New Indy movie

[David Lee]

One surly fanboy's opinion

I was disappointed... Not because it didn't make me feel 9, but because it was generally a poorly done movie. If this was a new movie I wouldn't be so harsh, but that objectivity is lost when you make a franchise movie. You cannot separate this from the Indiana Jones library, and it pales in comparison. It's weak... "Thin-diana Jones" is more like it. Now, having said that; Ford is great, Labeuf is great, Blanchet is awesome. George Lucas however, continues to ruin his previous body of work by running away from the very things that made them great. I even think Spielberg was off a bit as well. There was a time when Spielberg meant innovation, this looked like any other modern movie. This is forgiven since he changed movies (this genre for sure) and everyone imitates him now... but still I was a little let down. But the fault lies squarely at Lucas' feet...
After 19 years....

************SPOILERS**********************




























ALIENS? that's the pay off?! Aliens? are you kidding me?
IMO, the other movies had a very central theme... FAITH. Here is a tough as nails, seen it all, believes in nothing, hard core historian, who has to come to grips with supernatural events unfolding around him. While Crystal Skull tries to mimic this, it jumps straight to the end... Rosswell New Mexico? ok in the first 5 minutes we know what the ending will be, and Indy seems unphased by it... I can forgive the atomic refrigerator ride, and the Tarzan vine swinging (though I fully expected to hear Weismullers famous yell), but there was no mystery, very little plot development, and underdeveloped secondary characters... Like "Mac" I'm a good guy, I'm a bad, guy... no I'm a good guy, ok so I'm really a bad guy... the point is he's so underdeveloped I don't really even care... But mostly for me, there is no draw... where are the legends of Mayan Space men, where is the back story that makes me care... This movie is what it is, the weakest of the 4... I did get the "joy" of hearing the score and seeing the seeing the hat and whip, but these were not enough to carry, what I thought was a weak plot... The good news is George can't screw up any more iconic movies for me...
-Dave

[darklord1967]

And to those who say the films were always about over-the-top and ridiculous action scenes, I submit that Raiders of the Lost Ark is extremely realistic and not tongue-in-cheek or winky-winky at all.

Really? "Extremely realistic"? Which part? You mean the moment where he his hurled out onto the hood of a speeding truck, crawls underneath it, is dragged behind it by his bull whip, and then climbs up along the back? Or maybe you're referring to the part where he rides outside / atop a sealed, submerged sub-marine all the way to a remote island... without drowning.

No, no, no wait! I know which "extremely realistic" part of the film you mean: It's the bit with all the flying ghosts that come out of the opened Ark of The Covenant, and all the nazis are melted and exploded with the magical power of the wrath of God... a firestorm that literally sweeps through the island... but INDY and Marion survive because they... close their eyes.

Sure things got bigger and more outlandish with each successive INDY film. But that outlandishness was built on the shoulders of the established otlandish style of the original fim. Incredibly outlandish by 1981 standards. But actually pretty tame by today's cinematic action picture standards.

As time passed, the appetites of audiences for bigger, bolder, and more outlandish set pieces just grew exponentially. And George and Steven and Harrision delivered in spades... just like with this latest film.

Look, I know that some folks are going to have issues with the Matt Williams vine swinging scene from this flick. But I gotta tell you, for me, it was brilliant. I saw it exactly for what it was: A clever homage / tip of the hat to the saturday-matinee serials and Tarzan adventures that George and Steven grew up with, loved and were inspired by.

These films have always been a clever blend of something old, something new, something borrowed, and lots of eye-candy that you've NEVER seen before.

I don't know. It just seems that George is dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn't: If he gives people similar stuff to anything seen in a previous "classic" film of his own, they'll accuse him of repeating himself or re-hashing. If he attempts to go in even a slightly new direction with any of his franchises, he is accused of "violating the integrity of the saga". The poor guy can't win.

I LOVE the original Raiders of the Lost Ark. But the truth is that if it were released today, it would NOT pack the kind of action-punch "wow-factor" that contemporary audiences have come to expect. It would be considered slow-paced and somewhat dull by today's standards.

[Vortigern99]

Originally Posted by Vortigern99
Well, all of the IJ films have deus ex machina endings, literally "the god in the machine" in the case of Raiders.

Yes, you are exactly right! I should have been more clear and stated a lame-o Deus ex machina plot device. I'm not opposed to all movies that have employed it (kind of the point of the Ten Commandments). An example of bad for me was The Abyss; a great movie until every problem was solved by a giant soap dish floating up and saving all parties.

Yeah, "Is it any good or not?" and "Does it work in context?" are the only questions that really matter with regard to any plot element, but especially with Deus Ex Machinae. In the case of Indy IV, I think it works pretty well, even if the movie itself isn't perfect. (However, I must say if you didn't like the ending of The Abyss, you won't like this one, because now that you mention it, they're surprisingly similar!!)

