Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

DuhDuhDuhDuh DuhTaDuh duhduhduhduh DuhTaDuh

Indy's back! He is back to save the world again. As I walked throughout the theater waiting for the movie to start, I heard the glory of the theme song playing throughout the theater. At first, I thought it was coming from one of the screens, but I quickly learned it was set up on the PA system. Doesn't get much more awesome than that. I was also glad they used the same poster design as the original series.

Indy returns in 1957 in search for a skull to unlock El Dorado, the city of gold. New and old characters abound for the latest adventure. Indy is reunited with old flame Miriam (Karen Allen) from Raiders of the Lost Ark. He quickly finds out that the kid who took him to save his mom is his son. His son is played by Shia LaBeouf.

Skull is loaded with action and adventure as one might expect. Ford is old, but he can still pull off some of the stunts. They even make several jokes about how old Ford is throughout the movie.

The movie remains true to the originals in the fact that they use great stunt work as opposed to CGI for people. The stunt work is perfect and manages to capture Ford as an able, athletic fighting machine.

My first problem with this movie is all the car chases. There were like 3 huge car chases that took up a bulk of the action. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but they gave Indy a more stationary role in this one (cause he is so old). I know car chases and fights are an Indiana Jones stigma, but this one is a bit overboard. It seems the only fighting takes place on vehicles.

To praise the sound effects, I was so glad they used the same awesome, ridiculously loud punches. They are so awesome and just like the originals.

More criticism. I don't like the 50's world as much as I like the 30's world of the old movies. The 30's just seemed like the perfect time to be an adventurer and treasure hunter. The 50's is just a gross hair world. I much prefer the 30's.

Why o why Cate Blanchett? She tries so hard to make me hate her. I don't know why she is in this role, but I can't stand it. I think she is a good actor, but the roles she takes are starting to make me angry. She is showboating her skills.

In this movie, she is ugly with a disgusting outfit and haircut. There is no reason they could not have gotten some random Russian to play the part. It wasn't that essential to have star power in this role. She is really getting on my nerves.

Final criticism. What is this ending? The whole movie is adventurous and great up to the point when they walk into the room with alien skulls and skeletons. I knew it was going to turn weird. Course we can't have a George Lucas movie without some kind of ridiculous alien plot.

This really disappointed me. Sure the first three movies had supernatural happenings with religious artifacts, but never aliens with spaceships. I just found this hard to swallow. It just turned ridiculous and strayed so far from the Indy we all know and love. What was Spielberg thinking?

Despite the aliens and the sub par special effects, I still enjoyed the movie and I still love my hero, Indy. He will always remain one of the greatest characters of all time and definitely the best action hero. Indy is the bomb. I don't need any more Indy's because the originals never get stale.

4 of 5 stars

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Now, to the one I didn't remember all too well, the Last Crusade. This one was actually made when I was alive! Made four years after Doom, the Last Crusade takes place in 1936 and reincorporates the Nazis as bad guys.

I don't know why I didn't remember this one very well. I guess it is because I did not watch it as much as the other two.

Looking back at this movie, I was in for many surprises and it was just as entertaining as the first time I watched it. This one is loaded with action and adventure.

The introduction of Sean Connery as Indy's father was perfect. I really enjoyed him in this. This movie seems to have a ton of explosions and significantly less hand to hand battles. Maybe it is because of the massive tank battle that lasted half the movie.

This could be Indy's biggest adventure yet. He travels all over the world in search for the legendary Holy Grail, the mecca of all treasures.

This movie is littered with more humor than the previous movies. I just love Indy's countenance throughout the whole movie.

Spielberg claims this to be his favorite of the three and I can see why. The movie is great for the adventurer's spirit.

Crusade starts in 1912 with Indy as a Boy Scout who tries to steal a cross from jewel thieves. He thinks it belongs in a museum. The scenes as a kid explain a lot about Indy in the future, his hatred of snakes, his use of the bull whip and his hat.

Crusade is not only about a search for the Holy Grail but also about a search for reconciliation between a father and son. Dr. Jones Sr. neglected his son and his son left. Indy saves his life multiple times and they are united in the end. We will see how the last twenty years played out in the Kingdom of the Crystall Skull.

I'm interested to learn what Indy has been doing for the past 20 years. Ya, 20 years from Crusade to the newest sequel. What is the deal with resurrecting franchises from the 80's?


4.5 of 5 stars

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Moving on to my brother's favorite and possibly the darkest of the series, the Temple of Doom. Everything Spielberg couldn't get into Raiders he stuffed into this one. Escape the bad guys behind a rolling gong, use an inflatable raft as a parachute and safety blanket as he flies from a burning plane and a mine cart chase.

This movie has it all. Indie is back in the prequel to Raiders that is set in 1931 a few years earlier than Raiders. Doom was released in 1984 and was so violent, it helped garner a new system than introduced a PG-13 rating. The violence includes Molorom ripping a dude's heart out.

Doom centers on rural Indian villages that have been robbed of sacred stones. Indie must save the day. Doom has a lot of cult mysticism, child slavery and bizarre customs. Loaded with critters as opposed to snakes this time, Doom is sure to make even the strong squirm.

What my brother and I enjoyed so much about this movie was the character of little Shortie as Indie's sidekick. How we wished we could have been him as kids. To be our hero's sidekick would have been glorious. We always pretended we were Shortie and that we could save Dr. Jones whenever he needed help.

For the second time, this series won best visual effects at the Academy Awards. John Williams adds the typical awesome score. This movie is loaded with great action and is equally as entertaining as the first, but the darkness and weird spirituality are kind of a turn off in the series. I tend to think this is the weakest of the trilogy.

