INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL: REVIEW

cast: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent

Directed by Steven Spielberg

studio: Paramount

No matter which movies come and go, our trip to the cinema hall is one about nostalgia. For this is where we meet some great characters...while some we wish would land up on our front door and take us on the adventure, the others we certainly do not want to mess around with. While George Lucas gave us Darth Vader to fit the second billing, he also gave an icon like Indiana Jones for the former.

And so, nostalgia and sentimental values rules as cinema screens across the globe welcomes Indy back on screen after twenty years or so.

So yes, we do get back Spielberg to the director chair and George Lucas producing the flick. And the best bit is aged Harrison Ford comes back to play the role once again. So the fourth installment of the grand daddy of all adventure flicks, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is unleashed. So equip the man with the trademark hat and the whip, and we are ready to go.


With no further delay, we get into the thick of action in pure Indi style, where Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is kidnapped by the Russians and taken to the famous Area 51 in order to retreive a mysterious box. And leading the Russian pack is Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) in an all dominatrix getup trying to bring as much dimension as possible to this cardboard cutout of a villain.

Once we get that out of the way, we get into the main plot with the arrival of Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf) looking for the professor. The two instantly hit a rapport and sets out to the jungles of Peru in order to discover the truth about this 'crystal skull' stories and also to rescue Mutt's mother (Karen Allen) and professor Oxley (John Hurt).

So thus the duo of Indiana and Mutt is out there looking for truth and everyone discovers a lot more than what they bargained for.


All in all, what plays out onscreen before you is an average adventure flick, with the truth glaring in our faces that we get better stuff on TV these days. That is why one is forced to look at this as a disappointing taking into account the big names associated with this.

Instant questions is that how did they find this a worthy script to jump onboard for the fourth time. After all those script rewrites, one expected that they had a winner from writer David Koepp. But this one is disappointing.

There is old school written all over and Spielberg should be commended for it. Sticking to the tone of the originals, modern day audiences might find a lot of them silly. But probably not to the true Indy fans. However whenever the makers try something new from the template, things go wrong. Especially when you have Spielberg resorting to CGI territory for unwanted moments (yes, I am referring to the swinging episode!).

However on the positive we do get some of the sequences that we all love about Indy movies...like the over the top initial sequence in hangar 51, followed by the chase in the college premises ending right up in the library. Also watch out for the quick sand scene where Jones learns about Mutt's identity.

On the casting front, Shia Le Beouf is the surprise package. Actually we all thought that he was going to be worst thing about the movie, but Le Beouf brings a lot of that innocent charm to the table and his chemistry with Ford hits the right notes.

Karen Allen makes a lovely return to the franchise as Marion Ravenwood while Hurt also shines as the professor Oxley who seems to have lost it in his head. We all know that Cate Blanchett is capable of much more than what is given to her. However one must say, in these days, we expect a better villain for someone as invincible as Indy.

But the villain aint the issue. A better script was required. Sure we could have Indiana Jones return any time of the day, but the makers is said to have waited for the right scipt which all could agree upon. But unfortunate that after all those script talk, this is the best one they could come up with?! This compromise of a script is just a poor cousin of the Raiders of the Lost Ark episode with a deja vu of all the other adventure flicks that Hollywood has churned out over the years. Yeah, it was like watching one of those Pirate of the Caribbean sequels where you know that they are wasting our time with a second grade script that fails to deliver us on the levels of the original. Now you know why the first time will always remain special?

And finally the man - Harisson Ford. Twenty years later he is senior citizen and obviously we do not mind him doing all that he does on screen. And for a great deal, he carries the franchise well on his shoulders. And he goes on to proves that the hat fits no other head but his.

Hence the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise surfaces as an average product. And that is evident when the only thing you retain from the movie is that theme track that just keeps ringing in the head. Everything else is just an excuse designed around it!

MoviemagiK rates it 2.5 outta 5

PANEL ROOM

Well, even the general view from my regulars is that it seems to be a train missed. An attempt that really does not take off the way it was expected. Maybe that is the reason...huge expectations that find many being dissatisfied. What is your take on it? How well does Indy 4 fare..?

the film doesn't work on the most basic level : getting viewers on the edges of their seats REELVIEWS 2/4

the old ingredients don’t make for a particularly tasty meal even though they’ve been manipulated by the same hands. ONE GUYS OPINION C+

it's hard not to have fun on this adventure, and it's good to see that Indy, though slightly weary, still has the goods. USATODAY 2.5/4

'Indiana Jones 4' full of action, but forgets to have a good time CHICAGO TRIBUNE 2 /4

And though it falls well short of the greatness that is "Raiders," it may be my favorite of the sequels. FILMTHREAT 3.5/5