And to those who say the films were always about over-the-top and ridiculous action scenes, I submit that Raiders of the Lost Ark is extremely realistic and not tongue-in-cheek or winky-winky at all. Can you imagine a vine-swinging monkey-man sequence in Raiders? But with every sequel the franchise has got farther away from its roots as being set in the real world. I don't say this to diss Crystal Skull -- I think it's a fun, character-driven and mostly consistent adventure film -- but it's important to note that with Raiders, lightning struck once in a very special way, and that kind of magic can probably never be bottled again.

[darklord1967]

Thats the Way I look At these Type of Movies.
I look forward in seeing the Film,.. & love how you summed up the Flick. Big thanks.

You're VERY welcome, good buddy! I sincerely hope you enjoy the film!! Just sit back with your soda and popcorn and let yourself have some FUN with this! I promise you, this is a loud, raucous, silly, preposterous, dazzling good time at the movies!

I'd love to know what you thought after you've seen it.

[darklord1967]

That's probably a valid point. So--Sith or Empire?

I'll be very happy to answer that question:

Given the choice as a 10 year old, my clear and enthusiastic choice would be STAR WARS Episode III: Revenge of the Sith:

Opens with a HUGE space battle.

Followed by our 2 heroes rescuing the kidnapped Chancellor in a three-way sword duel with a villain that ends in a decapitation!

The elderly Chancellor reveals himself as the REAL villain and fights 4 Jedi Knights in a sword duel.

Our Hero is manipulated by the secretly evil Chancellor into embracing the Dark side of the Force and killing his friends.

Our fallen Hero battles his former master on a LAVA world in a spectacular 12-minute lightsaber battle that leaves him crippled and burned alive.

To ME that movie would seem FAR more exciting than the events and basic plot line of STAR WARS Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.




Look, I LOVE the original STAR WARS Trilogy. You'd probably be hard-pressed to find a bigger STAR WARS fan than me anywhere.

But I refuse to see OT films through the same rose colored glasses that everyone who trashes the prequels chooses to see them through.

In my view, the prequels are FAR DENSER in plot and narrative detail than the OT:

You've got the complex political maneuvering and back-stabbing in Episode I,

Then in Episode II you've got Obi-Wan Kenobi's "Dick Tracy"-like mystery and intrigue investigation of the Kaminoans and the Clones. The death of Anakin's mother and its implications. The grand start of the Clone Wars.

And finally in Episode III, there's the final fall from grace of Anakin Skywalker and the final turn of a democratic society into a facist dictatorship.

These are some big, weighty themes, and in my view they actually make some of the simpler plot-driven antics of the OT seem like a Laurel and Hardy bit by comparison (Re; "Laugh it up fuzz-ball!").

In my opinion Geroge Lucas (and in the case of the latest INDY film, Steven Spielberg) are nothing if not CONSISTENT.

This latest INDY film is made with the exact same spirit, sense of fun, drama, humor, and cheesiness of ALL the previous INDY films.

In that same way, the Prequel STAR WARS films are made with the same grand, epic, fast-moving, visually spectacular, badly-acted, and clumsily dialogued style of the Original Trilogy.

Again, to me, these qualities working together are what give these films their charm.

I see the STAR WARS Saga and the Indiana Jones films as big sprawling cinematic comic books. They are NOT the stone tablets from the mountain. They have about as much importance (in the grand scheme of things) as a really good Looney Tunes cartoon.

Honestly, I don't think I'd love them nearly as much if they took themselves as deadly seriously as some people here expect them to.




The Lord of the Rings Trilogy took itself DEADLY seriously... and nearly bored me into a friggin' COMA!

I'm sorry but those three movies are basically about funny lookin' dudes walkin' through a damn forest. Ugh!!!

Nine total hours of film (!) is FAR TOO MUCH TIME to devote to the simple idea of dumpin' a goofy ring into a pit.

But I digress.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Chrystal Skull is an AWESOME time at the movies.

[Mr Mego]

Yeah, I noticed that on the TV break preview last week. It's very cool, I hope I can make it by next Tuesday, so there'll not be crowd by Tues or Wed will be slow down. If on Saturday I'll miss the best spot seat in the middle row and the crowd always make me nuts.

I can't believe that new movie is a magic with young Harrison Ford! I know he got older look different than that new movie.

My favorite is all of the Indiana Jones movies are the best, I'm the fan of all them!

[Steeler80]

I don't think you can compair those 2 Films,.. However "Revenge of the Sith" or "Empire Strikes Back" ? ... They Both were extremely the Darker films Of the Franchise. Sith More so,.. Because Anikan/Vader Literally screwed Over everyone He Knew or cared about. Just my 2 Cents.

That's probably a valid point. So--Sith or Empire?