The thing I love about rewatching these movies is the old school sound effects. The punches sound so ridiculous and way over the top violent, which makes the movie even more exciting. I wonder if the new Indie will use the same? Probably not...

Thank you for #2 in the series which was equally as entertaining and thrilling. The adventures of Indie will stand the test of time and any kid will always think of Indie as the greatest hero of all time. Much better than today's "super"-heroes.

These movies are so well-developed and clearly thought out. It really is one of the best ideas for a hero ever. Thank you Lucas for that but not for Star Wars. I prefer the possible (haha, yeah Indie is very believable).

Harrison Ford gets more and more injured with each movie. In this one, he hurt his back. The previous, his ribs. He is probably in a wheelchair after Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.


4 of 5 stars

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

As the newest installment of Indy approaches, I felt the need to watch the original trilogy, which began in 1981. Can you believe that 27 years have passed and yet here comes another with Harrison Ford on his death bed?

The story of Indiana Jones is legendary and was one of my favorite movies as a kid. The adventure and daring escapades of Indy are incredible to a kid. Indy was easily the greatest character ever.

Harrison Ford was the perfect choice in this epic Spielberg film. His guise as a professor/archaeologist hides the truth that he is a treasure hunter. He is a handsome, rough teacher that his students greatly love.

Set in the 1930's, Indy is hired on by the government to beat the Nazi's to finding the Ark of the Covenant that is supposedly in Egypt. The thing with Indy is that he does all the grunt work - finding legendary treasures by passing all the traps - and some bad guy jerks it out of his hand and leaves him for dead.

The bad guy in this one is some Hitler cronie with an ugly face and a disgusting laugh. I really hate that guy.

The Ark is ripped from Indy and he and Marion (his girl) must get it back to discover the secrets within and to ensure it does not make the Nazi army invincible. The movie turns sci-fi (true to Spielberg and buddy and story writer George Lucas form) when the Nazis open the ark.

The Ark is legendary from Biblical times when the Hebrews carried it around at God's instruction as they wandered the wilderness. Anyone who touched it instantly died. It has spiritual power of some kind and has never been found.

The great thing about this epic movie is all the adventure as I previously stated. It still has some of the best fight scenes and action sequences of all time. This movie really stands the test of time. The movie is loaded with good humor as well.

Indiana Jones is one of the greatest characters/heroes ever made and I love him to death. I am so glad they made more than one movie and I can't wait for the next one. Ark is the best of the trilogy and likely the best of the series.

I didn't realize how well this movie was received back in the day. It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, which I find kinda hard to believe. O well, awesome. It won 4 - Best Art Direction, Best Effects, Best Editing, Best Sound.

Congrats Spielberg on one of your best movies and series ever. I could watch this every day forever.

4.5 of 5 stars

Minority Report

2002's "Minority Report" is one of Steven Spielberg's darker action flicks. The film was "bleech-bypassed" during post production to give it a dark feel that made the movie look almost black and white. It is considered very unique and paints a bleak view of the future.

The colors in the movie are very desaturated which gives it a dark bluish tint that resonates throughout the movie. The futuristic world created by Spielberg is an example of a mix of utopia and dystopia.

The year is 2054 and Tom Cruise is Pre-Crime agent John Anderton, who arrests people of murders before they are committed thanks to the three "pre-cogs" (kids of drug abusers, who are "blessed" with visions of murder in the future).

The world created in 2054 is high-tech, but not too preposterous. People still live as they do only with more technology. They do not drastically change their lifestyles as we see a lot in sci-fi movies.

The Pre-Crime division has eliminated murder in Washington D.C. in it's six years of service. The division is on the brink of going national and is therefore scrutinized by Department of Justice agent Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell).

Anderton is soon accused of murder three days into the future. He must go on the run and figure out how to clear his name. He does not even know the man he is supposed to kill.

The movie raises interesting questions about predetermination and destiny. If he had not been accused of murder, would he have actually committed it? The likelihood is that he wouldn't considering he did not know the guy.

The question is that of free will. Do we have a choice to change our "destiny?" Simply accusing Anderton leads him into a situation where he is forced to choice whether to murder this man (a very emotional choice at that).

All those that Anderton arrested did not actually do anything, yet they have been arrested. Could the pre-cogs be wrong or tampered with?

This movie ponders many questions and leaves you wondering in the end about free will and how we can alter the future by decisions we make. I love futuristic movies that ponder questions of reality, so this is right down my ally.

As for the content of the movie, it is loaded with action and futuristic violence involving jet packs and a freakin' awesome shock wave gun (coolest part of the movie). The technology is stunning and believable for what is nearly 50 years away.

I did not like the score created for this movie. It felt like a lot of the music did not apply or fit too well. It was done by the legend John Williams, but it simply did not add much to the film. The music was too opera-ish. It should have been the music of a classic film set in 1700's England. I was not pleased with this and felt like the movie would have been that much better with an average action movie score.

Another problem I have with this movie was the 30 minute lull at the end. This seems to be a common thing with Spielberg's latest movies (cough, cough "Munich" - that thing lasted forever). I thought the movie could have ended about five minutes after Anderton's confrontation with the guy he was to murder. Speilberg could have shortened this ending because in 30 minutes we don't learn that much.

It could have been squeezed into five minutes. The movie seems to take a boring turn at this point and fails to answer any questions we hadn't figured out already. Other than that and the music, I would say this is one of my favorite Spielberg movies, especially in recent years.

The action and futuristic world are spot on and Cruise is great as always. Throughout the movie, I tried to gather an evaluation on Farrell, but I still can't pinpoint it. I was looking for something to make him not live up to his negative reputation. I don't know. I still can't figure out if he is that great of an actor. Hard to tell in this one.

"Everybody runs."

4 of 5 stars