JPF Home Page Forums Creative Arts Forums Acting, Theater, Film and TV Forum "G.A.C." Review: "INDIANA JONES & The Kingdom of the Xtal Skull"

{HOPE Brian gets a Couple More Characters-added-on to the "Subject Box" here..Hadda Abbreviate "Crystal"..to get this to FIT! Heh..SORRY Harrison Ford et al!}

Getting Steven Spielberg (Director) and George Lucas (Story) Together to do Yet-One-more INDIANA JONES Movie is like getting the Pope and Billy Graham together to put on One Last Big "Tent Revival Show" for The Faithful...heh!

INDIANA JONES and THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL prettymuch delivers Gloriously As-Expected. (When you have $185 Million Budgeted for ONE Movie, how Can You MISS?)

Keep that Question in-mind, for I have a few "Misses" to Mention, later-on.

Where it HITS, it's a Very Good "Formula" Flick..the "Action-Adventure" Drama we've all come to Know & Love (& Expect) via Indiana Jones' 3 Previous Installments. (ALL filmed when Indy was a LOT-Younger.)

Here, the OLDER (& Wiser!) Indiana continues to Out-Research, Out-Think and STILL Out-Slugs his Evil Adversaries, WITH a little help from his (SURPRISE!) Love-Child, Well-Done by Shia LaBoeuf, as "Mutt" Williams..who shows up early in the Adventure. HS Dropout..fixes Motorcycles..Switchblade-Twirler..FINE "Chip off the Ol' Indie" Material..who'll (My Guess Is) maintain the Sequils Long-After Harrison Ford's off to the Old Actor's Home.

He's FAR From It in this Picture, tho, I'll add..& soon is in the Expected Chase-Scene, on back of Son's Harley. (Ya get Yet-Another, later, in a Convoy of Military Trucks..& the Thrills..& Humor..felt "Up-to-Standard" as Hoped-For.) NOT Un-expectedly, SON of Indy handles a LOT of the Physical Stuff , time-to-time..(Tho WATCH who ends up "Wearin' The Hat" at Flick's End...heh!) ;-)>

Cate Blanchett is flawless playin' a Russian "Dominatrix"-Like Spymaster..& Karen Allen's Quite-Likeable as Indy's Distant Former-Love (& Equally-Independant Now-"Single"-Mother of His Love Child.)

The ONE Actor who kinda got "Missed" here is John Hurt, playing Professor "Ox" Oxley..as a Now-Treacherous Old-Friend of Jones. It's kind of a "Throwaway Role" for what SHOULDA been better-written for such a FINE Actor. (Let me know if You Agree after you've seen the Flick, OK?)

There's a great Fun Moment when "SNAKES" makes its Brief Comeback (& WATCH for a peek at the "LOST ARK" when a crate breaks in the Warehouse Scene!) It's a great "Hat-Tip" to the Prior Indiana Jones Flicks, & I Tip MY Hat to This One with an "8 1/2-Outta-10" on the Bo Derek Viewability Scale.

Great, MIND-BOGGLING Special Effects, as-usual..Interesting TRAVELS (Peru much of this time around) with Nice Bits of Ancient HISTORY all-Blended-In. Dunno IF the Sci-Fi Ending really helped it conclude...Kind of a Coin-Toss for This Reviewer, (Let me Know YOUR Thoughts!)..but in My Book, this Movie's Well-Worth The Loot & Popcorn to go See It.

JMO...Keep-or-Sweep-it!

Big Hugs,
Stan-

I saw it too. I thought it was Fun. I never looked at my watch once - which is my meter for how good a film is.

Amen to that...& wasn't it GREAT to hear that Da-Da-Da-Taaa Theme Song Once AGAIN? Instant Excitement!

It's just kinda SAD that Indy wasn't the one who was Swingin' on Alla Those Vines there...BUT..I think The Kid's gonna help Hollywood Perpetuate This Genre of Movie...when it's His Turn to take over The Bullwhip Duties.

&..my bet is a LOT of the Planet's Future Archaelogists are gonna credit the Indiana Jones Flicks with SOME of their Inspiration to get out there & discover those Ancient Mysteries that really ARE Out There, just-waiting to be Researched.

