Plot It's 1957, and Indiana Jones (Ford) is approached by a teenage rebel named Mutt Williams (LaBeouf), whose mother has been kidnapped. He tells Indy about a map and a crystal skull, which may lead to the lost ancient city of Eldorado...
Review
Indiana Jones was born on a beach; quite literally, he was the result of a need to escape for his producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg. A new kind of hero who was the old kind of hero, and just as their instincts had proven right on films as different as Star Wars and Jaws, so Indiana Jones came to be a huge hit; a wry, warm antidote to the dark anti-heroes of the ’70s.
After the relatively quick one-two-three of the original trilogy, there then came the massive hiatus that brings us, after 19 long years, to the latest. The delay caused trepidation among the fans but, though there'll be those who disagree, the finished, and most likely final, instalment in the Indy saga is a minor triumph plucked from the jaws of disappointment. Indy is older, the old chemistry takes some time to reconfigure fully, and the thrill of where Indy might take us in a globe made smaller by the worldwide web and cheap airline travel has diminished. But Spielberg hasn't diluted the integrity of his keynote character. Indy IV preserves Jones' core credentials, celebrating his intelligence, his urbanity and his stubborn, scholarly kick-arse cool.
The story, too, cleaves close to the usual format: 1) the pulse-racing opening scenario, 2) the back-to-Marshall-College pause for breath, 3) the accidental treasure trail – because Indy is never so vulgar as to go looking for riches on purpose – and 4) the jackpot final highway, an exciting 45-minute rollercoaster that may test your credulity but never your attention span. The difference, though, is that – as promised – Spielberg has changed his palette, taking Indy from 1938 to 1957 in real time and switching the gaudy, Republic serial-inspired glow of the original movies for a beautiful, pastel-hued ’50s look.
Cast-wise, it's impeccable, but here's where the debits creep in. Though it seems on page to be an ensemble piece, Indy 4 is a crowded place where Jones comes first and everyone else follows. The upside of this is that Cate Blanchett and the excellent LaBeouf have a fantastic opportunity to play villain and sidekick respectively. The downside is that great character actors such as Ray Winstone and John Hurt don't have anything to play except hamstrung expositional roles. And similarly, with such great actors, it's a shame that the added effects don't always match what's actually there: as Peter Jackson proved with the wayward dinosaur chase in King Kong, CG spectacle can detract if there's no valid danger, and though there are squirmy scenes, Indy 4 struggles to find its peril level.
But the question is whether this is a real Indy movie, and the answer is a resounding yes. At 65, Harrison Ford isn't the whippersnapper he was, and maybe the opening athletic chase scene is a little too much to expect from him, but when he's punching big, bad Russkies on the nose, Ford hits the spot in more ways than one. He may be a little off on some of his comic timing, and the rekindled-romance subplot won't work for younger viewers – and, hey, neither will the “I like Ike” gag – but this is Indy as back in our world as he'll ever be. It's hard to conceive of another contemporary film that would please so many people today, but that's what Indiana Jones movies always did and what this one does right now. It won't change your life but, if you're in the right frame of mind, it will change your mood: you might wince, you might groan, you might beg to differ on the big, silly climax, but you'll never stop smiling. Think of Indy as an escape, which is all he was ever meant to be, and all he was ever really meant to help us do.
Verdict A slick, fun film that has by no means sacrificed the fast action beats of the first three.
Get this review and thousands more on on your iPhone, download the Empire Movie Guide now!
Write Your Review
To submit your own review and rating please login or register.
Advertisement
Your Reviews
Average user rating for Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Doesnt piss on the original trilogy.
Come on now, we all knew it wouldnt be as good as the first 3 but thats not to say its a bad film, its actually a very good film and all involved are clearly having a great time, ford can still hold his own as an action star and while there are admitidly dips in quality (not seen in the first 3) its still got the indy ideals at heart. I wasnt old enough to see the originals in cinema (wasnt actually born for the first 2) so just hearing that music for the 1st time and hearing that whip crack on ... Read More
I've seen this movie twice now and I really tried hard to like it, I really did. But I didn't and I remain shaking my head about it still now. Everybody obviously wanted this to be a triumphant return but the bottom line here is that this movie isn't it. Oh well, I'll try to forget about it and just stick to the original trilogy. ... Read More
This movie is SO AWFULLY BAD!!!! How can someone invent such a crap story?!!?!? Plus: the already over 60 year-old Harrison Ford is nothing but pathetic ...Awful!! ... Read More
worst movie ever made.i had to give a star but given the choice i wouldn't even given it one. Spielberg and Lucas totally raped Indy on this one. Im sorry Steven I am big fan of your old films, but with this and your other recent films such as 'war of the worlds', 'munich', and 'the terminal' you are turning to be one of the biggest has been ever. ... Read More
I have to agree that this film gets better with a second viewing. I think Indy films lend themselfs very well to been watched at home, yes it isn't better than on the big screen but some how it just works better for me to watch them at hoem than on the big screen. Its the only film that does that for me. As others have mentioned its a solid film with a few little silly moments that can be ignored.
As for talk about a 5th film I doubt very much that Spielberg would make ... Read More
I have to agree that this film gets better with a second viewing. I think Indy films lend themselfs very well to been watched at home, yes it isn't better than on the big screen but some how it just works better for me to watch them at hoem than on the big screen. Its the only film that does that for me. As others have mentioned its a solid film with a few little silly moments that can be ignored.
As for talk about a 5th film I doubt very much that Spielberg would make ... Read More
I have to agree that this film gets better with a second viewing. I think Indy films lend themselfs very well to been watched at home, yes it isn't better than on the big screen but some how it just works better for me to watch them at hoem than on the big screen. Its the only film that does that for me. As others have mentioned its a solid film with a few little silly moments that can be ignored.
As for talk about a 5th film I doubt very much that Spielberg would make an... Read More
I watched this again yesterday on Blu-ray as well as it looking gorgeous, I really enjoyed. Yeah it's not as good as the other 3 but I still think it's very entertaining. And Mutt Williams is a great character!
... Read More
Classic
Excellent
Good
Fair
Tragic
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
