Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 10/14/2008 Run time: 122 minutes Rating: Pg13
Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. --Ellen A. Kim Stills from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Click for larger image)
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Nostalgic!:
Not the best Indiana Jones movie, but you still enjoy Indiana Jones as portrayed by Harrison Ford.
I'm glad I RENTED it....they should not have bothered...:
From watching the 'special edition' interviews, what stands out in my mind is how right Steven Spielberg was when he initially expressed reservations about making anymore sequels to IJ, how he took special care to give a satisfying ending to 'Last Crusade'that would neatly wrap things up, how he had doubts about using the alien skull idea that Lucas was pushing.......You shoulda gone with your gut Steven!! You could feel the script writer going thru the previous IJ movies in order to establish a formula so... more info
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:
I was so eager to see this movie but ended up not making it to the theatre to see. I'd heard all the hype about it being a disappointment but still planned on buying it to add to my collection. I'm glad I did buy it after watching it. It's no Raiders of the Lost Ark but still is enjoyable. One thing that I did find grating was the pg-13+ language in it. I don't remember that in Raiders as much. So this chapter is pg-13 for more than the action/ violence so be warned. It was nice to see the Marian/ Indie... more info
Not great, but not awful either:
Qualifying as gleeful entertainment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull definitely doesn't come close to the greatness achieved by the first three Indy flicks, but it isn't nearly as bad as many have claimed it to be either. Harrison Ford makes a triumphant return to his defining role as the fedora wearing, whip wielding adventurer; who is coerced by a young greaser named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) into taking a trip to Peru to rescue his mother (Raiders of the Lost Ark love interest Karen Allen)... more info
