Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an extremely implausible, ridiculous film. Many will argue that this was true of the three previous films in the franchise, and they would be correct; however, the suspension of disbelief was not nearly as overwhelming as it is in this picture.
Normal people waltz away from nuclear fallout unscathed. Characters plunge from Herculean heights, and the only damage that occurs as a result is a wrinkling of their clothes. And there are aliens. Yes, you heard correctly. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas felt they hadn't had enough extraterrestrial representation for the silver screen up to this point, and felt this film would be a forum to continue their fascination with life beyond Earth. This movie is fantastical on an obscene level.
But there is one other quality to this film that is more prominent than any of the ones previously mentioned: it was a blast to watch from beginning to end.
For those who are nervously anticipating news as to whether their fabled hero's return was justified, rest assured, oh ardent and salivating fans. The fourth installment in the film brings Professor Jones (Harrison Ford) back before his loyal audience a little older and ever so slightly wiser, but make no mistake, it is the same character. The confident smirk still lurks under the classic fedora even in the most intense of situations, and Indiana still rushes into each scenario without any real plan of action and yet still manages to succeed.
In this most recent (and supposedly last) film, Indiana is in search of the Crystal Skulls, a collection of artifacts that may be of extraterrestrial origin. However, the Skulls are also being pursued by a collective of Communists (led by a gloriously over-the-top Cate Blanchett) who desire the skull for the mystical power it is said to possess. As always, a wide assortment of elaborate fight scenes and chase sequences ensue.
Article comments
1 - rich
I saw the movie last night and had almost the same reaction. My thoughts after the film were very mixed. On one hand the action sequences are very in line with previous Indy films, but on the other hand.....Freakin aliens!? The way I feel about this movie is almost the same way I feel about George Lucas. I love that he brought us Indy and Star Wars and I hate what he has done with Indy and Star Wars. He should've given Spielburg the whole thing. We would have gotten a better movie and we would have thanked him for the idea of Indy. I guess if it wasn't for Spielburg and Ford, Lucas would have turned this into a cheese-ball martian flick. He's an idiot. I still love Indiana Jones.
Great movie but it cannot stand with the previous three.
2 - angel burgos
I think this movie is a great historic mistake. The producers of this movie have put in a bottle incas, mayas and aliens and then they have shaked it and the final product they served in a plate for a select audience that deserve respect.
3 - Paisley and Plaid
I saw it opening night in my city and was let down, though gently, for different reasons. It had to do with age. Sorry. It was entertaining, but I'll only see it the one time. (Iron Man got three visits!) I'm writing the review now and trying to deal with this kind of uncomfortable response.