Thursday, June 19, 2008

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull

Let's just sum this up with one word - lame. 

I had read this fourth film in the Indiana Jones series had its merits. Some reviewers said it wasn't the best but it wasn't bad either. So I had expectations. Dashed they were, I say, dashed!

The opening sequence was the biggest clue that this was going downward for me. I won't reveal details but I just shook my head and said, "well, he's dead in a couple weeks now." But no, like James Bond, Indy Jones does not die. 

What disappointed me most about the film was the action sequences. I think this is true for action movies of late -  the action seems more and more ludicrously ridiculous. Punch after punch there's not a mark on Indy's face, no bruises, and no limping. He's an old guy but he takes it like a 25-year old stunt man. 

Another item of disappointment was the bringing in of aliens into the picture. It's a lame story-line every time, unless we're talking about the X-Files. Aliens are the answer to those age-old questions: how were the pyramids built, where is El Dorado and how did the Mayans have such advanced technology.  Lame!!

The acting was mediocre too. I enjoy Shia LeBouef, have ever since Holes and even on the Disney show. I love Cate Blanchett. I'd watch her in anything and honestly I thought she had the most compelling character of the movie. Harrison Ford has never really impressed me with his acting. He's eye candy and that's it.  But together, these actors just weren't convincing and I felt like I was watching them act rather than watching their characters.

There were some clever moments that caught my attention: when Indy repeats a line from the Untouchables, which starred Sean Connery (who played Indy's dad in the third movie) and when he laments, "I've got a bad feeling about this", a line Harrison Ford used several times in Star Wars when he played Han Solo.

Wait for the dvd if you want to see this installment.

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