Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by David Koepp
Starring Harrison Ford, Shia Labeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt
Release Date May 22nd, 2008
Published May 20th, 2008
In full disclosure mode, I write this review while wearing an Indiana Jones t-shirt. The fact is, as long as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit the screen I was going to love it. As an Indy nerd who spent last Thursday watching all three original Indy adventures back to back to back plus a two hour documentary feature, I have waited very impatiently for a new Indiana Jones for 19 years.
As we rejoin the adventure of archaeologist and treasure hunter Henry "Indiana '' Jones Jr it is 1952 and Indy has been kidnapped by Russian infiltrators. They want Indy to help them locate an artifact being held by the US government at Area 51. The artifact is related to a top-secret excavation that Dr. Jones took part in briefly at Roswell New Mexico.
Naturally, Indiana Jones isn't one for treason and after a chase, a gun battle, and another chase, he nearly gets the artifact back. He will need to keep trying to get it because red scare paranoia has the FBI calling him a traitor. Forced out of his teaching gig by the FBI, Indy heads for New York only to be sidetracked by a kid named Mutt (Shia Labeouf).
Mutt has a letter from an old friend of Indy's who claims to have found the lost city of gold and includes a map. With Mutt in tow, Indy heads for South America with the Russians hot on his heels as well. If you guessed that the City of Gold is also related to that Roswell gig, kudos for your observational prowess.
Indiana Jones isn't overly complicated in its plotting but it's not stupid either. The script from George Lucas with some spit polish by three other writers, proceeds with a similar logic to the first three Indy films balancing outlandish supernatural phenomena with old school adventure movie thrills.
Steven Speilberg's direction is relaxed and assured like an old friend retelling a story we've heard before but with just as much energy, vigor and life as ever before. Working with Oscar winner Janusz Kaminski there is a little extra polish to the old school look of Indy but not so much as to distract from the old time feel.
Harrison Ford is restored to his world-weary charming self as Indiana Jones. His persona seeming ever more strained and stressed in his most recent action movie roles, Ford is chilled out and laid back as Indy and he has not lost a bit of the light touch humor and hard ass tough guy persona that has made Indiana Jones an icon.
I was going to love this movie just for existing; so imagine how geeked I am that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is so awesome. Great story, great direction, great acting, welcome back Karen Allen, welcome Cate Blanchett and Shia Labeouf and Ray Winstone, everything about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull works.
I love this movie.
