Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

[Harlowe]

No surprises really - it was enjoyable, fun and extremely cheesy.

The main thing is, there was a shit-ton of action and you gotta love Harrison Ford even if he's getting long in the tooth and a bit grizzled for this part, but

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oy Karen Allen (I think she's become an even shittier actress) and Harrison Ford had ZERO chemistry in this. I'm not talking - well they are a lot older so it's not hot, romance action - I mean there was nothing there. They even looked uncomfortable kissing at the end. Their relationship and the sudden "oh he's your son" cheesification of the movie really made that whole romance aspect hurl-worthy. Luckily their romance isn't the focal point. Shia LaBeouf plays the same guy in every movie he's been in since Holes, so if you like the character he always plays, then you'll like him in this too. Cate Blanchett was the best part imo, you could tell she was enjoying herself (she's totally a Natasha).

Even with those minor gripes, I still enjoyed it - because I do love me some action flicks.

[Select]

I enjoyed it too.

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I heard a lot of complaints about the aliens. But really, the past movies have had the super-natural. Why can't this be science fiction super-natural? And you know Lucas and Spielberg love them some aliens. It was only a matter of time.

[Harlowe]

That part reminded me of

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the X-files movie, the aliens + the huge alien ship rising out of the ground and taking off at the end. Seemed like the same premise.

[Alluveal]

Haven't seen it, but I'm usually split between Harlowe's reviews and Select's. Since both of you liked it, it's probably a shoe-in for me.

I can't wait to see Marion's return. Is that kid Indy's son? I don't care if it's spoiled.

[Harlowe]

The answer below!

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Yes, yes he is.

[Rsak]

The movie was enjoyable, but very predictable. I definitely rank this as the weakest Indy film of the 4.

My biggest complaint is that the movie was a straight line the whole way through. The pace changed but it was always in the same direction.

I liked how the other movies had moments where it let the movie and characters just be on their own and scenes that did not relate to the overall plot (at least at first glance). Felt a little too much like take random scenes from the last 3 movies and toss them together until you have something coherent.

[Taxious]

I was pretty meh about it.

I haven't seen an Indiana Jones film for years so I kept having to remind myself: "Why are they only hitting the floor when shooting directly at him?? Oh yeah, Indiana Jones."

I like Harrison Ford a lot but I think I hate Shia LaBeouf even more. It's hard for me to like a movie he's in.

[Klast Brell]

I felt like they were trying to cram too much story in to not enough movie

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For instance. Early in the movie Blanchet's character seems to try to do a jedi mind trick to Indy and fails. Tells him he is "strong". There are a few other vague references to psychic research but they never follow up on any of it.

The development of the relationship with Marion amounted to 10 or 15 lines of dialog. Way too rushed. Etc etc...

[Select]

I agree with you there, Klast.

[Harlowe]

I agree Klast, I was wondering about that part as well.

[Ddrak]

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The development of the relationship with Marion amounted to 10 or 15 lines of dialog. Way too rushed.

WTF? Turn in your "Man" card at the door please. Like any relationship needs more than that in an Indy movie. Damn - go watch a Jane Austen flick or something and not Indy if you want more than a paragraph of relationship or character development. I mean, it's friggen Indy. He jumps around defying death and beating bad guys. What's more to know?

Next thing you'll be whining that James Bond movies don't show the girls from previous films going all psychotically jealous...

Dd

[Klast Brell]

Next thing you'll be whining that James Bond movies don't show the girls from previous films going all psychotically jealous...

Dd

Tell me that would not make for a good Bond movie.

[Rsak]

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The development of the relationship with Marion amounted to 10 or 15 lines of dialog. Way too rushed.

Actually this movie works because of the previous knowledge of the characters. You have to have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark to really get this one and understand the easy chemistry between the two. That chemistry was never in any of the other movies.

You got more in relationship development in knowing smiles then in direct dialog.

[Harlowe]

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It was more than a lack of relationship development (that doesn't really happen in action movies, there's no time for that bs), BUT there is usually some chemistry, which is - by far - more important. That's why James Bond works - it's not about relationships, it's about chemistry and being Miss Right Now. These two had ZERO chemistry and looked entirely ridiculously uncomfortable kissing. They were so not into it at all, not even Harrison Ford's years of acting seemed able to overcome an utter lack of chemistry. Besides she is a really, really shitty actress. I think her best performance was in Animal House.

[Klast Brell]

Amazing summary of the script for this movie.

HARRISON FORD
Wait, what are they chasing us through? Are there roads in the middle of the jungle? Why the hell did we bother showing that tree-cutting thing if we were just going to contradict the very thing it was trying to establish?

KAREN ALLEN
That’s what’s so great about this movie - we can just do whatever the hell we want, because even glaringly obvious flaws like that are dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of failure that is the rest of the movie.

To illustrate this, SHIA LEBEOUF flies up into the FUCKING JUNGLE and swings like FUCKING TARZAN along the FUCKING VINES with a FUCKING ARMY of CGI FUCKING MONKEYS. That actually FUCKING HAPPENS