Review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) by Grant H — 10 Nov 2014

There are flashes of classic Spielberg here even if the whole affair is mostly too glossy and sanitized to feel too fun or dangerous. Still, this is the best Ford has been in years (which, granted, isn't saying much), and Shia Lebouf makes a good foil to Indy most of the time, acting as a natural thematic segueway from the previous film (they are never better than in the diner scene).

Drawing elements from 50's sci-fi B-movies (rather than the adventure serials of the 30's and 40's) was a bold and inspired decision, but the script never fully commits to the idea and ends up straddling two incompatible styles. I think the first 30 minutes or so are really solid though, and there are some terrific sequences throughout, even if the entire thing doesn't gel. "Crystal Skull" is ultimately a decent-but-enjoyable (hopefully last) entry into the franchise, and thankfully not the non-functional mess it could have been.