Upon its initial release, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was a massive success, grossing over $470 million worldwide. The sequel became 1989’s highest-grossing film, narrowly beating Batman, Back to the Future Part II, and Ghostbusters 2. The film received critical praise and won the Best Sound Effects Editing Oscar and several Saturn and BAFTA Award nominations. While Paramount’s original deal was for five movies, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas wanted to end on a trilogy. Over the years, fans wondered if there would ever be a fourth film and what it would be about. Several screenwriters were attached at some point, including Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, M. Night Shyamalan, and Frank Darabont. Ultimately, writers Jeff Nathanson and David Koepp were brought on, with Spielberg directing and Harrison Ford donning the fedora. Nineteen years later, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull landed in May 2008.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Set in 1957, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is kidnapped by Russian soldiers led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). She’s brought him to Area 51 to find an alien corpse, but he escapes and survives a nuclear bomb blast. Upon returning home, Jones is put on indefinite leave when he’s visited by greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). Mutt wants Jones to help him find his mother, who was kidnapped along with an old colleague of Indy’s. Their travels take them to Peru, where they find a crystal skull hidden for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, the Russians capture and bring them to their camp, where they also have Indy’s colleague, Harold Oxley (John Hurt). Spalko believes the skull is alien and forces Indy to help by revealing she also kidnapped Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). With the Russians in pursuit, Indy, Marion, Mutt, and Oxley will discover the secrets of the crystal skull.
Review
To say Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is divisive would be a vast understatement. Since its 2008 release, the movie has been mocked, ridiculed, battered, and torn to shreds by critics and fans alike. While I think it’s the weakest film in the series, I don’t believe it deserved all the flack it got. For starters, seeing Harrison Ford donning the iconic fedora, carrying the whip, and narrowly escaping death is always a treat. He loves playing the part and gives it his all, even if the material isn’t the greatest. Also, Cate Blanchett makes for a great villain as Irina Spalko, coming off as chill and commanding without going insane. Plus, it’s great to see Karen Allen return as Marion Ravenwood, especially since she’s given plenty to do. There are also some fun action sequences and a fantastic score from John Williams.
While it’s easy to criticize Sha LaBeouf’s acting, it’s not that he’s terrible but rather that he’s just there. He’s not as annoying or unlikable as in the Michael Bay Transformers movies, but he’s pretty forgettable. As exciting as the action is, it’s hampered by an overreliance on CGI that’s distracting and makes everything seem artificial. It’s hard to enjoy some of the film’s chase scenes when you can tell it’s shot on a green screen. As for the movie’s most infamous scene – Indiana Jones withstanding a nuclear bomb by hiding in a fridge – it’s okay. Sure, it’s ridiculous and unrealistic, but no more so than surviving a drop from a plane in a life raft. While this isn’t a terrible film, it’s a huge disappointment considering how the series initially ended. Overall, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is more mediocre than awful.
Buy Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from Amazon: https://amzn.to/46u9DNZ.
Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
