie. I am still not over the botch of Star Wars and now I have to live with the botch of Indy. Oh, and if they try to make Shia LeBouf the star of the Young Indy Chronicles (which I’m sure is in the works already) I will vomit.
May 23rd, 2008
John
Like I said Austin, the beginning of the movie. I did not like the jungle sequence at all.
May 23rd, 2008
tobor68
i had a great time watching this movie. to me it felt like indiana jones.
john i kinda get what you are saying, and my guess is the cinematographer is different on this flick. i’m probably wrong, but wasn’t douglas slocombe the photographer on the first three?
anyhow, i also think the different feeling comes from the alien aspect and the lack of a religious slant. which all three original movies had. aliens, for some reason feel more ‘real’ than religion. the answers to religion always seem ‘unknowable’ and these movies always seemed to peak into that world. aliens feel like a scientific plausibility which is completely different than the spiritual realm.
just my thoughts.
May 23rd, 2008
sdaniel
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)’
I loved Indy 4. I thought it held true to the themes of the 50’s - Cold War, Red Scare, Nuclear threat and the Saturday matnee Sci-Fi/Alien films of the 50’s. I loved the action. I enjoyed it.
May 23rd, 2008
Kristina
I saw it. I thought that as a not-so-massive Indy fan, I stood a good chance of enjoying it more than you psychos. I was wrong.
http://www.stalepopcorn.co.uk/reviews/movie-reviews-theatrical/movie-review-indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/
May 23rd, 2008
Shawn
I am a huge Indiana Jones fan. I had been waiting for years for this movie to come out. There were very few good parts.
WIth that said the entire time I kept thinking about Fonzie jumping the shark in Happy Days.
This plot was really poorly chosen.
I expect much much more from geniuses like Speilberg, Lucas and Ford.
I had planned on seeing the movie several times but once is enough.
I only hope that this will not taint my view of the other films.
May 23rd, 2008
VOICE OVER
Instead of looking for the “crystal skull”, Indy and his less than amusing entourage should have been looking for a script. 19 years for this? There are some fun chase sequences in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” but the story is a confusing mess and there is no chemistry between characters who really weren’t all that interesting to begin with. I am also one who believes that Indy works better alone or maybe even with one sidekick. Not three. There are moments in this movie that are so bad, it looks as if a high school drama team is doing their version of “Indiana Jones”. I will leave you with a couple of positives. There is enough action and a few of the sets are amazing enough to keep your brain active throughout the whole picture but after 19 years, I was expecting a lot more than I received.
May 23rd, 2008
Kristina
Funny, a little bit ago this thing was in the IMDB Top 250. That rating went from an 8.8 to an 8.1 in just a few days.
May 23rd, 2008
alfie
the film is awful. indiana jones films may have always been far fetched but they were never goofy or silly like this film gets.
It is full of weird choices and decisions that I cannot get my head around.
the beginning is good…I love the shot of him watching the mushroom cloud …..but it descends into silliness that would be considered to dumb for the mummy series.
So disappointed.
May 23rd, 2008
alfie
I am with you gutpucnh exactly. Its strange that my personal belief system in no way believes in any religion and I definitely believe in aliens yet I hated that this film was alien based.
I just didn’t want a sci fi indiana jones films. I get what they doing….I get that in the 50’s sci fi really exploded in the nuclear age etc I just hated that they went with that.
i
May 23rd, 2008
Maxim
19 years I have been waiting for this sequel. The story is ridiculous an compltely incredible (as in no cridibility). Nobody walks away from a nuclear explosion (Mr. Jones, the professor of archeology, called it “NUKELAR” - apparently, he’s not a professor of English, although he can read and speak Mayan language freely).
No wonder Harrison Ford stayed away from this movie for almost 20 years. That egomanic Lucas bollocksed up the last 3 Star Wars and now yet another favorite childhood character.
