May 22, 2008
Movie review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
By Stan Dyer
Indiana Jones is back and he has found a new adventure. Fans who waited 20 years for this episode will not be disappointed. Although it is not as tightly knit as his other adventures, it is definitely and certifiably Indiana Jones. The movie has everything from whips and fedoras to snakes and scorpions. If you liked the others in the series, you will like this one too.
The movie begins in 1957 with a break in at Area 51 in Nevada. Soviets disguised as Americans gain entrance to a storage facility in search of a certain "box" containing the remains of an alien astronaut from the famed 1947 crash. The Soviets force Jones to help locate the box since he was one of the last to view the contents and knows what to look for. Hidden among many boxes, Jones determines the location by using metal objects that magnetically attract to the artifacts inside. The box is found and does contain unusual remains. The Soviets seize the box, its contents and escape.
Back at school, Jones discovers he is under investigation by the government. He also meets Mutt Williams. Looking like Marlon Brandon from "The Wild Ones", Williams enlists the help of Jones to come to the aid of old friend and colleague, Oxley. The duo travel to Peru to find Oxley and the secret lost city of gold, Eldorado that the Peruvians called "Akakor". The Soviets go to Peru as well. Apparently, this episode of Indiana Jones tries to tie the alien crash of 1947 in with the belief that aliens lived among the Incas of Peru, gave them knowledge years in advance of the rest of the world, and helped construct the Nazca Lines. There is also a rumored story about a lost "Crystal Skull" which, when combined with 12 others, will give a person some vast power.
Jones and Williams find the skull and Jones' old flame, Marion Ravenwood. Then, in typical Indiana Jones fashion, they all race the Soviets to the lost city with a lot of fighting, typical chase scenes and "Jonesesque" adventure along the way. Upon arrival at the city, the Soviets gain the upper hand and possession of the skull. In a room encircled with skeletons, the last skull is brought near the skeleton it belongs to. Without assistance, it attaches itself and sets off a chain reaction. All the skeletons combine and the temple begins to spin. The structure of the city implodes and an alien ship emerges from beneath, rises, and sails away. At this point, we learn that the true treasure of the city was not the gold, but, rather, the knowledge the aliens possessed. We also learn that Mutt is actually Jones' son from his earlier relationship with Marion Ravenwood, (As in, "You're his daddy, Forest"), and that the two have a mutual love that spans years. With Mutt standing by their side, the couple wed and the movie ends.
I give this movie an "A-". After all, it is Indiana Jones, but I did not find it as intriguing, captivating or fun as any of the previous Jones movies. It is nice how they tie in aspects that viewers are familiar with, but so much of this movie is so much like the others or so much like what has come in recent times. When Indiana Jones first came out, part of its appeal was that it was something new, fresh and creative. A lot has happened to technology since the 80's and moviegoers have seen it all. Younger audiences who are not familiar with the Jones of the 80's may or may not enjoy this movie. People who loved the others will like this one as well. Personally, I found it just a bit cliché and unimaginative considering the sophistication of today's modern audience. People will always go to see Indiana Jones, but the next in the series needs to be stronger than this.
Title: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Action adventure, Rating: PG-13, Run time: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Cast: Harrison Ford as Jones, Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, Shia LaBeouf as Mutt, and Cate Blanchett as Soviet, Irina Spalko