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Indy 4 - Here there be (minor) spoilers

I have the feeling that I may be in the minority with all the rave reviews going around, but I thought the latest Indiana Jones movie was average at best. It did have some good action sequences that lived up to those in the original trilogy (the motorcycle chase in and around campus and the fencing sequence), but the bad parts were really bad. Like on par with Indy meeting Hitler in Last Crusade or any time Kate Capshaw was on screen in Temple of Doom level bad.

The bad guys get attacked by monkeys? Shia LaBeouf swinging on vines like Tarzan? Trying to force another Indy-is-afraid-of-snakes bit into the picture. I mean, they’re in South America and this is the best way they can think of to work in a snake? Really? And George Lucas proves once again that he can’t write intimate moments (like we needed any more proof after Attack of the Clones). Personal interaction between Indy, Marion, and Mutt was painful at best.

Ultimately, moving the franchise into sci-fi territory was the greatest disappointment. Involving aliens took things too far from the theological/mystical underpinnings of the original trilogy. Yes, I realize that there was a little hand waiving early on about some “legend”, but it is undercut before it is even introduced since the Russians are stealing an alien corpse in the opening sequence and Area 51 and Roswell are brought up prior to any discussion of a legend.

I was intrigued when Indy mentioned that he spied on communists for the US government. Indiana Jones and the Commie Busters. Now that I would see.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael Costello on June 6, 2008 at 1:15pm: As to your points about the movie as a whole, although the movies all seem to have a theological/mystical underpinnings both Lucas and Speilberg have stated that the movies are really a celebration of the pulp movies/books of their youth. That being the case the movies/comics/books of the '50s revolved around the bomb/radiation/mutated animals and aliens. The "Big Bad" of the the those decades were Communists. Lastly you could very well make the argument that the existing study/mythology/belief of possible alien involvement in our pre-history has as much of a theological underpinning as Shankara stones, Holy Grail, or the Ark of the Covenant. The Nasca lines, Crystal skull, Olmecs, Mayans all real mysteries/"legends".

I agree that the movie as a whole underwhelmed but I did believe it was made with alot of energy and fun. It ultimately works and any reservations I have is tempered by the fact that I was in my childhood hayday with Raiders.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lamont Cranston on June 25, 2008 at 8:44am: The point about how the original movies were set in the 30’s and made in the conventions of B-movies the period (i.e., monster movies) while Crystal Skull is set in the 50’s and made in the conventions of B-movies of that period (i.e., flying saucers and aliens) was pointed out to me by a couple of people now. I suppose I can accept that explanation as an artistic choice, but I still don’t think it worked for me.

Also, do you think they appreciated the irony of painting the government as a bunch of paranoid Mccarthyites in a movie where communist troops penetrated one of the nations most secure military bases and ransacked a top secret storage facility in the opening sequence? It’s difficult to poke fun at red-paranoia about communist infiltration when you have communists actually infiltrating the military in the same movie.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lamont Cranston on June 25, 2008 at 8:45am: On a semi-related note, the new Lego Indiana Jones game is awesome. At least they got that right.; ▶ Reply to This

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