My Official Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

Last night, I was able to see the first showing of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at 12:01. I would have posted when I got home, but it was 4 in the morning and I was tired. And no, the movie wasn't *that* long.

I will begin my review by saying, if you're going in expecting this film to be as good or better than Raiders of the Lost Ark, you will be disappointed.

If you're going in expecting this film to give you back your childhood, you will be disappointed. No movie is ever going to accomplish that.

If, however, you're going in expecting a fun movie that isn't supposed to be serious and brings Indy back front and center, you will be more than pleased. This was me and I was exceptionally pleased. Especially after reading the fanboy whining this last year over this film and the ten thousand ways it was going to suck.

So, did I go in with my expectations lowered? I don't know that I went in so much with my expectations lowered as I went in knowing that what I was seeing was a movie that would never meet the expectations of a 19 year wait.

And yes: I was young, but I did see Last Crusade in the theater. We'll stop there.

Now, here's my full review. There are spoilers, so if you want to remain unspoiled, turn away now.

The movie begins with what I thought was a pretty clever shot. Remember that first shot in Raiders where the Paramount mountain gives way to the real peak? Imagine that. Only imagine a molehill in its place. Yes, they made a molehill out of a mountain. I actually found it to be a pretty decent way to start the film. It was almost as if they were telling us, "Hey. This isn't going to be Raiders, but if you stay with us and if you're a fan, you'll enjoy it."

The scene is the 1950s and the threat of Hitler's world domination is over. This Indiana is a weathered one. One who has served in WWII and fought for his country (those are some graphic novels I'd *love* to see, btw). He's older. But he's still Indy.

When we first see Indy, he's being pulled out of a trunk by a Russian flunkie masquerading as a U.S. military man. And it's instantly clear that, despite being a weathered Indy, he still hasn't lost his zest for smart ass remarks.

There's a thread of American distrust in this film from the beginning which kinda becomes lost as the film goes on. However, despite that, at the beginning, it's better dead than Red and Indy finds himself being fired from his job at Marshall College and is soon on his way to London when he is stopped by a guy by the name of Mutt Williams.

There was a lot of smack talk about Shia Lebouf being introduced as a new character into the Indiana Jones canon, but I've got to tell you: he's pretty damn good. He fits in nicely with the rest of the cast.

With Mutt introduced and his plight stated: his mother, a Mary Williams, needs saving and some yada yada about a Crystal Skull, it isn't long before the map and the red line of Indy travel.

What transpires is a lot of action and a lot of nods to the films that came and went before. Which, honestly, was exactly what I was expecting.

What makes this film different from the others - and also has some fans upset - is the introduction of alien mythos into the Indiana Jones canon. Admittedly, I was worried about this when I read in Vanity Fair that this might be the way the film was going. But seriously? They ate monkey brains in Temple of Doom. I think the fans are doing the exact opposite of the first frame of Crystal Skull and making a mountain out of a molehill with this one.

So yes: there are aliens. Or wait. An alien.

And yes, there is some CGI, but I found it to be neither overwhelming nor intrusive. Had CGI been what it is today, you would have seen it in Raiders, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade.

My major assessments of the film were:

• You really can't lose with Cate Blanchett. And this film was no exception.
• Harrison still has that charm. He *is* Indiana. There will never be another. When he smiled, I still saw the devil in his grin.
• Karen Allen is still a firecracker and I was glad to see her back on the big screen. Marion has always been my favorite Indy girl and I only wished she had more screen time.
• Shia Lebouf as Mutt Williams was a win. I'm glad to see that fan reception has been so positive for him. However, I'm not sure I'm feeling another spin-off franchise.
• I actually *loved* the 50s aspect. It was different than the prior films, but a good different. You can't turn back the clock. It's sad, but true. And I think this was probably a good representation of how America was after WWII. Victorious and yet vicious toward its own countrymen.
• The story of the Crystal Skull was somewhat weak, but with all the other stuff going on, I honestly didn't care. I was having fun. Sue me.
• I actually found the idea that Marion and Indy spent so much time away from each other somewhat sad. I kinda resented the idea of him not seeing his kid grow up. Of all the things in the film that I disliked, I guess that was the one I disliked most. Even though I know that introducing Mutt any other way wouldn't have worked.
• I'm pleased in seeing a film with two stars over the age of 45 for crying out loud. Why can't we have more of this? Give us young thangs hope that we won't be obsolete in the future, you know?

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It was like going to a reunion and seeing the people you knew and them being as funny and entertaining as you remembered them. I loved the shout outs to the prior films and felt that this film, if anything, was a love letter to the fans. When Indy put on his hat for the first time and the crowd cheered, it felt good to be a child of the 80s.

The bottom line is this: Indy isn't a young man anymore. This film won't bring back your childhood. Nothing will. This film also isn't going to win any Oscars. It's a film to be enjoyed for the ride that it is. Pick it apart and, no doubt, you'll be left with a shoddy mess. Sit back and enjoy it, however, and while you won't get your childhood back, you will still feel that same thrill you felt as a kid when you watched Indy as a kid.

He's still got it.

Related

• Indiana Jones Primer on Squidoo