May 23rd, 2008
Will
I was disappointed. I was fine with the sci fi 50’s plot with the skull, it was just the way it ended. People who have seen it know what I mean. We don’t need to see things come alive and burst out of mountains and temples. Give us a myth and let us make up our own minds about what happens when crystal skulls all come together. Show us their power but don’t turn a skull into a … We never saw the full power of the Ark in Raiders, we got a hint of what would happen if only a small group of people witnessed it. We don’t know what caused its reaction, only that the reaction happened. The CGI was awful too. Why, oh why, did they do this? After the CGI atomic bomb and prairie dogs were out of the way I was glad to have classic Indy back. For a while they do away with computers and do real action. The scene with Indy on the back of Mutt’s bike was the only action sequence that felt like an Indy action sequence. Once we get to Star Wars jungle land the film felt off. What’s with the Revenge of the Sith saber duel, complete with full CGI surroundings. Why should the creepy crawly this time be CGI (though that is a great sequence)? We make the movie more tame. I can’t remember one person getting shot (except for in the foot) or any blood. Indy takes some of his worst beatings ever and never has a scrape on his face. It’s not a terrible film, though easily the weakest of the series. While fans cheered when the old Paramount logo appeared, they gave only a subdued applause at the end (though on the radio I man called the film, “The worst movie I’ve ever seen!” and said people actually booed when the credits rolled). While this was a disappointment I still think it deserves a 7 out of 10. It may not have been the Indy I wanted, but moments have his brilliance can be found and that’s one of the greatest treasures. Harrison Ford still has what it takes!
May 23rd, 2008
Will
I forgot to mention that Winstone’s character is a huge disappointment, the worst in the series. It’s nothing to do with the way it’s performed, but the way it’s written. You’ll see what I mean.
May 23rd, 2008
Mykrantz
I just got done seeing this movie, and it might have been mildly entertaining had it not been an Indiana Jones movie, but it is an Indiana Jones movie, and as such it failed horribly.
The first hour is amazing, very Indiana Jones, then right after the Motorcycle chase, it becomes a cheesy 60’s sci-fi movie, which could be entertaining in a different setting, but really does not fit the Indiana Jones motif. I also didn’t care for them taking everyone’s favorite archiologist, and turn him into a war hero and super spy during World War II.
Some of the action scenes are fun, but I agree with John in that this was not really an Indiana Jones movie, and would have played better being called pulp-sci-fi movie.
I cannot really recommend this movie, even though I did enjoy it.
I would give it a generous 6 out of 10…
May 23rd, 2008
AHAUL
I believe that the critics are selling out. I also think that a lot of the people who are saying they liked it are just saying that because of the media hype or because they were determined to like this movie no matter what.
I would rather watch “Temple of Doom” ten times over than ever watch “Crystal Skull” ever again.
This movie was hokey and stupid. I didn’t like any of the characters and the movie had to force too many points down my throat. Maybe I’m completely ageist, but Harrison Ford is too old to play Indian Jones. Sean Connery did an amazing job in “Last Crusade”, but he never seemed as old and as tired as Harrison Ford. And because we couldn’t see Harry do the stunts, we had to watch Shia. Shia is UNWATCHABLE!
Actually, I take that back. The whole movie is boring and unwatchable. I want my money back.
May 24th, 2008
AHAUL
By the way, when the movie was over the entire theatre sat in stunned silence. There was dead silence as everyone filed out of the movie and in the lobby people could not say enough that they were let down.
This is obviously just Steven and George trying to make a little more money off this series. Although, I’d like to think they forgot that the fans of Indy really didn’t think that the Indy movies were that much of a farce. I never thought of it as though it was like “Mars Attacks”. I liked the Indy films because they were fast-paced and funny, but not stupid. This new movie is slow, predictable and full of computer-generated scenes. It is not smart or entertaining.
Quite frankly, in all the action scenes Shia is the star, and as he is one of the most horrible actors ever, they are really hard to watch. Harry is pitiful hanging on to Shia on the motorcycle. On the car chase through the jungle, it’s Shia who takes center stage fighting the Russians. Half the time, I don’t even know what happened to Indy.
