Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (imdb)
After a nice vacation, we’re back and ready for a summer of movies. Indiana Jones returns this summer in a highly anticipated sequel. I was definitely antsy to see this one, and all I can say is this: at its best, the movie is somewhat fun and entertaining - at its worst, it destroys my childhood dreams.
This Indiana Jones movie definitely falls into the worst of the bunch. While there are numerous criticisms hurled at Temples of Doom, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull falls far behind the rest of the pack. The movie is outrageous with its narrative progression without the fun and excitement of an Indiana Jones flick. Surviving a nuclear explosion inside a refrigerator? Alien flying saucers? Double-double-double crossings? Is this really necessary?
Personally, I liken Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to one of the Stephen Sommers “Mummy” movies, a franchise that churned out a pair of adventure-filled movies (as well as a crap spin off). The Mummy movies never aspired to greatness and I never found them as compelling as the original Indiana Jones, but they were fun and rollercoastery. Crystal Skull has a strong CGI reliance and a ridiculousness that fits within the tone of The Mummy flicks, but I would say it wasn’t quite as good as a fun-filled Mummy movie. By not meeting the standard of a B-adventure Mummy movie, the new Indiana Jones surely fails to live up to the high bar placed by its predecessors.
It crushes my spirits, but Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a massive disappointment. The inclusion of man eating ants, Shia LaBeouf as a greaser, and a crazy, possessed John Hurt seemed all a bit off. The movie is watchable to say the least, but that doesn’t quite cut it. While I can’t say I was expecting a great Indy 4, I was hoping it would at least honor its past ala Die Hard 4, becoming good entertainment and homage. As it stands however, I’m surprised Spielberg was attached to this project. With movies like Munich, Saving Private Ryan, and hell, even War of the Worlds under his belt, Indy 4 should have been worlds better.
2.5 swinging monkeys out of 5
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