The fourth Indiana Jones was released last week to mediocre reviews by both critics and fans alike. A classic "professor/action hero" story led to the success of the original franchise, leading to movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and others. After a 19 year hiatus, Henry Jones, Jr. makes his return to theaters. Is it a bust? Read on to find out my impressions. SPOILER WARNING: There may be small spoilers included in the rest of this review.Story: This is one crazy story. Basically, it hinges around Indiana, who gets in trouble with the FBI for "helping" Russians gain access to an artifact of significant import. He is then harassed by them and given a "leave of absence" from the University. He then gets a message from Mutt that one of his good friends has gone missing. This sends him on a quest to find the crystal skull, and return it. The story is all well and good until we get closer to the end, where it becomes uniquely convoluted and complicated. While Indiana Jones has never been one to dabble in the ordinary, this story one ups all of the other ones in the odd section. Let's just put it this way: aliens. I don't want to spoil it, because the movie is perfectly enjoyable as is -- it just has a very strange story line that I still don't know if I love.
Acting: This is Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) back in the old, comfortable pair of shoes. He plays Indy with aplomb, enjoying and relishing on screen moments. You can tell he's having fun with the story, and enjoying putting on the old Indiana Jones costume once more. Shia LeBeouf does an admirable job as Mutt, a cantankerous kid always rushing impetuously into new dangers. Cate Blanchett, as the evil Russian seems a little empty for most of the movie. She seems to have one face, permanently held with a sneer and a snide little stare. However, she does come into her own late in the movie and makes for an enjoyable, if not strange, bad guy -- er, girl.
Action: Indy is in top form for his action scenes. They play a much larger role in this movie than in the previous. The mindless action fun is there, and it is truly a sight to behold. It is nice to see that Ford and LeBeouf did almost all their own stunts, and allowed for close ups on their faces during intense moments. I enjoyed the scenes very much, although the middle chase scene through the Amazon seems to get a little too long. I wish they had cut just a bit of that out.
Overall: A good movie, but not a great movie. I enjoyed it, and recommend it for anyone looking for a good escapist movie. However, the story is a little excessive and sometimes the action can get a little repetitive. Overall, I do recommend it.
Story: 7.8/10
Acting: 9/10
Action: 8.8/10
Overall (not an average): 8.4/10
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1 comment:
I actually saw this movie (which is an unusual twist to most of my reviews) and I have to agree with most of your commentary. I want to add that I thoroughly enjoyed all the 50's cars, the old military vehicles, the greasers in the diner. My prediction: The next Indy will feature Shia, wearing tight white Angel Flights, in a disco competing in a dance contest when his performance is interrupted by his dad, ambling into the room with a walker, needing his help . . . oh yeah. Now that would be classic cinema!
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