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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Mikey's Non-Spoiler Review Hot

Movie Reviews

Release Date: May 22, 2008
Studio: Paramount Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure • Scifi • Comedy
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: David Koepp, George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson, Philip Kaufman
Cast: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent
Synopsis: Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.
The Review: Over the years through all the talk of bringing Indy back to the big screen I was one of the few people who honestly just thought it should be left alone. The last ended on such a high note and the risk was just too great that anything else could tarnish a near perfect series. When the first trailer hit it felt like this could turn into one long running joke of "I'm getting too old for this shit" and I just didn't want Indy to go out like that. We’d already seen Star Wars make its return with arguable results and nobody wants to hear a fanboy battle cry of “George Lucas raped my childhood while Steven Spielberg held me down” (not that I have ever thought Lucas fondled my childhood in any inappropriate manor)

However the biggest difference and advantage that Indy has over that galaxy far far away is simply that each story is separate from each other and not a continuing saga. You could watch these movies in any order and it wouldn’t matter in the least for straight out enjoyment. That and Henry Jones Jr is a very flawed character, he’ll fly by the seat of his pants and do some things an average hero wouldn’t dare attempt. Where the Jedi have far too much pressure on them to do the right thing at all times to really cut loose and kick the bad guy in the balls or throw a woman from a moving car if that’s what it took.

From jump this movie just hits all those familiar beats you know and love as you get dropped in a story already in progress. As you can guess from the title Indiana is locked into a quest for some skulls made of crystal and like any good Jones adventure there are some mighty powerful bad guys who will stop and nothing to get there first.

The bad guys for this outing are some freak show Commie’s led by Cate Blanchett, who’s the kind of woman you might find in a bar at 2am and you go home with despite the fact that you are pretty sure she’s going to kill you as soon as you finish up…but hey what’s life without a few risks right?

As for the peeps on Indy’s team; since Sean couldn’t return and Denholm Elliott passed away some time ago, it’s time for some new additions to the Team Jones (Though they honor both characters in this new film) as well as a blast from the past. Most notably of course is Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) playing a mix of student and comic relief…and according to rumor may or may not be the fruit of Indy’s loins (told ya this was non-spoiler). I like Shia, the kid is doing great for himself and taking on some great roles and having fun with em and this is no exception. Don’t be a fanboy hater just because he gets to play around in the Indy-verse and you don’t. The rest of the team is rounded out by the always cool John Hurt and Ray Winstone both of whom you are never quite sure in terms of loyalty or sanity (It is an Indiana Jones film after all). As much as I loved the additions (and I do) I underestimated how much I had missed Marion being at his side. Karen Allen is all kinds of fun in this film and she carries this silly little grin with her that shows just how much she and her character are enjoying themselves.

Like any of the films in the Indy-verse this one is like a good mix tape; it starts off strong and fast and tapers off enough to let you catch your breath and move the plot forward before diving headlong back into some crazy paced action. Now while they make plenty of “old man” jokes in the film this in no way has slowed down the action on screen or the man himself. He’s still balls to the walls and still making it up as he’s goes…and thanks the gods for that nobody wants to see the hero hesitate to consider the possibility of a broken hip when there’s a world to be saved.

Not to say that the character hasn’t been changed at all, he’s certainly not been kept in a vacuum all these years. There is a certain amount of softness to him that would come with age and loss…or as he’d say “It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.” The man has forgotten more about adventure than 98% of the people reading this will ever know so it goes without saying that it’ll take its toll on the guy at some point.

For guys my age who grew up with Indiana Jones the guy is the epitome of manhood; he’s the guy we all wanted to be or at least the dude we’d all want to hang out with. A hero with a sharp mind, quick wit, and fast fists who’s not afraid to use all of them at the once and then lick his wounds later. He’s often imitated but never duplicated, and we won’t accept any substitutes.

What matters in the end is that this movie holds up to the rest of the series and this one certainly does that on more levels than I would have estimated, but when comes to something like this I’m more than happy to be wrong.

Finally a return to well made smart adventure films!
Rating: 5 out of 5

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