Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Review by Sean Lynch
More Indiana Jones: The Temple of Indiana

As easy as it could be to come out swinging the negativity bat in the face of the die-hard Indiana Jones fans (and be certain, there will be plenty who will) there is simply no escaping the joy which will exude from any movie fan once that John Williams score kicks into gear.

It's been a long time in between drinks for Indy, and a long time between quality for Spielberg.

While Box Office numbers will suggest the King of Hollywood blockbusters has lost none of his abilities, it has to be said the enjoyability of his output since Saving Private Ryan has been about as inconsistent as lumpy custard. 

So it's no surprise that both Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford (whose last real career highlight was back in '97 with Air Force One) have headed back to the well for another dip of Indy gold.

Set in 1957 (twenty odd years after Last Crusade) the latest installment kicks off at a ferocious pace, getting straight back into the sort of action which has been indented into the pop-culture psyche associated with Indy. 

And it isn't long before Indiana Jones is thrust back into action, venturing into the jungles of South America in a race against Soviet agents to find the mystical Crystal Skull.

There is simply no escaping the pure enjoyment of the first hour or so of this film. It holds true to every tradition of the Indy legacy: wit, action, real-life stunts, plot. 

Ford slips back into the character with ease, newcomers Cate Blanchett (as an evil Russian villain) and Shia LaBeouf (as young greaser Henry "Mutt" Williams) are immediately in sync with the Indiana Jones style (with the right mix of cheesy B-Grade Action serial and tongue in cheek humour) and most importantly - the stunts are good ol' fashioned STUNTS!

There is just so much to like about Crystal Skull (I caught myself with an embarrassingly huge childish grin on my face on more than one occasion), which is a real achievement when you consider the uphill battle against anticipation a film like this was always going to face from fans. 

And for the first two thirds of the flick, Spielberg almost makes you believe he is going to achieve what Lucas never did with his re-booted Stars Wars trilogy: consistency with the source material.

But, just after the halfway mark, it seems like Spielberg went home and Lucas snuck onto the set to film the final few scenes without anyone knowing - because Crystal Skull goes pear-shaped.

And it's a really obvious change as well; the action is taken away from reality and thrust in front of the blue screen. 

The sole element (besides Ford) which differentiated the series from the slew of heartless CGI rip-offs like National Treasure and The Mummy franchises, was that the action felt real... because it was real. Real sets, real stunts, real grit. But towards the end of the film the over the top action CGI sequences are thrust upon the audience with such volume they ultimately lose all meaning and impact.

Much like the problems that plagued Die Hard 4.0, it seems like everyone involved seemingly forgot the reason why these films worked in the first place - the simple reality of it all. Anyone who thought John McClane leaping from a jet plane onto a crumbling freeway and killing a helicopter with a car was a "Jumping the Shark" moment for that franchise... you ain't seen nothing yet (without giving to much away... Atom Bomb. Fridge. Waterfalls. Spaceship).

The CGI really wouldn't be a problem had the first half of the film not been so perfect, because if it were all on par with National Treasure you could easily just throw it out as a bad movie. 

But the sad fact is the majority of Crystal Skulls is a really really great movie, which makes the final product all the more frustrating because we know what it could... and should... have been.

None the less, it's still a great flick - full of iconic imagery (look out for the 'hero' shots of Shia LaBeouf's Mutt Williams character, which Spielberg has obviously created to exist on par with that of Indiana himself) and good old fashioned adventure.

Bring on Indiana V!

First Half: 5 out of 5

Second Half: 2 out of 5

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Australian release: 22nd May, 2008
Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf
Director: Steven Spielberg