They better hurry up, tho..I think the Mayan Calendar ENDS in 2029... ;-)>

Best Wishes & a Big Historical Hug,
Stan

Ooo, the world ends in 2029? I better start working on the song. I didn't get the memo...

Joe

If I remember rightly, I've been told 2 or 3 times this lifetime that the world was about to end. Thankfully, they were wrong. Remember, our measurement of time - which is infinite - is arbitrary & imprecise.

Vikki, I know. The world was supposed to end in 2000, too, and in 1981 (that was the one where we were all supposed to get off the planet quickly, and my wife wanted to go, and I didn't), and in 1958, and a few other times I missed. I love having precise dates, though--gives one something to shoot for.

Joe

HiDee Joe!

I Googled "Mayan Calendar"..& I'm Off more than a Bit:

It's all ending on "12/21/2012"...

WOULD have more to share..except a Catholic Priest, Diego de Landra, in July 1562 decided God told him to destroy 5000 Mayan Idols and Burn a LOT of Mayan Books. (He got all but 3 of them)...so most ALL the Mayan's CENTURIES of Knowledge was Lost-to-Christianity...heh-heh.

Luckily, Modern Archaeology isn't Religiously-based..& much IS being Re-Discovered. There's a chance the Mayans were aware of an Asteroid that's gonna RE-visit our Planet...right about that End Date.

Lucky Us, eh?

Best Wishes,
Ol' Stan

HI Mz Vicki!

Think the Mayan Calendar had 33 year "Cycles"...they were rather precise..& I've seen their Solar Clock at Maccu Piccu...(Still WORKS!)

I'll study-up More & get back to ya!

Big Hugs,
Stan

Happy Shootin', Amigo!

Think REM did a Great Job already on "It's The End of The World as We Know It"...& that "I feel fine" part is an Eternal "Knee-slapper" in my book!

Hard one to top...but maybe it's Do-Able...perhaps like
"Yesterday Was The End of The World" for a Fresh Hook!

Good Luck with it, Bro Joe!
Big Guy-Hug,
Stan

Dang! I had such big marketing plans for my 2013 Calender.

Midnite

[quote="TampaStan" Good]HiDee Joe!

I Googled "Mayan Calendar"..& I'm Off more than a Bit:

It's all ending on "12/21/2012"...

Southern Oregon University made the official announcement today. Friday, April 13, 2029, is the date, according to SOU. The culprit is a 400-yard-wide hunk of spatial whatever nicknamed Apophis.

Not to worry, the SOU professor said. "Asteroids are our friends. They killed the dinosaurs."

Joe

First Off, THANKS Evabody for my First "Over 100 HITS" Movie Review...(We need this kinda Activity to get "My Credentials" OKed as a Reviewer..so the Nice Folks at Allied Adv't WILL let me be a Regular Reviewer..& we CAN see More Movies Per-Week than the ONE it's gotten Down To Lately. (La Femme just blew 1/2 hr (& GAS to get)
in-line for free Preview Tix to "THE HULK", only to NOT Get Tickets. Again. BECAUSE the Could-Care-LESS Folks at Tampa Trib lately are giving out MORE than ONE Ticket (Good for 2 Admissions ea.) to a Party..AND...Some Folks show up with a BUNCH of KIDS "(Many Under-Age) and get LOTS of "Extras" thisaways...even when (Like The Hulk) it's a "PG-13" Flick. (It's Hot outdoors where the Free Tickets Flow, & the Handers-Outers wanna get back to their Air-Conditioning.)

"About HALF the Line-Waiting DIDN'T get any tickets" sayeth La Femme..(& on OUR Current Budget...we're Lucky to be able to afford the Sat Nites Out to see The ONE Movie, Now, alas.

But I DO Thankyas for Visiting What I at-least CAN Come Up With!

Also wanna thank Bob & Joe, Above, for Inspiring the Lyric, "Here Comes Apophis" now floatin' around at Lyrics Feedback Board 2!

OK..Off to Post "GAC Review" on "KUNG FU PANDA"...(& take a Peek at "Sex & The City" if ya haven't...need about 50 More Visitors to Impress the Allied Folks...if-ever..heh!)

Big Appreciative Hugs,
Ol' Stan