Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

(Movie Review) 

Since there are no movie theaters out here in Nakatsu, I always miss out on the summer blockbusters. But, the good news is, sooner or later they all come out on video. So here I am with - another - belated - review of a hit summer movie. 

Like every child of the 80s, "Indiana Jones" was a big part of my childhood. 

Although if you want to get technical about it, I wasn't allowed to see my first Indiana Jones movie until the decade had already turned over in the year 1990. But even without being able to watch the movies, it was impossible to escape from Indiana Jones in the 1980s. The music and parodies were everywhere. I still remember the Muppet Babies parody of Indiana Jones. I also had the Fischer Price book and tape version of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as a child, and later when I wasn't allowed to see the actual movies I contented myself with reading the film novelizations of both "Temple of Doom" and "The Last Crusade". 

And when I did finally see the movies in 1990, I was still a young 12 years old--still young enough to be absolutely blown away by all the magic and action packed into those movies. 

So, I was excited as anyone else to see Indiana Jones back in action. 

Of course, after the disastrous "Star Wars" prequel affair, I think we're all feeling a little bit once burned twice shy about resurrecting the movie heroes of our childhood. 

Because I had to wait to see this movie, I had a lot of time to read all the angry complaints about this movie from the fans. 

For example, to see a youtube video of an Indiana Jones fan who is really not happy about this new movie, click here. 

And I think after the recent South Park episode, there is no doubt about how the South Park creators feel about this movie. 

But, you know, for my money, this movie was alright. I think it makes a fine addition to the Indiana Jones franchise. 

And based on Rotten Tomatoes, about 76% of critics agree with me, so maybe, angry fan boys aside, I'm mostly just singing with the choir on this one. (Although as Whisky notes, behind this numerical superiority there does appear to be a certain half heartedness about even the positive reviews). 

As any Internet geek knows, the original Indiana Jones movies were created as tributes to the pulp fiction serials of the 1930s. However at the same time Spielberg and Lucas packed Indiana Jones with great action scenes no-one had ever seen the like of before. And so on one hand the series was looking backwards, on the other hand it was forging ahead and creating its own new genre. 

With the first few movies, Spielberg and Lucas were obviously creating the rules as they went along. How much can you borrow from the campy jungle adventure films of the 1930s without getting too silly or over the top? I imagine at the time that, win or lose, it must have been a very fun question to answer, and its obvious Lucas and Spielberg gave their imaginations free run. 

But 27 years after the first movie, the Indiana Jones series has become an established institution, complete with its own set of self-appointed high priest fans who interpret what can and can not be part of an Indiana Jones movie. 

Is it blasphemous to put aliens in an Indiana Jones movie? George Lucas argued that if they continue with the theme of reflecting pulp movies, then once they got to the 1950s, space aliens did seem to be the next logical step. 

It's probably a good idea that Spielberg stepped in and toned this idea down enough so that the aliens are just in the background. But at the same time, I can see Lucas's logic. 

If Indiana Jones had actually been a serial movie hero of the 1930s, and if his popularity had lasted in the 1950s and 60s, then I'm sure he would have encountered space aliens at some point anyway. Just like Dick Tracy ended up doing in the 1960s. And Tarzan. And little Orphan Annie. And most other old pulp heroes that lasted that long. 

You could debate the point either way, but in a series that already contained such fantastic elements as Voodoo, magic chalices with the power to heal or rip off skin, elaborate booby trapped ancient temples, and the Old Testament Arc of the Covenant complete with holy spirits inside......then doesn't the question of whether or not aliens fit into the series become a little like debating Angels dancing on a pinhead? 

As for the Nuke the Fridge scene: yeah, I thought it was a bit over the top, but it didn't spoil the whole movie for me. 

And what's more, I thought the adventures in the jungles, the Russian spies, the search for the lost cities of gold, escaping man-eating ants and going over waterfalls, were all great fun. 

I thought the action sequences were worthy of the original trilogy Indiana Jones films. Despite all the clucking and commenting about Harrison Ford's age, he and the special effects team come through brilliantly in this movie. 

The usual Harrison Ford dry wit and sense of humor is also on full display and as good as ever in this movie. 

This film really brought me back to my childhood, and re-created the feeling of watching a new Indiana Jones movie for the first time. 

It seemed to me that the film makers took great care to preserve the feeling of the original movies. The tone, humor, action sequences, and general exotic sense of adventure are all there again. 

In fact, if anything, the film is too closely tied to the original Indiana movies. Almost every sequence in the new film evokes memories of another parallel sequence from somewhere in the original trilogy. And this (as most reviewers have not failed to notice) is where the fault, if any, lies with this film. It doesn't break any new ground. It just rehashes the Indiana Jones formula. 

But it is a sequel after all. People neither want, nor really expect, a sequel to break new ground and go off in a completely new direction. (Witness how upset the fan base got when even a hint of aliens was added to the plot). As Roger Ebert says, "same old same old." Yes, but that's what I want it to be. 

If they go onto make a 5th Indiana Jones movie (as they are talking about) then it might be nice for them to try and add some new stuff. But for the first time back in 20 years, I was more than content to watch them just replay their greatest hits. 

One last thought: When I was 12, my favorite Indiana Jones movie was "Temple of Doom". What was not to love about it? Gun fights in China, sledding down the Himalayas, labyrinths filled with insects, mine cart tunnel races which seemed to go on forever, flooding, and hot lava. It even had a kid sidekick, and when I was a kid, I loved watching movies about other kids. 

Only later did I find out that "Temple of Doom" is considered the low-point in the trilogy by Indiana Jones fans. And re-watching them all recently, I can see that now. But that doesn't change the fact that I loved it when I was 12. 

In the same way, I think all of this back and forth about whether aliens should be in an Indiana Jones movie, or whether Shia LaBeouf is qualified to play his son, will likely go completely un-noticed by the younger generation. I can't imagine any 12 year old boy in his right mind who wouldn't love this movie.  

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Movie Review (Scripted)