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"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" Review

by Jane Boursaw on May 25th, 2008

Watching this fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise made me think back to when the first flick — Raiders of the Lost Ark — came out in 1981. I remember friends calling me and saying, “You’ve gotta see this movie! It’s about an archeologist who goes on this wild adventure and wears a cool hat and carries a whip, and the first scene is him being chased out of a cave by a giant rolling ball…” When I finally saw the movie, it was everything they said it would be and more.

Twenty-seven years have passed since then (how can that be?!), and during that time, Indiana Jones has become the stuff of movie legends. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in 1984 and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989. Numerous shorts and video games followed, as well as The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (beginning as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), a TV series that chronicled the life of the young adventurer (played by Sean Patrick Flanery) leading up to the first movie.

More after the jump!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull might be too “out there” for some folks, but my kids and I really loved it (kids are ages 11 and 13). I especially appreciated that the film pays homage to all of Indy’s adventures leading up to this point, as well as the age of the original characters, including 65-year-old Harrison Ford. More than once during the film, he mentions the fact that he’s not getting any younger. He’s talking about both he AND Indy.

Not only that, this movie paves the way for the next generation — Shia LaBeouf, who plays Indy’s son, Henry “Mutt” Williams — to take over the reins. It’s clear that just like his dad, Mutt has his own special wanderlust and talents that come in handy at all the right moments. And like Indy, Mutt is scrappy and lives by the seat of his pants and loves it. I can think of no young actor who inhabits this role better than Shia LaBeouf.

The story begins in the Southwest desert in 1957 — the height of the Cold War. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his sidekick Mac (Ray Winstone) have been captured by nefarious Soviet agents and taken to a remote airfield. Heading up the agents is the icy Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), a dominatrix-inspired chick who’s a cold piece of work — and that’s putting it lightly.

The Soviets want something in that warehouse — the same one where the Ark of the Covenant is located (remember the last scene in the first movie?). But Indy manages to escape from their clutches in his usual freewheeling fashion. Suffice to say that plenty of street smarts paired with some fancy whip-work help the adventurer get out of this jam.

Back home at Marshall College, Professor Jones learns that his recent activities have cast suspicion on him. His close pal and dean of the college, Charles Stanforth (Jim Broadbent) says the government is pressuring him to fire Indy. On his way out of town, Indy meets the rebellious young Mutt (LaBeouf), who’s been instructed by his mom, “Mary” Williams (Karen Allen), to contact Indy for help.

Indy is suspicious and has no idea that “Mary” is actually “Marion,” whom he butted heads with in the first movie. But the kid has an interesting proposition that might lead Indy to get up-close-and-personal with the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of mystical qualities. So he and Mutt set off for Peru, where they encounter ancient tombs, savage ants, restless natives, Indy’s old friend Professor ‘Ox’ Oxley (John Hurt), and of course, the Soviets, who are hot on their trail. They believe the eerie Crystal Skull will help them in their quest for world domination.

This movie is a high-action dose of fun, complete with some serious stunts involving waterfalls, chase scenes through the jungle, and other-worldly creatures. It brings a fresh spin on the franchise, and I appreciate that director Steven Spielberg; writers David Koepp, George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson, and Philip Kaufman; and producer Frank Marshall included lots of references to Indiana’s history, including his fear of snakes!

The movie is getting mixed reviews, but it made me feel like a kid again! See it for yourself and post a comment below. Let me know what you think!

Images: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Paramount Pictures, 2008

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