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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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MikeMaroon's Review
Indy's back! All is right with the world.......
a movie buff, Lover of adventure movies
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MAY
23
2008
Steven Spielberg and crew did what many thought was impossible. They brought our beloved Indy back, and they brought him back with that same wry smile, witty banter and sly toughness we loved about him. They gave him back to us with a great, if somewhat hard at times to follow, story, engaging characters and breakneck action. I mean, lets face it, Indiana Jones movies were never high art, but popcorn entertainment meant make two hours go by quickly and put smiles on our faces. This installment does that every bit as well as any of the previous 3.
There are, of course, the obligatory bad guys, but time has done away with Jones' favorite folk to hate on, the Nazis. The year is 1957 and this time he's been kidnapped by the big meanies of the day, the Russians, lead by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). Seems there is an artifact stored on a military base and they think he can help them get it. That he does and then tries to escape. In true Raiders of the Lost Ark fashion, Jones must overcome one high velocity obstacle after another in a sequence exhilarating, humorous and exhausting all at once. Finally escaping from his tough spot he unwittingly jumps right back into the frying pan as his affiliation with with an old "friend" brings unwanted attention from the FBI.
Back at our familiar Marshall College, Dr. Jones is put on administrative leave in a move taking a poke at the McCarthyism prevalent at the time. On his way out he's stopped by a young greaser named Mutt (Shia LeBouf) who tells him an old colleague , Harold Oxley (John Hurt) has disappeared after discovering a crystal skull. Its at this point Indy discovers the Soviets are still following him and our adventure begins in earnest, trying to find Oxley and stop the russkies from getting their hands on the crystal skull. After all, if the bad guys want it, it must have some power they think they can use against us.
As with each adventure before it, the story twists and turns its way to a final confrontation, this time with the Russian Spalko, dragging us along for the chases, near disasters and astonishing stunts (many of which are performed by Ford) we've come to expect and have missed for so long. Coming along for the ride are Mutt and an old flame of Indy's (and one of my favorites), Marion Ravenwood in the person of Karen Allen, looking pretty much like she did in the first film and just as feisty. Along the way, we find Indy has aged quite nicely, thank you.
The thing that makes Indiana Jones so endearing to me is any of us could be him. He's an average Joe who often, in the pursuit of something he believes in, finds his efforts thwarted, albeit temporarily, by those with less honorable motives. He doesn't really care much to be an action hero, he just finds himself having to be. There's nothing super about him other than his sheer determination and integrity. He gets waylaid often and when he gets hit, he bleeds. His reaction to danger is what we hope ours would be in the same situation and it never even occurs to him to take advantage of the moment for personal gain. He's the everyman hero Superman or Batman could never be.
Spielberg and Lucas do a fine job of catching us up on key events in Indiana's life over the past 19 years, giving us back story we didn't know before, and manufacturing an adventure worthy of Indy's talents. The computer generated graphics are sometimes obvious and nearly get in the way at times, but never really enough to detract. If you are looking for something fresh and new, move along little doggies. This won't satisfy your yearning. If what you want is a fun, nostalgic visit with a really cool swashbuckling old friend who has some tall tales to share, well, climb aboard and enjoy the ride. Me, I'm just dang glad to see him again. GRADE: A-
Last edited on May 23, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is recommended by MikeMaroon
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