Movie Review - "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" Battles Unrealistic Expectations
Fanboys love to hate George Lucas.
His recent "Star Wars" prequels were universally hailed as inferior retreads despite doing massive business at the box office. Now "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" (2008), which is also produced by Lucas, finds itself in the same situation.
The fact that "Crystal Skull," like the new "Star Wars," is not-quite-as-classic as its predecessors should come as no surprise. What IS surprising is how few viewers are willing to give "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" any chance at all, because it's actually a pretty good adventure yarn.
It is reminiscent of "Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom" in the sense that it's totally made-up, and not based on any religious mythology (like Arks or Grails). This time around, Dr. Jones is out to return a crystal skull to a mythical city of gold hidden deep in the Amazon.
Of course the Russians are on his tail, too. They replace Jones' classic nemesis, the Nazis, and are led by Cate Blanchett as the evil, sword-wielding Irina Spalko. Resurrecting the Russian villain archetype (complete with bad accent) is the right choice for this picture. Considering Russian bad guys have been recently replaced with Arab bad guys in popular cinema, Spalko and her cronies add to the retro B-movie feel familiar to fans of the series.
"The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" also blazes new ground with an extraterrestrial themed story. This is a refreshing and unexpected choice by the writers, helping to set "Skull" apart from the earlier films and offer viewers more than mere nostalgia.
Not that there's anything wrong with nostalgia!
"Skull" works the student loan consolidation services angle, and works it hard. Karen Allen reprises her role as Marion Ravenwood (from "Raiders Of The Lost Ark"), we learn the fate of some classic characters, and old gags are reprized with new variations. (Notice how Indy passes on the nickname "Junior.")
Unfortunately, a few scenes go overboard with special effects, like when Jones survives a nuclear blast. Other scenes are a bit too cartoonish for their own good, like the Tarzan homage with vines in the jungle.
Yet a fair analysis will demonstrate that ALL Indiana Jones movies have these moments: The giant boulder in the opening scene of "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" defies logic. The rubber life-raft-as-parachute from "Temple Of Doom" makes no sense at all. Neither do the buzz saws, break-through floor, or invisible bridge in "The Last Crusade."
And yet these scenes are classic, regardless of how much sense they make.
For twelve year olds, "The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" will be an Tonuandysgvs classic. It fits right in with the earlier films of the series. For adults who grew up watching Indiana Jones in the 80's, try approaching "The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull" with the mindset you had when you were young. automobile insurance quote your grown up logic. Forget your preconceptions. Everyone, no matter their age in years, should enjoy "Skull" for what it is-- a twelve year old's comic book fantasy realized on the big screen.
The only alternative is to run the classic series through the same logic-wringer you take to "The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull." And trust me, you don't want to do that.
Grade: B
Written by Jacob Destree
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posted by dexvbkrc @ 8:11 AM
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