I have a great affinity toward the Indiana Jones series. The original three films served as a trilogy of pure popcorn entertainment not bogged down in carefully constructed mythology (Star Wars) or faithfulness to a source material (Lord of the Rings). When you watched an Indy adventure, you knew you were in for Harrison Ford kicking ass and taking names, running more risks than James Bond and knowing when to say when come the end of his adventure, just as his enemies always took one step further towards their doom. When I heard that a fourth was in the making, I felt assured that the franchise was still in safe hands, primarily down to the involvement of Spielberg. After witnessing the vile assortment of turd that was the Star Wars prequel trilogy, I'd become even more burned out with Lucas' Ewok-movie-producing antics. With Stevey on board for Indy IV, I hoped that George could be kept at bay.
This outing sees Indy travelling with new sidekick Mutt (Shia Labeouf) on a quest to find the crystal skull, and eventually prevent the Russians from utlising its power. Cate Blanchett plays the sexy antagonist, Irina Spalko, and Ray Winstone provides the one excruciatingly annoying performance of the piece as Mac, a fellow adventurer and all-round foolish bastard.
I like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, with serious reservations. Though it isn't my biggest complaint, there is the huge, looming and inevitable area of the involvement of Mr. George Lucas. You can feel his hand all over this, whether it be in the CG gophers, swinging monkey attackers, or the biggest evidence of all - the aliens. Oh, and that one isn't a spoiler, it's alluded to throughout most of the film.
There's an abundance of CGI used, despite Spielberg promising us the majority of action being comprised of traditional stunt work. Everyone has their individual problem with these action sequences, mainly because they're so unbelievably over-the-top. Well gee, go watch the hyperrealistic Raiders of the Lost Ark. Were you complaining about giant robots thwacking the crap out of each other in Transformers last year? Needless to say, the far-fetched nature of this Indy instalment didn't bother me too much. As a matter of fact, neither did the aliens - I felt it was appropriate that with the franchise adopting a look that brought itself into the 1950s, so too should the threat be updated. We're not dealing with Nazis and biblical peril anymore; this is a new world of nuclear fear, communism, greasers and B-movies. If I wasn't irked by the subjective flaws pinpointed by countless others, then what exactly was my problem with this movie? What held it back from being a great Summer 2008 blockbuster?
The script just sucked, plain and simple. I don't think David Koepp knows how to write these particular characters, even though he fancies himself a big enough Indy fan to take on the screenwriting duties in the first place. The 19 years between Crusade and Skull hinged on whether a great script could emerge, one that ticked the Lucas boxes of having aliens and Mutt. The unforunate irony being that Frank Darabont's script (which I own, haven't read) is said to be better than Koepp's, despite being rejected by Lucas - even after Ford and Spielberg expressed interest in filming it.
I can imagine Darabont's edition being a much more satisfying addition to the Indy chronicles. Koepp's script, on the other hand, aims for something else entirely. It appears to be headed for the target through its first hour, until dropping to the ground before its rushjob of a climax. Like I said, this isn't the fault of the filmmakers. Its Koepp's inability to get a grasp on the character interaction that allows Indy IV to suffer ineroxably come the final act. The first part of the film deals with the exposition involving Spalko, Mac, Mutt at el. This is heavy talk, long stretches of what some might call wearying dialogue (but not me - again, another subjective fault), before we're thrust into the maelstrom.
There's a scene in the back of a truck where the characters bicker amongst themselves over some maternal issues. The only problem being, once that's over and the car chase begins, we never hear these characters converse with one another again, throughout the rest of the film. They literally stop talking as we become subjected to scene after scene of accelerated absurdity that quickly piles up. As I said, my problem is not with the heinous nature of these action scenes, but instead with how the characters quickly have their exchanges dispensed with, and are thereby reduced to carboard figures rushing to the end credits. There isn't a moment's rest left for them to interact. There, ladies and gentlemen, is my problem with this movie.
That aside, it's all good fun. Honest. Everyone has their own problem with it, and then some things they more or less admired. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is not perfect; it's just perfectly acceptable...to some.
**1/2
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