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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 
Stars: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent
Director: Steven Spielberg
Scriptwriter: David Koepp based on a story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson
Composer: John Williams
Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski
Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG 13
Running Length: 120 minutes
Website: www.IndianaJones.com
 
Buckle your seat belts, fans, here comes the fourth film in the “Indiana Jones” series. The movie is set about 1957 and seat belts weren’t in cars then. The way people jump from moving vehicle to moving vehicle in this film, they wouldn’t have time to buckle and unbuckle. In fact, they don’t have time to drive, either.
 
Harrison Ford is back, fedora, whip and all, and he looks great. At the screening I was at, several guys wore fedoras, but, hey, as nice an homage as it was, you still don’t look like Ford. Steven Spielberg is the director with his special attention to detail, so much so, that even though the central characters are in the middle of the screen, there is kind of a 3-D effect with things going on around the edges of the screen. John Williams does the music and who else would have tackled this, I wonder? A moment is paid to Sean Connery as Indiana’s father and then it is off to save the world from nefarious villains. More than one secret is revealed in this film and that’s all I’m saying.
 
Indiana Jones is still teaching at a college and somewhat on the edge as to whether the school still wants him. Trouble follows Jones wherever he goes, especially when he meets Mutt (Shia LaBeouf from “Disturbia”), a motorcycle-riding-leather jacket-ducktail kid who has brains but dropped out of school. Seeing Jones on the back of that cycle and Ford’s facial expressions are worth the price of admission. It seems as though Mutt is a friend of a Professor Oxley (John Hurt) and the professor is missing, but left tantalizing clues about returning something crystal. OK, this isn’t wedding crystal, but an unusual skull that Jones recognizes as unique. Off they go, pursued by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett with dreadful bobbed black hair and an accent from somewhere south of St. Petersburg.) Since this is 1957, the villains are now Russian with appropriate uniforms, a tendency to stumble and fire weapons erratically. Jones on the other hand has a whip and quick mind for escapes. The chase goes from the United States to Peru. Jones does have another sidekick besides Mutt, and that is Mac (Ray Winstone from “ Beowulf“) who has escaped from several adventures with Jones. Fans will remember a warehouse (reference to a past film), plus a scene with a snake (also a reference to a past film.)
 
Unexpectedly, not only do the trio meet up with Professor Oxley, but Marion Ravenwood (not the same Ravenwood as in television’s “Jericho”), Indiana’s former girlfriend. It’s back in action with Marion at the wheel of any vehicle she can get and the rest of the group fighting from within, without and on-top-of such vehicle. You get the picture and the stunts are spectacular, especially a jeep race through the jungle.
 
Suspend belief and don’t expect the story to make that much sense. It’s just good to get another “Indiana Jones” picture out of Harrison Ford and company, with Spielberg at the wheel and John Williams directing the music. Where were you when the first “Indiana Jones” film (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) came out? I was a beginning film reviewer and that film was one of my first assignments.
 
Harrison Ford still has a crooked smile and Fedora hat. The camera wisely zeroes in on his face at times and this says more than pages of dialogue. The much younger Shai LaBeouf does well as the youngster in this group and his prop is a comb. Karen Allen still gives the word “feisty” new meaning. John Hurt is lost in the physical make-up of Professor Oxley, but you recognize the voice. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at the film, done after all these years. Sometimes, perhaps, you can go home again.
 
 
Copyright 2008 Marie Asner
Submitted: 5/19/08 for 5/22/08

Indiana Jones; the 80’s icon with the cool hat and blazing whip. I always cringe when studios try and recreate a phenomenon. Sometimes well enough alone is better left. Harrison Ford is going to be 66 here in a few months so do we really want to see him mixing it up with bad guys as he tries to save treasure and uncover buried secrets? Or worse yet, have some silly cameo where he pops in from time to time and the only resemblance to an Indiana Jones film is in the title. Well, don’t let the gray hair fool you. Ford is just as much Indiana Jones now as he was 20 years ago. He might be a little slower and a bit wiser but he knows how to deliver the goods. Too bad Lucas and Spielberg weren’t as up for the challenge.
 
This 4th installment jumps right into the action and you find yourself in the 1950’s where everyone has an eye out for communists and the latest Elvis record. We find Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) caught up with Russians, spies and a mystery surrounding ancient crystal skulls. When he is confronted by a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) on a bike with a sob story about an old friend of Indies named Oxley (John Hurt), Jones has no choice but to stick it out. He has to solve riddles of old and decipher long forgotten text in order to save his friend and stay one step ahead of the Russians, but he is Indiana Jones so we would expect no less than action and peril around every corner. All with that no nonsense Indiana Jones style and wit. 
 
This movie was a blast from the opening scene. The adventure and action that made the 80’s films remarkable where all brought back in over the top, unbelievable, could never happen, fashion. Whether Jones is jumping from speeding jeeps or running along roof tops while managing to elude 100’s of Russian artillery fire, he has a way of making it seem effortless. Even at his age. The supporting cast is perfect but that is no surprise. Cate Blanchett plays Irina Spalko, a Russian super chick who has her eye on the skull for evil, world dominating reasons. Cate’s character brings a classic 50’s henchman look and feel to the film. She is a humanized Natasha who has no need for a Boris to get the job done. She plays this role with the same passion she put into the queen of England. Add the always solid acting of LaBeouf as the young rebel trying to help save a friend and you have a cast that can make a picture happen. 
 
But just as everything was firing on all cylinders and you think that Lucas and old Spielberg have done up the perfect film, tragedy strikes. I will not give any details about this calamity. I do not want to spoil the final portions for you. Some of you may like it. And if so then you deserve the right to see it as it is. For those like me who will walk out going, “what the crap was that”, you still need the right to see and respond on your own. That is the beauty of movie magic. I blame Spielberg for this error although Lucas was probably on the same wave length. I have no idea what they were thinking but in my opinion it kept a fantastic film from being a colossal masterpiece of adventure. 
 
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images. This is a perfect film for anyone 12 and up. It is filled with fun archeological mazes and tombs, hidden walls and pathways. All reminiscent of the Lost Ark days. There is quite a bit of gun play though I am trying to remember if anyone ever actually gets hit. The scary images are brief and not enough to keep your kid away from such an adventure as this. Though not as friendly as the National Treasure series, it is still tame enough for most. I wanted to give this film huge rating but I just can’t overlook the one failing element. No matter how hard I try. I give Indiana Jones 3.5 out of 5 “I like Ike” buttons. Go enjoy it and have some fun!
 
Matt Mungle (5/19/08)
 
Matt is a member of the North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and co-hosts a weekly radio feature, The Mungles on Movies, with his wife Cindy. For additional reviews, interview clips and great DVD giveaways, visit the website www.mungleshow.com
 

 
Review copyright 2008 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.