Sequels, prequels and remakes have been en vogue for quite sometime in Hollywood. I'm actually a little surprised that George Lucas, King of Re-Dos, didn't revive the Indiana Jones series sooner. But, no matter how you slice it, Indy is back, resuming his quest to return antiquities to museums.
I'll be pithy -- Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the third-best Indiana Jones film; it's better than Temple of Doom. Though it's difficult to compare films in a series that seen nearly 20 years pass since it's last release. Kingdom manages to maintain an unsteady balance between the themes that built the franchise and those that will introduce it to a new generation.
The series' unique pacing, slapstick brawling and overall
adventurousness remain intact, though they've been wedged between CGI
effects and some flat acting. I suppose the CGI is a necessary evil,
and it was well-handled by Spielberg; it's delicately mixed with
"hand-crafted" effects reminiscent of the original trilogy.
Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones; he was solid as always, just a bit older this time around. I'm fairly indifferent to Shia LaBeouf as Indy's sidekick, Mutt Williams. He's less annoying than he was in "Transformers" and speaks better English than Short Round did in Temple of Doom. Cate Blanchett was a waste as the near-emotionless Russian, Irina Spalko. She wasn't quite menacing enough and her paycheck would have been better spent on more CG'd monkeys.
On the whole, Kingdom does it's best to draw from the series' past, while still being an adventure film that's relevant in the 21st century. And, for the most part, it's successful on both accords.
The Denouement:
Quite Essential for fans the Jones saga, adventure flicks and cameos from artifacts featured elsewhere in the series.
Fairly Essential for fedora-wearers and fans of Shia LaBeouf (I'm sure there's at least one... somewhere... right?)
Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones; he was solid as always, just a bit older this time around. I'm fairly indifferent to Shia LaBeouf as Indy's sidekick, Mutt Williams. He's less annoying than he was in "Transformers" and speaks better English than Short Round did in Temple of Doom. Cate Blanchett was a waste as the near-emotionless Russian, Irina Spalko. She wasn't quite menacing enough and her paycheck would have been better spent on more CG'd monkeys.
On the whole, Kingdom does it's best to draw from the series' past, while still being an adventure film that's relevant in the 21st century. And, for the most part, it's successful on both accords.
The Denouement:
Quite Essential for fans the Jones saga, adventure flicks and cameos from artifacts featured elsewhere in the series.
Fairly Essential for fedora-wearers and fans of Shia LaBeouf (I'm sure there's at least one... somewhere... right?)