And having computer generated monkeys, ants and prairie dogs is ridiculous. Why couldn’t they do less computer stuff? Also, the nuclear testing was silly.
The plot gaps were weird. What happened to the the crystal skull that they found in Area 51? Also, Karen Allen says that Shia’s name is Henry Jones III. Then, in the jeep, she tells Shia that Indy is his father. He can’t believe it. However, I don’t understand how Shia didn’t know his own name. Why couldn’t he put it together that he and Professor Jones had the same name? Or has Karen Allen been lying to him all these years and never told him his name? It doesn’t make any sense.
Also, I wish Hollywood would quit hitting us over our heads with their messages. Nuclear bombs are bad. Do not destroy the rainforest (see beginning of jungle car chase.) Teachers are good. Seriously, I am not a five year old. I do not need them to tell me what to think at all times.
May 24th, 2008
Patrick
Well in your theatre they were silent, in mine they roared with applause. As for myself…eh…it was alright, could’ve been much better, I agree, but it was entertaining, none the less.
May 24th, 2008
Jordan
Ok, I am an avid Indiana Jones fan I was worried about this most recent film, and after watching this painful garbage I was horribly disappointed, people will tell you that the film was modified for current viewers but this shoot-em-up, thrill-ride, punch-fest was a disgrace to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and should have never been filmed, the plot is less like Indiana Jones and more like War of the Worlds, and riddled with action reminiscent of Rock-em Sock-em Robots, the first thing I looked for while exiting the theatre was the nearest flight of stairs to hurtle myself down to at least blot the memory from my cranium… and btw refrigerators are not that safe!!!!!!!!!!
May 24th, 2008
ankey21
really good review
http://bux.to/?r=ankey21
May 24th, 2008
Patrick
Whatever!! Fridges are too that safe, mine has side impact air bags and everything. :P
May 24th, 2008
probitionate
“With all the other BRILLIANT Legends and Myths going around in this world. This one just isn’t Indy like…”
So. I’m curious as to what remaining legends and myths anyone could have seen being better than one involving aliens. I’m not asking you to provide a story, but I’d love to know what premises everyone feels would have been an improvement over the one used.
And on that topic, IF Lucas and Spielberg were to continue the franchise, what do you think is left to be used as fodder, given that we’d be entering the ’60s if Indy 5 were to be told.
May 24th, 2008
kiyo
just saw this and all i have to say is man, what a fucking disappointment. sure, the movie was entertaining but damn it! this is indy, it’s supposed to be memorable! hell i forgot about the movie the moment we left the theater and hit the mall and as soon as we got to the car everyone was like: it was fun but, that sucked ass, didn’t it? very forgettable and the aliens were crap. i don’t mind a storyline with aliens but you have to make them cool-looking otherwise it’s all just a “yeah right” moment that takes you out of the movie. but seriously, the kgb after some alien artifact that’ll give ‘em psychic superpowers?! yeah
May 24th, 2008
VG_Ace
Well I still think it was a good movie, but nowhere near the goodbye that Last crusade was. I was psyched whenever certain characters made appearances though, like Karen Allen, and of course Indy. But overall yeah the CGI in this film was too much in that the original trilogy was in some ways believable, but this movie was way out there. I still liked it though, I mean its freakin Indiana Jones! but I think it definitely could have been better. As a fan that grew up with Indiana Jones, and was greatly influenced from those movies, I still felt this was a good movie.
May 25th, 2008
Blarneyman
Broke my fucking heart. I have never wanted to unsee a movie so much. That jungle chase you speak of? Too CGI, Marion disappeared half-way through, Marion also did nothing , or say anything to Irinia — she used to be feisty, she used to fight back — and Shia swang like fucking Tarzan across a CG jungle with a troupe of CG monkeys fast enough to catch speeding trucks — his Mom having gone AWOL.
Just one example of hundreds why this movie is a goddamn waste. Indiana Jones will always be a trilogy to me, now more so than ever.
May 25th, 2008
jack
Are you kiddin’? this is the best indiana jones movie ever. EVER!
