Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is considered by many viewers to be one of the most disappointing blockbusters of the 21st Century; the film is heavily maligned for its overuse of CGI, the occasionally cartoonish action and its sharp turn into the science-fiction genre. But prepare for a controversial opinion… I don’t think this movie is bad, in fact, I really like it!

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” has a lot of problems for sure, but it also does a lot of things right. The movie retained the break-neck pace and effortlessly entertaining tone that made “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” so spectacular and ditched the moody and horrific themes that caused “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” to be such an unpleasant and disturbing watch. The cast all bring their A-game to the story, Steven Spielberg proved that he could still direct an “Indiana Jones” story 20 years after the trilogy concluded and John Williams’s score is just as thrilling and chilling as his work on the previous entries.

So despite some ludicrous sequences and questionable story decisions, I think there’s a lot of fun to be had with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” So grab a fedora and a bullwhip as we revisit the fourth entry in the greatest adventure series of all time, but beware, there will be full spoilers ahead.

Steven Spielberg’s direction here is terrific, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” mostly maintains the gritty and traditional look of the original trilogy, whilst also incorporating more modern techniques for the high-octane action sequences. Although “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” isn’t as technically impressive as “Minority Report” or as intimate as “Schindler’s List”, it provides yet more proof that Spielberg is a true Hollywood Legend.

Harrison Ford continues to be phenomenal as Indy, his performance in “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” blends the charisma and dry wit that made the character so beloved in the first place with a wiser and more experienced edge that gives the aging archaeologist new dimensions.

The return of Marion Ravenwood/ Williams to the series was a welcome one, Karen Allen is still excellent and her chemistry with Ford is still immensely entertaining to watch.

Cate Blanchett does a fine job as antagonist Irina Spalko, she’s creepy and formidable but not in an over-the-top way.

The supporting cast in “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is populated with a wide selection of distinguished actors; from the late great John Hurt to Jim Broadbent and Ray Winstone, no one gives a bad performance.

Now let’s talk about Shia “Just Do It” LaBeouf, one of the most bizarre and polarizing actors working today. Aside from this movie, I’ve seen LaBeouf in “Holes”, “I, Robot”, “Constantine” and the first three “Transformers” films (basically all the blockbusters he was in before he started wearing paper bags on his head and starring in a bunch of indie films.) So I can safely say that “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” features easily his best performance; he’s not annoying and his character (Mutt) feels like a real person, rather than a screeching moron like Sam Witwicky in “Transformers.” However, I can’t quite buy that Mutt is the son of Indiana Jones, he lacks the charm and grit that defines Indy. So overall, he’s ok here.

The action in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is hit-and-miss. The practical punch-ups are compelling and the adrenaline-fuelled motor bike chase is very engaging; unfortunately the action in the second half of the film is far too reliant on dated CGI, which breaks the film’s tension and atmosphere. It’s a shame because there are some genuinely engrossing sequences early on in “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, but moments such as the infamous scene where Mutt swings with a horde of monkeys really bring down the movie’s reputation when it comes to action.

Not all the visual effects are bad however, as “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” features some exceptional stunt work and practical effects. Hopefully the next instalment (if it ever leaves development hell) will focus more heavily on authentic, real-world effects rather than bouncy and lifeless CGI.

The aspects of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” that seems to garner the most anger from fans are the ridiculous scenes that defy credibility, (the rocket train, the nuclear proof fridge, the monkeys and the man-eating ants.) The funny thing is, I don’t think all of these ideas are completely awful on paper (“Raiders of the Lost Ark” was a grounded action adventure until the final 10 minutes when it takes a bonkers and supernatural turn), the problem is that this movie throws crazy idea after crazy idea at the screen, causing the tone and genre of the story to become muddled and confused.

And finally, I’m going to attempt to defend the most despised part of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, that being the introduction of aliens to the franchise. I agree that if you watch each entry in the quadrilogy in quick succession, the towering extra-terrestrial and the massive flying saucer that appear during the third act are extremely jarring. However, I think most people forget that as this film is set in the 1950s, the plot takes inspiration from 50s sci-fi stories, rather than the action serials of the 30s like the original trilogy. I believe that this decision to go in a completely different direction, while not amazing, was at least an interesting and bold concept.

To summarise, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” may not be an objectively great film, but I find it far more re-watchable than “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” It’s a goofy yet breezy adventure flick that captures the heart and soul of the better movies in the series, whilst also providing enough humour and fan service to create a fairly enjoyable experience. I’m cautiously excited for the upcoming fifth instalment in the “Indiana Jones” franchise; I know it won’t top “Last Crusade” (which is my second favourite movie of all time) but I can’t help but look forward to going on one more adventure within this incredible franchise.