Quotable: "City of gold...'gold' translates as 'treasure.' But their treasure wasn't gold, it was knowledge. Knowledge was their treasure. " Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)
Famed archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is called back into action after stumbling upon a Soviet plot to possess the power of the legendary crystal skulls. A revisit to the cult classics Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade, Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls is a nostalgic, roller coaster ride that blasts you ‘Back to the Future’ while giving you a not so modern taste of the ‘Supernatural.’ What makes the original and sequels cult favorites is the unique blend of history, otherworldly elements and action packed adventure that each Indy film hits you with. When director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas team up, you just know there will be close encounters of the first, second if not the third kind. Not to mention little green men, parallel universes and or characters and ideals that make one explore the far reaches of the imagination. Ok, so I went deeper than a touchdown pass from the legendary Joe Montana. Forgive me for dropping a spoiler that registers at least 8.0 on the Richter scale.
Things go awry for Indy when Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf, Transformers) enters his life informing him of the abduction of his mother, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen, original cast member,Indiana Jones:Raiders of the Lost Ark) and the duo's long term friend, Professor 'Ox' Oxley (John Hurt, V for Vendetta and Hellboy 1 and 2)by villianess, Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth:The Golden Age and Notes on a Scandal). The fists and witty remarks fly and the bad guys give chase on a mission that sends the globe trotting team on expedition from the US to England to Peru.
Without revisiting Indiana Jones 1-3, Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls is a fair revival of a storied franchise that has just enough umph to stand-on its own two feet without getting away from the very things that gained the franchise the massive cult following it still enjoys today. Harrison Ford is obviously not in tip top shape but he manages to reprise his wisecracking, whip cracking role quite well for his age.
"You know, for an old man you ain't bad in a fight. What are you, like 80?"
Mutt teases Indy.
Then of course there are the special effects and CGI that save the film. Another plus for sci-fi fans is the authencity of the legend itself. It seems that the crystal skulls actually exist and are thought to be extraterrestial and were first found in the 19th century. The skulls have been linked them to various cultures including Pre-Columbian tribes like the Mayans and Aztecs. The mystery of the crystal skulls still has many archaeologists and scientists speculating their origin and purpose. On the flip side, there were a few unsurprising fleeting moments that almost killed some of the action and storyline such as question of paternity, devices that obviously didn't exist during the 1950's in which the movie was set, sometimes corny dialogue, and extended chase scenes (damn catch him already!) but for the most part the movie did what it set out to do and that was entertain, which my not be enough for die hard Indiana Jones. For a sequel 20 years in the making, there is huge margin for disappointment! Just ask Rocky Balboa, another addition to a classic franchise that managed more to disappoint than to delight.
Here's to hanging up your whip Indy!
Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls is in theaters now!
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1 comment:
I've never really been a big Indy fan. The first movie was great, but to me this series is much like Star Wars in that each subsequent movie has too much hype and tries too hard to match the previous one that made it great in the first place. The end result is a movie that has moments that make it similar to the previous ones, but ultimately it ends in disappointment!
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