Let’s face it - it’s not exactly easy to resurrect one of the world’s favorite action heroes 20 years after he last graced the silver screen. But you’d hope that in doing so, George Lucas and the other creative talent behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would at the very least deliver something worthy of the familiar John Williams soundtrack. Alas, it pains me to report that Indiana Jones 4 reeks of mediocrity and computer generated recklessness.
Like just about every other moviegoer this weekend, I couldn’t wait to see Harrison Ford return to the role that helped him achieve stardom. And quite frankly, it’s still a coin-flip to determine who was a cooler character between Dr. Jones and Ford’s Han Solo from the Star Wars movies. But even his star appears dimmer in this mess that held a scant connection to the original films of the 80s.
As far as family films go, Indy 4 will suffice. There was action, adventure and fantasy that one looks for when escaping to the movies. But if you’re expecting any of that to be innovating, look somewhere else. Lucas took the film overboard with action and Spielberg’s direction was an uninspired attempt at recycling what worked in prior movies.
The worse part is that the film missed a number of opportunities to develop the relationships between characters and connect them on an emotional level. Further, it fails to address how time has developed our beloved hero other than Indy’s new sidekick asking if he’s like “80 years old or something”. Any desire to develop an actual plot was sacrificed in order to ram more action down the viewer’s throat.
And the star studded cast is held in check by stiff dialogue and modest jokes that frequently landed with a thud. Ford makes attempts at his trademark charm, but he never feels like the ‘old’ Indiana Jones. Shia Lebeouf joined the adventure as Mutt Williams, but he’s never given a chance to attain his usual humor. In fact, he’ll have you longing for the days of Indy’s old sidekick Short Round.
And Cate Blanchett’s antagonist failed miserably at bringing about any sense of fear. To her credit, the role didn’t give her much to work with. I absolutely loved the return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, but even that couldn’t generate a spark out of this movie.
The film will no doubt bring in boatloads of money and will be seen by many that just want to see the man with the whip, fedora and rugged grin again. But an overload of action, stiff dialogue, and a beyond-preposterous plot will have you really hoping that Crystal Skull will really be Indy’s “last crusade.”
agreed. i thought the movie was lackluster - to put it nicely.