Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

Posted by Chad Webb on 05.26.2008

Indiana Jones is back in a new adventure. Is it a guaranteed winner?

Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett: Irina Spalko
Karen Allen: Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf: Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone: “Mac” George McHale
John Hurt: Professor “Ox” Oxley
Jim Broadbent: Dean Charles Stanforth
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Written By: George Lucas, David Koepp, and Jeff Nathanson
Release Date: May 22, 2008
Running Time: 124 minutes







Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images.

The children who grew up in the 80’s adoring their hero Indiana Jones are now much older, and have the access of the internet. It has been nearly two decades since the last adventure of archaeology/history professor Dr. Henry Jones Jr. He must now contend with internet spoilers, early set photographs, and daily reports on script/production problems. Of course all these obstacles have prompted many critics and fans to sink fangs deep into the new installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The result is not a motion picture masterpiece, but all those expecting something equal to Raiders of the Lost Ark are simply foolish. Plain and simple, this film is a blast of popcorn entertainment.

This is a sequel that must also be altered to fit the CGI age. Reports state that Spielberg wanted to use as little computer generated effects as possible. That might be, but those scenes are very noticeable. With all that time between The Last Crusade and now, Spielberg and Lucas had a strenuous mountain to climb. They had to reinvigorate loyal audiences, yet captivate new ones. To do that, the action needed to be bigger and bolder, the villains needed to be inventive and more intimidating, and the story had to be both nostalgic and imaginative. Most of these points have been achieved, but risks were taken in order to attain them. Risks that will certainly divide the masses.

The year is 1957, and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), along with his sidekick George “Mac” McHale (Ray Winstone) have been forcibly taken to a warehouse in Nevada by the Soviet villain Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). She and her gang need Indy to locate some sort of mysterious artifact. After he does this, he escapes, and eventually returns to the classroom. Unfortunately, Dean Stanforth (Jim Broadbent) informs him that he must go on a mandatory leave of absence. While he is angry and frustrated, Jones is approached by a young kid named Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). He says that he needs Indy’s help because a mutual friend, Professor Oxley (John Hurt) and Mutt’s mother have gone missing. Oxley has gotten them into a situation concerning a treasure hunt for magnetic crystal skulls and a lost city of gold. Searching for these two will not be easy. Spalko and company are hot on the trail of Indy and Mutt, and stand in the way of them escaping the journey alive.

Every review, blog, and online article on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has the same whiny complaints. Some say it is too nostalgic. Others say that casting was too obviously just filling the spots of previous familiar characters. And still others argue that the suspense has dissipated. All this grumbling is causing you to miss the intentions of the franchise. I knew before hand that I was going to judge this in a different light. I am no longer the small boy that was addicted to breathtaking action and thrilling hunts for ancient relics. I am a reviewer that becomes more critical every year. Understanding that, I did my best to just sit back, and have fun. That is what many have failed to do. They would rather examine this with a fine tooth comb, and take note to all the examples where this was inferior to past adventures. I was not hoping for that, primarily because, that is impossible. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fresh action classic, recalling the 1930's serials. The sequels that followed were simply more adventures to soak up and adore. When I watch Rambo, I want to see him annihilate people. When I watch James Bond, I want to see him flirt with women and battle cartoonish bad guys trying to take over the world. I ask you, what were you expecting?

Moving along. Harrison Ford looks, feels, and sounds as if he never left this iconic role. His hair is grayer, but the attitude is the same, and so is the knowledge of history, the witty responses, and the quick thinking that keeps him going. At this juncture, the quality of his performance is trivial. Shia LaBeouf steps in as a youthful partner for Indy. I applaud LaBeouf’s ability of rising to the occasion in these highly anticipated blockbusters. He held his own in Transformers, a goofy, but neat series of explosions. He proved that a remake of Rear Window, entitled Disturbia, could actually be effective. He has the potential to be a fabulous star if he continues to picks his cards correctly. As Mutt Williams, sporting a leather jacket and a ducktail haircut, he is funny and engaging to watch. Besides one scene where he is seen swinging with monkeys, which was just retarded, he stands out in most of the big action sequences.

It is true that many of the characters were changed due to various restricting circumstances from Sean Connery, Jonathan Rhys-Davies, and the late Denholm Elliot. We have been reading about the Connery developments for months, but even though I was a firm supporter of him signing on, in retrospect, he was better left out of the movie. It would have made no sense for him to be there. As a matter of fact, the alterations in casting did not bother me at all because the performers inserted are brilliant actors. John Hurt is a hilarious and disheveled Professor Oxley, Jim Broadbent is suitable as the Dean, and Ray Winstone is terrific as Mac. Give Spielberg and Lucas credit for filling these spots with people that treated the substance with the respect and exuberance it required.

Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood. That glorious smile of hers was wonderful to see beside Indy once again. They exhibit that effortless chemistry so proficiently. Some have made the claim that The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull cannot stand on its own because of references to the past. Marion is the biggest example of this. I say this CAN stand on its own just fine. Most know exactly who Indiana Jones is, and where he traveled to on his quests. So the new viewers don’t recognize Marion? Whooptee dee. It is appropriately explained who she is, and what she meant to Indy shortly after she shows up. The other references, regardless of how many, are mostly subtle. These did not trouble me. No franchise is perfect in terms when it comes to this. James Bond did it a number of times. I appreciated the Pancho Villa line, which at least told the world that The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles existed.

Spielberg, Koepp, Lucas, and any of the army of screenwriters, or whoever took place in touching up this story took one big risk, and I can tell you all without giving away any spoilers. They combined the expected historical aspects with surprising science fiction elements. Some reviews will describe what this is in detail, but that is blatantly giving away excessive amounts of information. I will not. I thought it paid off extraordinarily well, but I can understand why some would disagree. It is a gamble that will not win over everyone. The main flaw is the CGI, which I mentioned earlier. When it is included, key moments are so sloppily palpable that one rolls their eyes in annoyance. Nevertheless, I still was at the edge of my seat during the action with red ants, waterfalls, and sword fighting. It was just what the doctor ordered. On a side note, the final scene with the hat, is outstanding.

When the smoke cleared, the discoveries were made, and the lights went up, I left Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a satisfied customer. I have acquired the habit of taking notes as I watch movies (many critics do it), but I did not do this for Indy. I wanted to forget my position as a reviewer and columnist, and just enjoy the exhilarating action, the fascinating city of gold plot (which was better than National Treasure 2 btw), and the awesome villainess portrayed by the always excellent Cate Balnchett. Try to see this as an appetizing dish that still tastes good. Holding it up as inferior compared to Raiders, Temple, or Crusade means you have missed the point. Sure, some adventures are better than others, but as long as I am entertained, and as long as Indiana Jones decides to venture into the hidden corners of the globe to unearth history, I say bring it on.

The 411: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the first adventure with the legendary hero in almost two decades. After all that time, and many new difficulties to contend with in a different movie going world, supplying a satisfying installment was not easy, but Steven Spielberg and George Lucas delivered the goods even if it is not perfect. Harrison Ford and Karen Allen return with new characters portrayed by Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, and John Hurt. They are all fantastic, the storyline is fulfilling, and the action is stimulating . All in all, this is successful sequel that brought back memories of why I love Indiana Jones. I would gladly watch this again and again.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]