May 25th, 2008
Jordan
Dude…you obviously don’t know Indiana Jones, the movie was not Indy worthy. To me the Indy movies remain a trilogy, Ill call the fourth one, that thing I threw out in the trash that looked like the rotten entrails of a moldering catfish that no person should ever lay eyes upon, no offense Lucas or Spielberg..
May 25th, 2008
Parker
Ok, so I like the movie. But I just have to say that I’ve been to Nazca and you can see the lines without having to get into a plane. I think thats where this movie goes a little wrong, and where raiders went right. The finding of the ark was something that could happen, Hitler sent archaeologist to find it. The fact that the end was a little B movie was also ok because the nazis were all killed and the hero lived, a sort of ww2 history leason. In this movie one is asked to suspend a lot of , “That couldn’t happen”, so they can enjoy the ride. However if one can do that then it is one good ride, Just not as believeable at the first movie. But hey we go to see Indy because we want him to be larger then life right? Real archaeology is’nt that exciting. And I think he kills a lot less people in this movie then he does in Crusade and a heck of a lot less then in Raiders. Its not that bloodly. A good family movie that is also action packed, just like I remember them. I think that it is worthy of the name Indy.
May 25th, 2008
Larry W
I give the movie a C. I had low expectations to start with, and they were met.
Unlike the key reviewer I actually liked Mutt. I thought that was one of the more realistic transitions. As a fan of all three movies,having seen all three in the theatre (yes I’m in my mid 30’s), I give this a tossp up against temple of doom (the worst of the three - ironically till I hit 20 TODoom was my favorite).
Here is the problem. Dialogue & Repetition. Lucas is a genious in coming up with two major stories (Star Wars and Raiders), that being said his dialogue has gotten worse and worse. I just finished watching Raiders (after seeing this one), and the dialogue simply doesn’t compare. Then again, that might be do to the casting. In the first and 3rd you had Elliot, (and the actor who played Salah), and of course in the third movie you had Connery.
Allen’s role was also disappointing. While age has done a number on her, I though they misused her terribly. They developed her poorly, she basically had a few goofy lines.
Its been 19 years, couldn’t they do anything original? The argument with Allen about Indiana leaving her sounded early familiar to the seen where Indy meets up with his father in that castle in Austria (Remember Don’t Call me Junior). As the cliche goes it was funny the first time. Even the stunts, when Mutt had the sword fight with the Blanchett (who was a poor choice for a villian), the seen reminded me of the mine chase towards the end of temple of doom. There are a bunch of others, but I think those who are serious fans get my drift.
Then there were the references to past movies. Fans love this, but they didn’t have to be so corny. An example of a good reference was when he was escaping form area 51 the broke the crate holding the arc. Subtle but effective. But that seen with the snake in the sand pit, very corny.
All that being said, I think there is a future for Indiana Jones. I liked the kid, and think he could be a good Indiana Jones in the future. I heard a rumor that they may do another one with Indy being like Connery (wouldn’t suprise me given the gate revenues, and the propesity to copy) Perhaps if they spend more time with the script, maybe Lucas can bring someone in who can actually write dialogue. Quick witted jokes are fine, but limit and space them out a little more.
Overall I didn’t expect much from the 65 year old Ford. He sounded different in this film (age will do that to a man), but other then that he was impressive. Allen was cheated bythe poor dialogue, to put someone on screen who has aged beyond her acting prime (how many films has she been in the lsat 15 years?), she deserved a better script.
Like I said before I give it a C, some things went well, some didn’t. I do believe the movie could have been much better. I think the Lucas Magic is waining, I wish he could see that.
May 25th, 2008
Phil
I tend to agree with you. It wasn’t as good as the other three, but I’m quick to point out that time and memory do a funny thing. 20 years later, we’re much more critical of movies, whereas 20 years ago we accepted all the films’ flaws because we were young and dumb (speaking for myself : )
Memory, because - I find that today, I still overlook the flaws in the first three Indy’s and check them off as positives under the “nostalgic” column. Indy surviving a nuclear test by hiding out in a fridge is probably just as plausible as surviving an airplane crash by inflating a raft in midair (Temple of Doom).