And I also think that I got a little long-winded and muddied up my point which is this: If we can agree that an adult can like something intended for kids, the flip side is that, if an adult doesn't like something, it isn't necessarily because it was directed at children.

[BlackKnight]

Phantom Menace or Empire?

I don't think you can compair those 2 Films,.. However "Revenge of the Sith" or "Empire Strikes Back" ? ... They Both were extremely the Darker films Of the Franchise. Sith More so,.. Because Anikan/Vader Literally screwed Over everyone He Knew or cared about. Just my 2 Cents.

[Steeler80]

This isn't intended to be snarky, so please excuse me if it comes off that way. Also, I'll try not to derail this thread too much. But, while I agree that a later movie trying to capture the magic of a movie you saw in your childhood just isn't possible, I think trying to justify a movie that adults don't like by saying it's intended for kids isn't really a valid point with these types of movies (Power Ranger movies, yeah, I'll give you that). I'll give a few examples of what I'm saying.

The Lord of the Rings movies. I loved them as did most of the adults I know. Most of the kids I know loved them too. Because they were good movies.

Basically any of the Pixar movies--same thing.

Think of it this way as well. If you were ten years old and hadn't been exposed to the franchise at all, which movie would have the biggest impact on you: Raiders or Crystal Skull? Phantom Menace or Empire?

Anyway, I'm not trying to harp. If you loved the movie, that's terrific. I was a little disappointed by it and not because I was looking to recapture my youth.

[Tyme2tyme]

I was almost expecting the film makers to try to disquise the fact that Harrison Ford has gotten much older but the worked it into the storyline beautifully. As for the movie itself, I really enjoyed it. Is it perfect? Of course not. Is it fun? YES! JOHN

[JPkempo]

If they made a 5th movie I would go see it as well.

[BlackKnight]

I'm always so amused at the notion of a bunch of 40 year old men disappointed at a movie for not making them feel like 10 year olds again.

ALL of these Lucasfilm movies (Indiana Jones series, STAR WARS saga) are intended for young boys basically.

Are parts of this latest INDY film ridiculous? Yes. THAT's the point. These films are basically just well-made versions of the saturday-matinee serials of yesteryear which were cartoonish and ridiculous in their own right.

For me, THAT's the charm of these movies, and why I keep coming back.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Chrystal Skull packs one hell of a summer whallop!!!!

The action sequence set-pieces are amazing, the special effects are top-notch, the script is intelligent and enagaing, and ALL of the ingredients from previous INDY fims are here in spades.

Harrison Ford and Karen Allen both look terrific, Shia LeBouf has one sequence that in my view nearly steals the film, and we finally have an interesting baddie again in Cate Blanchet, the likes of which we have not seen since Paul Freeman's turn as Belloq.

I've always liked the Indiana Jones films. But this one is by FAR the best of the four as far as I'm concerned.

And it is far grander and more EPIC than this summer's overrated Iron Man, which every fan-boy in the world is raving about.

I'm sure pre-adolecent and teenaged boys are going to LOVE this new INDY film, and after all... it is THEM that it's intended for.

Thats the Way I look At these Type of Movies.
I look forward in seeing the Film,.. & love how you summed up the Flick. Big thanks.

[mitchedwards]

My wife and I were going to see Indy today, as a anniversary present to each other. However, my daughter got sick, so we'll have to wait till we can see it.

[Sideshow Spock]

I wouldn't say it was made FOR them, but Paramount sure hopes they show up; otherwise it's not gonna be the blockbuster they're hoping for. This article tackles the topic:

Paramount wants kids to dig 'Indiana Jones' - Los Angeles Times

[darklord1967]

I'm always so amused at the notion of a bunch of 40 year old men disappointed at a movie for not making them feel like 10 year olds again.

ALL of these Lucasfilm movies (Indiana Jones series, STAR WARS saga) are intended for young boys basically.

Are parts of this latest INDY film ridiculous? Yes. THAT's the point. These films are basically just well-made versions of the saturday-matinee serials of yesteryear which were cartoonish and ridiculous in their own right.

For me, THAT's the charm of these movies, and why I keep coming back.

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Chrystal Skull packs one hell of a summer whallop!!!!

The action sequence set-pieces are amazing, the special effects are top-notch, the script is intelligent and enagaing, and ALL of the ingredients from previous INDY fims are here in spades.

Harrison Ford and Karen Allen both look terrific, Shia LeBouf has one sequence that in my view nearly steals the film, and we finally have an interesting baddie again in Cate Blanchet, the likes of which we have not seen since Paul Freeman's turn as Belloq.

I've always liked the Indiana Jones films. But this one is by FAR the best of the four as far as I'm concerned.

And it is far grander and more EPIC than this summer's overrated Iron Man, which every fan-boy in the world is raving about.

I'm sure pre-adolecent and teenaged boys are going to LOVE this new INDY film, and after all... it is THEM that it's intended for.