THE POPCORN REEL FILM REVIEW/"Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal
Skull"
A Hat, A Whip, And a Few Gray Hairs Mean Indy Is Back, And So Is Fun
Ray Winstone as the double-dealing Mack and Harrison
Ford as Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr., in "Indiana Jones and The Kingdom
of The Crystal Skull". The film opens worldwide tomorrow. (Photo:
David James/Copyright Paramount Pictures. 2008. All Rights
Reserved.)
By
Omar P.L. Moore/May
21, 2008
Question: When you've left Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. on the shelf for 19 years,
how do you reintroduce him? Answer: With humor, of course. And humor
is the main reason why Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The
Crystal Skull" works so well. Its funny, witty one-liners scripted by
David Koepp (from a story by the film's executive producer George Lucas and Jeff
Nathanson) make this action adventure film consistently appealing, a clever
blend of adventure, humor and entertainment. From the first sight of the
Paramount Pictures logo onward, "Indiana Jones 4" gets off to a fun,
freewheeling start, and we find ourselves in the American state of Nevada in
1957, where nuclear testing is ramping up, the Cold War is in full flow, with
the McCarthy era fueling and galvanizing Americans against the so-called "red
scare" of Communism and American rockabilly style reigns supreme.
In Mr. Spielberg's film, which opens in most countries worldwide tomorrow,
including the U.S. and in Canada, humor and character take center stage, and
comic timing is essential. Harrison Ford is funnier here as Indiana Jones
-- the archeology professor (part-time, he reminds us,) and explorer -- than he
has ever been in any of the three prior excursions as Henry Jones, and this new
film adventure is more a breezy, joyous action film than it is a hard-hitting
film. Gray hairs don't stop Mr. Ford, who is now in his 60's. He
still runs, jumps and dives around, and the stunts he is showcased in are as
thrilling as ever. Unlike past adventures though, he doesn't get to do all
the fighting and leaping by his lonesome. Enter Mutt Williams, a lay-about
leather jacketed motorcycle enthusiast played by Shia LeBeouf, who does his best
Henry Winkler "Fonzie" impression from "Happy Days", constantly slicking
back his mini-pompadour with his indispensable comb. Mutt accompanies Indy
to Peru and then the Amazon rain forests in Brazil, where he even more
dramatically evokes Johnny Weissmuller, swinging through the trees with the
greatest of ease, just like the man who played Tarzan himself. Mutt even
partakes in a hair-raising stunt that Errol Flynn himself would have been proud
of.
Professor Jones and Mack, a British double agent (Ray Winstone) early on face
off against the formidable Irina Spalko, a Soviet military officer who is
ruthless. As brilliantly accented by Cate Blanchett, the icy Spalko is
more than ready for a fight. She and her cohorts want the legendary
crystal skull, a skull that is completely solid quartz. Mr. Jones is then
forced under duress to look for the skull for Spalko. The interplay
between the two gets off to an amusing start before the business at hand ensues.
Mr. Ford is snappy, funny and feisty as Chicago's professor, and where in many
action films one-liners that are supposed to be funny when spoken just aren't --
in "Crystal Skull", one-liners when spoken bring genuine laughter -- whether
spoken by the hero or by other cast members.
Speaking of cast members, Mr. Spielberg manages to make the litany of cast
characters fit into this two hour-plus story with aplomb. (All of the
characters to some extent have shades of gray to them -- something rare in
summer action films.) John Hurt is
Professor Oxley, who holds the key to the mystery of the crystal skull -- or
does he?; Jim Broadbent (along with Mr. Hurt and Mr. Winstone British actors
three) is the dean of the school at which Henry Jones, Jr. teaches, and he has a
small role here. One welcome returnee to the "Indiana Jones" series is
Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood. Ms. Allen's return to the film franchise
was 27 years in the making, and she adds spark and a passion along the way.
After nearly three decades away she hasn't lost a step in scenes with Mr. Ford.
Some of the most enjoyable moments of "Crystal Skull" are between them.
Mr. Spielberg is a lover of cliches which are evoked in a number of his films
and here he uses the 1950's not only as the backdrop for the main story but also
to showcase the iconography of the 1950's, including as mentioned prior "Happy
Days" diner-style fun, the legend of Roswell, New Mexico, and an alternative
spin on the "Leave It To Beaver" mores of a staid period. Mr. Ford and the
film continually poke fun at themselves and the self-deprecation keeps things
fresh and lively. Where some sequels are victims of being stuck in time,
or being away for too long, "Indiana Jones" makes a welcome return.
Special effects are wisely kept to a minimum in "Crystal Skull", although they
make their presence felt when necessary. Excessive computer digitals would
have tarnished the film's naturalistic feel and the folks at LucasFilm
definitely recognized this.
In the only lull of the new film, it can be safely said that once the crystal
skull is seen by the audience what happens in service of it is more or less
anti-climactic. We can probably guess who will meet their maker and who
will live to see another day. That aside, the production design of the
film is highly impressive (thanks to Guy Dyas) and Janusz Kaminski shows us why
he is one of the world's very best cinematographers. His depiction of
shadows and spotlight work ever so well for this film, as do his eye for
composition and sunlight. Mr. Kaminski and Mr. Spielberg have been a
tandem ever since "Schindler's List" (1993) and have been practically joined at
the cinematic hip for almost 16 years. Mr. Kaminski, who so superbly
lensed Julian Schnabel's 2007 film "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly" shows us
something different every time he works. They will likely team up for "Tintin",
and will no doubt be reuniting after that on Mr. Spielberg's forthcoming epic
Civil War film "Lincoln".
"Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull" will not disappoint action
fans -- there are enough stunts that will have audiences of all kinds clapping
and cheering, and the triumphant signature "Raiders March" main theme music from
extraordinary film composer John Williams is so resonant that it will have goose
bumps etched into a viewer's skin. It's so good to hear that music in a
large theater again after all these years.
To borrow another theme song that certainly applies to "Crystal Skull" and its
titular hero: "Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back . . . "
"Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull" opens worldwide tomorrow
and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is rated PG-13 by the
Motion Picture Association of America for adventure violence and scary images.
The film's duration is two hours and four minutes.
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Copyright The Popcorn Reel. PopcornReel.com. 2008. All Rights
Reserved.