MOVIE REVIEW: INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
The original Indiana Jones trilogy were the movies of my boyhood and whenever I have watched them since, they have reminded me so much of the type of films I loved as a kid. For this reason, it is difficult to review the latest instalment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, because, although there are strong glimpses of past glories, this film falls short of what fans of this franchise deserve.
The movie starts on a military base in the Nevada desert, with Indy having been kidnapped by cold war Soviets. Unfortunately, a military base in the middle of the US is not exactly an exotic location and Indy with his fedora, leather jackets and bull whip seemed a little out of place. The opening action sequence was okay but fell well short of the genius of Raiders, the outlandishness of Temple of Doom and the creativeness of the Last Crusade.
Set during the height of “reds under the bed”, Indy finds himself being suspected of communist sympathies (despite his war record and career as a spy – anyone a little confused?). On the outer, and about to abandon his professorship, he is approached by Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) who needs Indy’s help to find the crystal skull. Have you ever heard of the crystal skull? Neither had I. And a significant portion of the film is spent explaining what the crystal skull is, who found it, why it is so important et cetera, et cetera.
The Soviets, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) are also after the crystal skull and Indy must battle his way through South America to claim his prize. However, it is not clear why Indiana sets off on this quest – unlike in the original trilogy, his motivations are not at all obvious. On his way, Indy is reunited with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) from Raiders – no surprises who the love interest is in this film. But what was disappointing was that winning the girl seemed all too easy for Indy – in fact, he didn’t have to do anything at all, just show up.
The only highlight for me was an excellent car chase scene set in the Peruvian rainforest. By the end, I was wishing for the final action sequences to be tidied up and cut shorter. For most of the film, there is little suspense or creativity in the ways the Indy gets himself out of trouble. Having the crew of heroes sail over the edges of three waterfalls safely and without any extra device is not fun at all. Next time they should just give Indy super-powers so the writers do not have to get creative.
It was nostalgic seeing Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, but there was something of the sparkle from the original trilogy that was missing. Although he resembled a much younger man, I found his performance to be tired. The women carried this instalment of Indiana Jones. Both Cate Blanchett and Karen Allen conveyed so much fun and warmth (or lack of warmth in Blanchett’s case) in their performances. Shia LaBeouf was a competent sidekick, although for much of the movie, his character, Mutt Williams, does not actually support Indy but fight his own battles.
Spielberg himself has said that Last Crusade was intended to be the last fim in the franchise. At the end, I asked myself whether Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a better “last fim” than Last Crusade. Unfortunately, my answer is “no”. The storyline and some of the performances just came off as a little lazy – as though putting Harrison Form in the fedora and jacket would be enough to please the public.
One Man’s Rating (out of 5): 
