Funkymonk
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 488
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| Tell a Friend Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject: Indiana Jones and the Kindom of the Crystal Skull - Review |
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When Indiana Jones rode off into the sunset with his dad at the end of "The Last Crusade" it seemed a fitting conclusion to a great trilogy. Certainly, we couldn't have predicted a triumphant return 20 years later! But is the magic still there after so long? Well, yes and no................
The plot revolves around the Russians (led by an icy Cate Blancett) search for a mythical crystal skull hidden in the legendary Cities of Gold in Peru. Whoever finds it will posess untold power. Indy is wrongly accused siding with the Russians and sacked by his college. Poor Indy has the CIA and the Russians after him! After being told of the skull by a young rebel named Mutt (Shia Lebuff) the chase is on. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull even goes into sci fi territory with some nonsense about aliens but they havn't messed with the formula too much - this has all the ancient temples, booby traps and whip cracking action we've come to expect.
Ther's some great action scenes with sword fights, giant killer ants, car chases and Indy even survives an atomic explosion! Predictably, this is where the film is at it's best and Spielberg can work his magic.
Much has been made of Harison Fords ability to play the character at 65 but this is only a problem if you take these films more seriously then they are intended. The Indiana Jones films were always done with their toungue firmly in their cheek and, wisely, this film doesn't pretend Jones is a young man anymore. Set in the 50's, roughly 20 years after the originals the film get's the issue out of the way early on with typical humour. When Indy is captured at gunpoint by the Russians in the opening scenes his friend Mac (Ray Winstone) says "This isn't going to be easy........" to which Indy deadpans "Not as easy as it used to be".
No, Harrison still cuts the mustard and all the supporting cast put in good performances too. The script is also good but like the film as a whole lacking a bit of that elusive sparkle. The real problem with this film is hard to put your finger on. Just taken as an action adventure it's a good film but compared to the other films in the series it isn't quite up to standard. The secret of this series success was the way the films were over the top, at times unrealistic yet still involving and exillerating. This film just went a bit too far (even for Indy). Several times i found myself thinking "that's just silly" or "that wouldn't happen". When this starts to happen you struggle to suspend your disbelief, and that's a big problem in a film like this.
There's a cute end scene where Mutt picks up the famous hat and is about to put it on but Indy takes it off him with a determined grin as if to say "not just yet kid". This really should be the final film though, at least for Ford.
3/5 - Good return but like the ancient artifacts Indy searches for maybe the franchise should have been left as it was. |
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