Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Here's the best encapsulation of my experience with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: it was FUN. It was exactly what the series is all about. Thrills, supernatural frights, great chase sequences, quips and laughs. All orchestrated, perpetrated, or at the expense-of our aging but not quite in-a-wheelchair hero. I may not see it again in the theater, but I will add it to my DVD collection, and not just to fill out the set.And now on to my complaints. Not about Indy 4, but from the litany of feedback that I have read or have gotten from various folks. (One of these days I'm going to write more about the cons of the Internet and how every single idiot's voice can be heard.)

Feedback #1:"Lucas has ruined yet another series!!!" Fan boys are the worst. You think that most of these people are probably under the age of 30, never having seen the originals in the theater and being spoon-fed their opinions from disgruntled adults who never liked movies. Notably, I have not met any negative reviewer of The Phantom Menace who has not conceded it was better than they initially thought, with repeated viewings, but then most just give up, go 'bah' and return to their caves safe from thought. Indiana Jones movies are about as polar opposite of the prequels as you can get -- you need to strap in and enjoy the ride and don't worry about the bumps along the way. Anyway, people like this are best avoided, because you really aren't going to learn anything from them except how to hate.

Feedback #2: "Where would you rank the film? Is it better than Raiders??" This is just irritating for me. I put it solidly at #2, right with Last Crusade and Temple. Raiders is god and the sequels are demi-gods. It's a great follow up. Period.

Feedback #3: "I liked it except for... [suspension of disbelief] issue." There are some parts to every Indiana Jones movie that makes you roll your eyes. Some people don't have issues with the same things that you do, but most have some moment when they are incredulous. Hey, you are watching a sequel called "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Think about it. And still people cannot stop going, "Yeah, but..." Ugh. See, when I saw Indy survive the nuclear blast in a lead-lined refrigerator that was kicked out about ten miles by the explosion, I laughed and thought it was marvelous. It's an Indiana Jones movie, for Christ's sake. Please don't tell me the forty things that were wrong with that stunt, lest I make a serious face, placing my hand thoughtfully on my chin and say, "Fascinating" with every pointless comment. And then again remind you that you are technically analyzing a movie called "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". Please.

And if nothing else, see Indy 4 for one of the top three, yes top three (no, I'm not going to rank them right now), scenes in the whole series. (I am referring to the 'throw me the rope' scene.) I was literally laughing throughout the scene, not so much because it was funny (it was), but it was so outrageously clever. Come to think of it, I may pay ten bucks to see just that part again. Suspend your disbelief.

Indy 4 Reviews

So, Rotten Tomatoes currently has Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at 79% fresh, which is a good score. But, this is the kind of film, being a huge Raiders fans, that I am going to see no matter what anyone says. Still, I cannot resist movie reviews, so I browsed through some.Here's a review from Cinematical, that I think best captures what true fans of the series want and are gratified to hear:

To those who spent the last several years offering lame jokes about Indiana Jones and the Retirement Home, be prepared to eat some crow. Yes, Indy does look quite a bit older than the last time we saw him, and fine, it's kind of absurd to expect a 60-year-old man to do what Dr. Jones does. In the real world. In a series that offers vengeful gods, mine cart roller coasters, and immortal knights ... are we really going to whine about an actor with a few new wrinkles on his face? Ford does many of his own stunts here, plus he's aided by several stuntmen, a few CG tricks, and some masterful editing. Not once does this guy seem too old to be doing his thing. As far as Mr. Ford's actual performance is concerned, he slips back into the character with no effort whatsoever. Wiser and more weathered, but absolutely the same old Indy.

At this point you'd probably like a simple answer to a simple question: "Is it as good as the other ones?" To which I would answer "Yes, absolutely ... aside from the first one." To me (and many others), Raiders of the Lost Ark is right up there on a level with Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, and The Godfather. In comparison, I consider Temple of Doom to be a stellar collection of action scenes that are punctuated by sub-par dialog and a horribly annoying damsel, while Last Crusade is a warm-hearted and creative adventure movie that suffered just a little bit from downright familiarity. So while I really enjoy Temple and Crusade, they don't hold a candle to their big brother. And Crystal Skull follows that arc to a tee: It's definitely got some over-clunky dialog, a touch of over-ripe "expositionzing," and at least one action beat that feels patently ridiculous, but complaining about those things (in the face of so much colorful fun) seems a bit greedy -- like opening your Christmas presents and then saying "That's it?!?!"

Ultimately, you certainly don't need this review like you'd maybe need a review of something small, indie, or festival-bound, since you already know full well if you want to see a movie called Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. If you've made it this far, you probably just want to know what an old-school fan (who also happens to be a movie critic) thinks of the movie. Yes, I saw all three Indy flicks during their theatrical run, and more times than I care to mention. So with both sides of my brain (the geeky nostalgia side and the semi-smart analytical side) in working order, I can most assuredly recommend Indiana Jones Part 4 as one of the most comfortably entertaining adventure movies of the past several years. To expect any movie to live up to the Raiders standard is simply unfair, but Crystal Skull fits very excellently next to both Temple of Doom and Last Crusade.

Or, the short version from Roger Ebert:

I can say that if you liked the other Indiana Jones movies, you will like this one, and that if you did not, there is no talking to you.

I'll be getting my tickets for tomorrow. Trust me.