With that said, I know Crystal Skull wasn’t great, but hey, it’s Indy.
Me, I was trippin at *what I thought* were funky opening credits:
http://examplify.blogspot.com/2008/05/horrible-typefaces-and-fonts-of-indiana.html
Cheers~
May 25th, 2008
ShowtimeUSA
First let me say that I have been a die hard Indiana Jones fan for many years, however this RUINED the entire series for me, just as the Star Wars prequiles ended my longtime obsession with that George Lucas series. I’m not sure exactly how much acid Lucas and Spieldberg dropped before they decided on the plot for this travesty of a picture, but I will never waste another dime on one of their washed up remakes.
I should have known where the movie was heading when they found the alien sarcophagus and made the references to Roswell. Instead I kept watching as an outragous sequence of paranormal events took place eliminating the need for a decent plot or screenwriters with any remote knowledge of history. The worst part of the movie was the quote Indiana makes to his son when they discover the true nature of the treasure. It must have been plagerized from a Magic School Bus episode. “Knowledge was their treasure”? I was waiting for him to start a lecture on the importance of college. And that rediculous biker episode Henry Jr. was wearing when he rides up was ripped off from Marlon Brandos character in “The Wild Ones”. It was replicated right down to the vintage springer motorcycle. Very Cheesy.
Another aspect which really grinded me gears was the reintroduction of Marian from Raider of the Lost Ark. All that trouble so that she can have four lines and look like a smiling, half crazy soccer mom for the entire film. The marriage scene at the end was a nice way to end the series in case the film bombed with fans (which I believe it will).
I imagine the exchange between Lucas and Spieldberg must have gone something like this. After getting way too old, and losing all their imagination they decided to ruin one of their old film franchises for a quick buck. Spieldberg wanted to remake E.T. and Lucas (having already murdered the Star Wars series) argued for Indiana Jones. Due to their overly inflated egos they finally decided that they would have to combine both films into one big waste of two hours and an insult to anyone who appreciated the original films.
The bottom line is that C.G.I. effects and writers strikes have given these once great directors the idea that decent plots are no longer necessary in movies. They are content to release lowsy computer generated cartoons that bear little resemblence to the original films we had all come to love.
May 26th, 2008
Larry W
I wouldn’t be so harsh. The “Crystal Skull” was fine, I think the dialogue was too cheasy, and for pete sake, come up with something original. The problem with sequals are that they appear to much like the previous ones. The Indiana Jones movies, however, did not have that. The stunts were different, the personality was different. Enter the 4th installment and its a mish mash of the three. Lucas you had 19 years to figure this out.
Let me add a few more things to my post…
Villians. This is an important part to the movie, and here is where it bombed real bad. Raiders, which is the best movie had a great villians, the best being, Belloq. The French Archiologist. In fact he was so good, perhaps they could have dug up written in a key for him. The other great villians was Toht the psycho german SS figures. His lines were classic. When Allen says I can be reasonable he says that time has passed.
In the second installment, that crazy human sacrfice guy was original, as were the Chinese villians at the opening of the movie. Perhaps this is why this was the worst of the three movies as the villians were not all that worthy.
Allow me to digress, anyone else think Blanchet was going to do the “chungarang chungarang” stuff when she was caressing indiana jones then dig for his heart (true fans will know what I’m talking about).
In the last cruscade, the villians were pretty good. Ella the blond Archelogist who slept with papa and son, was attractivel why they had to go out and copy her character with Mack (Did Mack’s death not remind you of Ella’s). Donavan the traitor (Also remind you of Mack) who’s death may be the best death scene in all the movies as he ages 1,000 years in 15 seconds. Lastly the German SS officer Colonel Vogel, was good.
Yet as my point went, this movie dulplicated the villians, and then brought in Cate Blanchett.
