Written by Hombre Divertido
Considering the amount of times this project stalled due to a poor script, you would think the final product would have been better. At its core this outing is simply too convoluted and unbelievable. Yes, it may be difficult to say that the three previous films were believable, yet they contained a quality that is sorely lacking here.
It is not the performances for the most part, though Harrison Ford gives an awkward portrayal of our hero, but it appears to be more related to what he has to say than how he says it. Cate Blanchett is quite fun as Irina Spalko, the leader of the Russian squad out to possess the power of the Crystal Skull, and it is enjoyable seeing Indy reunite with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), though much more could have been done with said reunion. John Hurt, like Ford, is saddled with awkward writing that gives him little to do. He also may have been disturbed by the similarities between the Crystal Skull and that of his previous alien nemesis. Shia LaBeouf and Ray Winstone are along for the ride, but their characters are simply too under developed, as are most of the relationships in this film.
The major problem here is that as we watch Indy and friends attempt to track down the Crystal Skull and the legendary Lost City of Gold before the Russians get to it, we are not drawn in by the outlandish CGI-inundated perilous situations. The line that separates what we are willing to accept as possible and plausible was certainly pushed to the edge in the three previous outings, but in most cases there was simplicity to the situations that allowed us to accept and enjoy the ride. We are so far over the line in this film, that it exceeds laughable and hits disappointing.
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Article comments
1 - me
You are supposed to see the backdrop touch the ground in the storage facility to give hommage to the raiders movie how you could tell it was a matte painting back drop back then.
2 - sam
Most movies nowadays are poorly scripted and formulaic. The last action movie I really liked was Taken with Liam Neeson. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually was excited and got into the movie.
3 - The Last Crusase should have been The Last Crusade
While I am definitely not a film critic I know when something is really worth spending precious time on. I almost feel like having to say you like or, heaven forbid, love this latest Indiana Jones movie is like having to force myself to be politically correct concerning a movie opinion. The story plot was so vague and the ending (without telling what it is) was so pathetic that I was more than let down and glad to be leaving the theater. All of the great Indiana Jones movies of the past developed characters that you could "get to know" and exciting story lines that kept you interested from the very start but this movie absolutely had none of this. It was like watching 105 minutes of a 3 to 4 character play that did not keep you wondering what would happen next but kept you wondering if something would hopefully happen next. I cannot believe they waited this long to make the next installment of this series because they "could not find the right script that everyone could feel good about". It is not the age of Harrison Ford that gave me negative feelings. He did not even take on the Indy character in terms of action and looks until the last 30 minutes of the film. But to me it is uncharacteristically strange of Steven Spielberg to rely on digital affects more than character building and character interacting. This is not a boring film but it is a WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON IN THIS MOVIE!? kind of film. It is also an I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THIS MOVIE IS OVER kind of film. Again the ending of this movie is incredibly stupid with hardly enough explanation as to why the ending is happening in the first place. Unfortunately, the only other film this rates a little above is the movie
Mummy II. And that was a REAL ridiculous movie. I give this movie 3 out 5 stars mostly for the support of the mindless special effects.
4 - Alex
This movie is SO bad it is unbelievable. All positive nostalgic thoughts of the once great Indiana franchise have been trodden into the dirt by Lucas and Spielberg. It is as if they went out on a day trip together to drum up the worst 2 hours of cinema in either of their careers. In more of a nod to the worst aspects of Harry Potter or the completely ludicrous Baron Munchausen this deserves no credit and has no redeeming features.
With a completely flawed adventure story tied together by patchy lines and poor, overdone CGI with cheap and unimaginative humour this cannot be any worse. DO NOT WATCH!