Want action? 'Crystal Skull' has plenty of it
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, May 22, 2008
You don't realize how truly lifeless recent movies have been until Indiana Jones turns up and reminds you just how fun a summer film can be.
Gone from the screen for almost 20 years, the adventurous archeologist returns today in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," a sprawling rollercoaster ride that looks more like a '50s sci-fi venture than a '30s movie serial.
Set in 1957, the new installment features aliens, Russian spies and a cooling trend that suggests the Cold War is about to take heat. Indy (Harrison Ford) has been thrust in the middle of a Roswell, N.M., plot (betcha can't guess what that involves) that introduces him to Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), a chilly Stalin disciple who's determined to learn what a glowing crystal skull means. She forces Jones into service and, before you can say "nyet," the games begin.
In no time at all, a Brando wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) roars up on a motorcycle and provides key information. The kid -- named Mutt Williams -- comes along for the ride, giving "Crystal Skull" the street cred it may need.
"Indiana Jones," after all, was an action series for another generation -- not today's. LaBeouf serves as the post-X generation's ticket in. He wields a mean knife, has his own fears and reintroduces Indy to a woman from his past.
Director Steven Spielberg doesn't scrimp on any of the action. He sends his stars over waterfalls, into sand pits and on the run from a particularly scary army of giant ants. Sometimes, it seems like filler but with Indiana Jones, is there ever such a thing as "too much"?
Ford gets plenty to do (or at least his stunt man does) and a new attitude that proves he doesn't always have to Bogart the role. He looks great. He sounds even better. When he and Mutt are cornered by Russians, he politely reminds the kid, "You just brought a knife to a gun fight."
Not to be outdone, Mutt references Indy's age repeatedly. "What are you, like 80?" he barks.
True to its roots, "Crystal Skull" tries to duplicate the films of its era. The new edition has Cinemascope action and cheesy sci-fi aliens. Spielberg even tips his fedora to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which helped cement his reputation as king of the blockbusters.
"Crystal Skull's" biggest treat, though, is Blanchett. She's such a deliciously evil villain you think she's channeling "Bullwinkle's" Natasha. Using the kind of cinematography formerly lavished on Lana Turner, Spielberg gives Blanchett a quality that's both appealing and revolting. The photography is so vivid you can actually count her eyelashes.
If "Crystal Skull" has a crack (and, yes, it does) it's in exposition. By the time Indy and company get to where they need to be, there's so much sci-fi mumbo jumbo to sort through you don't really care who's on the side of good.
Still, this isn't a lame imitation -- like "The Mummy" or "National Treasure." It's a cinematic tradition that holds up almost as well as Indiana Jones' leather jacket.
If you're a film scholar, you'll understand what Spielberg is tackling here. This isn't just an homage to past successes. It's a tribute to all that moved him to get into the business.
Grab the popcorn and indulge. When you stack it up against the CGI-crammed films of previous summers, you'll realize this is the real deal -- and why so many people love to spend hot summer nights in cold, dark theaters.
Rated PG-13, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" features violence and intense action.
On a scale of four stars, "Crystal Skull" gets:
3 1/2 stars
Gone from the screen for almost 20 years, the adventurous archeologist returns today in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," a sprawling rollercoaster ride that looks more like a '50s sci-fi venture than a '30s movie serial.
Set in 1957, the new installment features aliens, Russian spies and a cooling trend that suggests the Cold War is about to take heat. Indy (Harrison Ford) has been thrust in the middle of a Roswell, N.M., plot (betcha can't guess what that involves) that introduces him to Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), a chilly Stalin disciple who's determined to learn what a glowing crystal skull means. She forces Jones into service and, before you can say "nyet," the games begin.
In no time at all, a Brando wannabe (Shia LaBeouf) roars up on a motorcycle and provides key information. The kid -- named Mutt Williams -- comes along for the ride, giving "Crystal Skull" the street cred it may need.
"Indiana Jones," after all, was an action series for another generation -- not today's. LaBeouf serves as the post-X generation's ticket in. He wields a mean knife, has his own fears and reintroduces Indy to a woman from his past.
Director Steven Spielberg doesn't scrimp on any of the action. He sends his stars over waterfalls, into sand pits and on the run from a particularly scary army of giant ants. Sometimes, it seems like filler but with Indiana Jones, is there ever such a thing as "too much"?
Ford gets plenty to do (or at least his stunt man does) and a new attitude that proves he doesn't always have to Bogart the role. He looks great. He sounds even better. When he and Mutt are cornered by Russians, he politely reminds the kid, "You just brought a knife to a gun fight."
Not to be outdone, Mutt references Indy's age repeatedly. "What are you, like 80?" he barks.
True to its roots, "Crystal Skull" tries to duplicate the films of its era. The new edition has Cinemascope action and cheesy sci-fi aliens. Spielberg even tips his fedora to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which helped cement his reputation as king of the blockbusters.
"Crystal Skull's" biggest treat, though, is Blanchett. She's such a deliciously evil villain you think she's channeling "Bullwinkle's" Natasha. Using the kind of cinematography formerly lavished on Lana Turner, Spielberg gives Blanchett a quality that's both appealing and revolting. The photography is so vivid you can actually count her eyelashes.
If "Crystal Skull" has a crack (and, yes, it does) it's in exposition. By the time Indy and company get to where they need to be, there's so much sci-fi mumbo jumbo to sort through you don't really care who's on the side of good.
Still, this isn't a lame imitation -- like "The Mummy" or "National Treasure." It's a cinematic tradition that holds up almost as well as Indiana Jones' leather jacket.
If you're a film scholar, you'll understand what Spielberg is tackling here. This isn't just an homage to past successes. It's a tribute to all that moved him to get into the business.
Grab the popcorn and indulge. When you stack it up against the CGI-crammed films of previous summers, you'll realize this is the real deal -- and why so many people love to spend hot summer nights in cold, dark theaters.
Rated PG-13, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" features violence and intense action.
On a scale of four stars, "Crystal Skull" gets:
3 1/2 stars
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