Review: Indiana Jones and the Sequel of Dubious Quality

I'm not sure if I'm comfortable reviewing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I just saw it a few hours ago and it's one of those films that, much like Lucas' Star Wars prequels, needs a little time to gestate before rendering a final opinion. If your not sure what I'm talking about, then you probably don't remember the joy you experienced while watching The Phantom Menace, and then the feeling of it slowly fading as you left the theater and it dawned on you what a crap fest it really was. I have a bad feeling that the same will happen here. So, I'm just going to talk about the things I liked and disliked, off the top of my head.

The things that felt the most right about this film were the chases. The chases, for the most part, stand up to the excellent chases in previous Indy films. There is also an excellent sequence involving killer ants. You never seen enough killer ants in film these days. The most important thing that clicked however, was Harrison Ford. He still has that energy and sparkle in his eye that helped make the character of Indiana Jones great. Now, if he only had some better dialog to deliver. Not that the lines were bad here, they just weren't very memorable. There is a lovely nod to the late Denholm Elliott's wonderful Marcus Brody character as well as a pseudo-cameo from Henry Jones I. Brody is replaced by a similar character played by Jim Broadbent, who does a good job, but could never live up to Elliott's magic.



I should probably address Shia LaBeouf. I for one, don't hate Mr. LaBeouf and feel he does a good job here. He isn't annoying, and doesn't overstep his boundaries. Anakin Skywalker he is not, thank god. The other thing that must be addressed here, is more of a preparatory thing. This could be considered a spoiler, even though you learn about it in the first scene of the film, so proceed with caution. This entire film's plot revolves around aliens. Yes, the rumors are true, aliens. If this sounds like a stupid idea, it is... it really is. The film also feels the need to remind you every five seconds, that the skull is alien. Did I mention there are aliens? There are aliens. Isn't that annoying when I tell you over and over again? You bet. Too bad the filmmakers didn't realize that. So, aliens, a BIG check in the negative category for this film. The few other downsides pale in comparison: Cate Blanchett is laughable, Marian Ravenwood is a hollow shell of the character she once was, and somehow Indy survives an atomic bomb.

So, is it a good film? Probably not. If you turn your brain off and go with the flow, it can be a lot of fun, but whether or not it will stand up to any real analysis remains to be seen.

P.S. - If anyone out there has a copy of Frank Darabont's rejected script, I'd love to read it. I have a feeling that it's pretty good... comparatively.

Noah "Annubis" Soudrette


Trailer