Films within a series deserve to be compared against one another as the previous entries serve as points of reference. When one of the most beloved characters in cinema history makes a return after a near 20 year hiatus, you can expect some changes. What makes Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull different is where the changes are applied.
The action starts off with Indian Jones (Harrison Ford) held captive by Russian soldiers lead by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchet) during the cold war era ‘50s. Oddly enough the Russians are not only in America, but have broken into Area 51, and are using Jones to find one of what turns out to be several crystal skulls. Of course Jones escapes through the use of some of his classic moves and an enchanted household appliance. With the Russians behind him, Jones is brought back into the action by Mutt (Shia Leboeuff), a greaser with information on a separate crystal skull. This takes the duo south of the border where most of the film’s computer generated carnage takes place.
Indiana Jones is back, that’s really all anyone needs to hear to entertain the idea of ponying up $10 for a ticket. The fact that the film has a syllable clad mouth aching title is of no relevance. This movie was destined to make money, and that desire causes some of the trouble. This film is an example of lazy filmmaking. The more you think about it, the more agonizingly flawed it appears. This isn’t the case with previous entries in the series. For example, the people responsible for guarding the treasure this time around appear out of nowhere and with no explanation. It is as though some tribesmen have decided to camp sites undiscovered by civilization and attack anyone who enters. Some of them are so driven that they have constructed walls around their bodies, begging the viewer to question the vitality of these protectors.
You may feel I’m being too harsh as you watch it, and no doubt you will see this movie in some way or another. The first two acts are not that bad. They largely feature exposition and some fun action in spirit with previous entries. The absurdity takes a little while to snowball. Toward the end of the film I couldn’t believe in the amount of influence the supernatural had over the characters. Only the most plausible sequences have the benefit of pointing to the power of the skull to provide believability. The showcase action sequence of this film, is the Jeep chase through the jungle and it is from this point on that the movie loses credibility. The chase itself lacks the signature stunt work of the Jones series, replacing thrills with greenscreen safety. This effectively removes the viewer from the world of the movie. After this, the movie becomes a parodying cartoon with shenanigans Wiley E. Coyote would attempt. Once the characters pass the waterfalls, yes that would be plural, we can really take into awe the highly resilient characters. I’ve seen a number of formidable characters, but never has anyone been as persistent as Indy in his old age; showing no signs of fatigue or pain, just like a toon entering the next scene unscathed.
Though the effects fail to meet expectations, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. By the end of the film, the screenwriters forgot about the skull found at Area 51. John Williams’ score cues the blatantly obvious like it is a revelation. The soft focus will make you schedule an eye exam. The list-o-flaws endures; I do what I can to avoid spoilers in my reviews. Ford still shines as Jones, but he loses out to what has become the team with no reservations (Steven Spielberg and George Lucas). The Hollywood recycling effort once again cleans out the closet and gives us the trash. *½
Loading ...
Recent Comments