Review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) by Pablo C — 24 Mar 2013

Review from May 2008.

Dr. Jones is back, maybe not better than ever, but it's always good to see an old friend. Harrison Ford pulls off the fedora and bullwhip like he's been wearing it everyday since "The Last Crusade". The rest of the cast is pretty fantastic. Spielberg's always been good at picking the right people for his movies. There's a lot of Shia hate out there, but it's undeserved. He's talented and charismatic and actually one of the better parts of the film. His Mutt Williams is a welcome sidekick to Indy. Aside from the cast, there's also some classic Indy action scenes and Spielbergian moments, some infectious wit and energy, and a welcome sci-fi element. The idea to combine Indy and Roswell was brilliant, but not used to its fullest potential. Anyway, the film is highly entertaining from time to time, the first 20 minutes or so stand out in particular, but it's full of problems. I blame George Lucas for most of them. Some of the action is way over-the-top, completely unbelievable and ridiculous. No, the excuse, "It's an Indiana Jones movie!" doesn't apply. The action in other Indy movies feels natural, maybe because it relied on stuntwork and special effects instead of CGI. Some of the stuff here will make you cringe. And speaking of CGI, this film will become dated quickly. Some of the CGI is pretty bad, and I'm surprised Spielberg left it that way. It's not only the action that's troubled. In other scenes, the film drags a bit. There's way too much explanatory stuff, and it feels like a "National Treasure" movie instead of Indy. Some of the plot is overly complicated and contrived. In the end, the film is at war with itself. Or maybe it's Lucas vs. Spielberg. Spielberg being the momentary sparks of fun, adventure, and dazzling imagination, you know, classic Indiana Jones, and Lucas being the contrived, goofy, stale and dull, you know, like the recent Star Wars trilogy. Luckily for us, a little Spielberg goes a long way. You're bound to have some fun. Hopefully, if they make Indy 5, Lucas will be too busy with other stuff to leave his fingerprints all over it.