In the summer of 1981, best friends Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (the directors of Jaws and Star Wars, respectively) made a tribute based on the classic cliffhanger serials of the 1930s with a Bond-like feel. That "tribute" was Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it was an action adventure film that surpassed all expectations, becoming the box office champion of 1981 and nominated for many awards, including BEST Picture (a rarity for action films), solidified the career of the already-famous Harrison Ford and put Karen Allen on the map. Set in 1936, with World War II waiting just below the surface, archaeology professor and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find and retrieve the Lost Ark of the Covenant while facing fierce competition from the Nazis, who are aided by a rival archaeologist.
Two sequels would follow, 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (actually a prequel, as it takes place in 1935) and 1989's Last Crusade (set in 1938). Both sequels were great box-office draws, but both received a comparatively less favourable critical reception, especially Temple of Doom, which stirred up a lot of outrage for its portrayal of an Indian Cult. All three movies took place in the immediate pre-World War II era, before the war machine erupted in autumn 1939.
Now, It is 1957, and things have surely changed. It has been 19 years since the end of the Last Crusade (which also coincide with the gap between the films' release dates); World War II ended with the defeat of Dr. Jones's traditional enemy, the Nazis (from Raiders and Crusade); close friend Marcus Brody (Elliot McDermott) and father Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) have recently passed away; the new international order is split between the Communist world v.s the Capitalist world (with everything in between) and Indy is trailed by the FBI (and also by the KGB) due to Mac's, his longtime partner, history as a double-agent and Jones's recent forced cooperation with the Soviets to find a warehouse that includes captured artifacts (which coincidentally includes the Ark). While trying to leave the country temporarily to escape the FBI, he encounters a young man named Mutt Williams, a rebellious drop-out in the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando. He persuades Jones to come with him and help rescue his mother, who turns out to be Indy's lingering flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and Professor Oxley (Hurt), both held captive by the same Soviets Indy has encountered early on. Indy reluctantly agrees, and decides to help him battle the Soviets in a race reminiscent of the Last Crusade, except that it is set in South America.
Surely, all these years have created a lot of hype over the Indiana Jones movies, and to tell you the truth, this movie lives up to most of it. On the positive side, Harrison Ford is impressively fit (both physically and mentally) as Indy and is every inch as likable now as he was back then, the action sequences are top-notch, and for the most part, done without the infamous CGI, the special effects are very good, and it's very good to see Karen Allen, my personal favourite of the Jones ladies (and for most, I might say), return in this movie. The moments of humour are effective, and the movie's fast pace never lets up for a minute. The plot twist between Indy, Marion, and Mutt (whose real name is Henry Jones III) is a grabber.
On the flip side, the screenplay has a number of gaps and unfinished ideas. First of all, there is almost no back-story shown about what has Indy done through all this time other than spoken dialogue, but most importantly, the Soviets are portrayed in an unfairly stereotypical manner, making them essentially the Nazis of the past films with a hammer and sickle. Cate Blanchett's character, Irina Spalko isn't well written despite the actress's convincing portrayal, and her Soviet grunts are just stock. Mac (Winstone) makes some great comic relief, but I find his double-triple agent subplot too far-fetched, even for spy-story standards.
All in all, this movie reminds me of what action movies are all about: a temporary escape hub from our drab everyday lives, plenty of slam-bang, explosions, stunts, exotic locations, the whole shebang. And this movie meets all the requirements. Crystal Skull may pale when compared to Raiders and the Last Crusade, I personally find it better than the mercilessly dark and gloomy Temple of Doom. The movie may be flawed, but you'll surely be entertained from the first scene down to the end credits.
Originally, Indiana Jones was meant to be a five-picture deal. With this movie, the deal is just one film short of completion. I can't wait for the sequel!
Two sequels would follow, 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (actually a prequel, as it takes place in 1935) and 1989's Last Crusade (set in 1938). Both sequels were great box-office draws, but both received a comparatively less favourable critical reception, especially Temple of Doom, which stirred up a lot of outrage for its portrayal of an Indian Cult. All three movies took place in the immediate pre-World War II era, before the war machine erupted in autumn 1939.
Now, It is 1957, and things have surely changed. It has been 19 years since the end of the Last Crusade (which also coincide with the gap between the films' release dates); World War II ended with the defeat of Dr. Jones's traditional enemy, the Nazis (from Raiders and Crusade); close friend Marcus Brody (Elliot McDermott) and father Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) have recently passed away; the new international order is split between the Communist world v.s the Capitalist world (with everything in between) and Indy is trailed by the FBI (and also by the KGB) due to Mac's, his longtime partner, history as a double-agent and Jones's recent forced cooperation with the Soviets to find a warehouse that includes captured artifacts (which coincidentally includes the Ark). While trying to leave the country temporarily to escape the FBI, he encounters a young man named Mutt Williams, a rebellious drop-out in the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando. He persuades Jones to come with him and help rescue his mother, who turns out to be Indy's lingering flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and Professor Oxley (Hurt), both held captive by the same Soviets Indy has encountered early on. Indy reluctantly agrees, and decides to help him battle the Soviets in a race reminiscent of the Last Crusade, except that it is set in South America.
Surely, all these years have created a lot of hype over the Indiana Jones movies, and to tell you the truth, this movie lives up to most of it. On the positive side, Harrison Ford is impressively fit (both physically and mentally) as Indy and is every inch as likable now as he was back then, the action sequences are top-notch, and for the most part, done without the infamous CGI, the special effects are very good, and it's very good to see Karen Allen, my personal favourite of the Jones ladies (and for most, I might say), return in this movie. The moments of humour are effective, and the movie's fast pace never lets up for a minute. The plot twist between Indy, Marion, and Mutt (whose real name is Henry Jones III) is a grabber.
On the flip side, the screenplay has a number of gaps and unfinished ideas. First of all, there is almost no back-story shown about what has Indy done through all this time other than spoken dialogue, but most importantly, the Soviets are portrayed in an unfairly stereotypical manner, making them essentially the Nazis of the past films with a hammer and sickle. Cate Blanchett's character, Irina Spalko isn't well written despite the actress's convincing portrayal, and her Soviet grunts are just stock. Mac (Winstone) makes some great comic relief, but I find his double-triple agent subplot too far-fetched, even for spy-story standards.
All in all, this movie reminds me of what action movies are all about: a temporary escape hub from our drab everyday lives, plenty of slam-bang, explosions, stunts, exotic locations, the whole shebang. And this movie meets all the requirements. Crystal Skull may pale when compared to Raiders and the Last Crusade, I personally find it better than the mercilessly dark and gloomy Temple of Doom. The movie may be flawed, but you'll surely be entertained from the first scene down to the end credits.
Originally, Indiana Jones was meant to be a five-picture deal. With this movie, the deal is just one film short of completion. I can't wait for the sequel!