Come on, she sounded like Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle. Speilberg could have casted ivana humpalot from austin powers, and had a more successful villian. She was ridiculous.
As I have watched these movies 1000 times, the villians play as much a role as the hero’s.
Let me repeat, I disagree with not making more of these. The concept is fine. I actually like mutt (many don’t but I thought they developed his character well) he is a wise ass punk, with some smarts. Let him go on a few adventures with dad, this can work.
But for it to work well we need better dialogue, better villians, and yes some original ideas!
May 26th, 2008
Just Me
Yep, that was one stinky flick! Horrible!
May 26th, 2008
Hayley
So, I went to go see this movie, me, my boyfriend, and my two best friends, (all of whom religiously watch indy) anyways, after about the first ten minutes we wanted to walk right back out the door. maybe i just had high hopes to relive my youth but i was so disappointed with the movie.
*****************SPOILER**********************
plus i REALLLLLLLLLY don’t think that an indiana jones movie should EVER end with a wedding….maybe that’s just me!
I agree with Jordan….fridges are NOT that safe! haha
May 26th, 2008
Mike B
Larry, you’re on point about the weak villains. Not only were they weak, but so were their demises. I thought for sure Mack was going to get something worse than being blown through the window or whatever. He was greedy (like Elsa, good call) plus he’s a 3-time traitor, so he deserved something worse than that. Maybe like Satipo in Raiders. Cate Blanchett seemed like she was going to get something really bad, and that build up felt really cool to me, but then, whatever, she turns into smoke and…blah. The fire ants swarming the dudes mouth ruled. They should have done that kind of thing once or twice more.
Overall, though, the movie was good. First 30 minutes were awesome. Marion, Mutt, the whole family thing were extremely corny. Too much CGI for my taste. Harrison Ford is still great. The Alien thing was good for a bit, but oh, that last shot killed it for me. I purposefully lowered my expectations quite a bit before walking into the theater, so I could be pleasantly surprised, unless it was REALLY shitty. And it was definitely better than that.
May 26th, 2008
romi
(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)horrible movie and so much misinformation that its insulting!!!!….to talk about the Nazca lines and then go to Cuzco which is in a completely different part of the country…..to put mexican music when they are in Peru……to talk about the Mayan culture when they had to have talk about the Inca culture…..lots of bs and those predictable looking aliens pleaaaase!!!!! The plot ridicuolous and the reintroduction or Marian so pathetic so they can justify the young indy character……Very dissapointing……the wedding at the end…simply cheesy. Indy lost his appeal now and I looooove Harrison Ford but what a dissapointment
May 26th, 2008
Michael
Anyone miss all the suspense and booby traps that the other three had? This film was great in it’s own right, and I enjoyed it! I am a liffe long Indy fan. And while this one resembled the other three, it was no where near as entertaining as those were and left you without the sense of taking a grand journey when you left the theater.. The last five minutes were (for this series) just too much.. Could have left the Skulls jut doing a supernatural thing with out the green man and ship. That kind of deflated me. But i still enjoyed the film and would reccomend it. I SORELY MISSED all the booby traps and suspense.
May 27th, 2008
Show
Aliens! ALIENS! C’mon fellas. Speilberg and Lucas had 20 yrs to churn out a great script and they blew it, BIG TIME! The lighting was bad, the stunts uber-cheesy, the special effects obvious, the acting subpar, etc., etc. I think this is another example where Lucas wanted to make a film for children, e.g. Star Wars prequels, and totally trashed the franchise. They should have stuck with the Soviet theme and used it as a segue into some USSR locales where he battles KGB agents. Instead we get aliens. Sitting in the theater watching this film was one of those experiences where you feel embarrased for the person and in this case, Lucas and Spielberg. In a recent interview w/ Ford he was asked if he would do another and he answered yes. The reason he answered yes is b/c he desperately wants to atone and redeem for Kingdom of the Crystal Skullf*ckers. Thanks for ruining my childhood hero. I no longer believe in Jesus b/c of this movie. All hope is lost.
May 27th, 2008
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