Sunday, June 1, 2008

Whip it... Whip it good

INDIANA JONES and the KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008)


Two decades of "will they, won't they", finally comes to close with the dream team (Harrison Ford, Spielberg, And George "anything to avoid more star wars conventions" Lukas) returning for the fourth installment in the Jones story. 
So this time around an aging Dr. Indiana Jones gets caught up with Russians, circa 1957, who are on the hunt for an ancient relic. He of course gets away in a flurry of explosions, and whip cracking, and after meeting a boy (Shia "I'm with Steven" Labeouf) with a map, and a mother in trouble sets out to find the "Crystal Skull", with evil commies on his tail. Old friends are reunited (Karen Allen from Raiders of the Lost Ark shows up... ) Anyway, this flick is hellafun (no idea is that's still the hip phrase, if it ain't, screw it, boony says it is bitches). Don't expect the grand story of "Raiders" or "The Last Crusade", but it is a really good time. Stunts everywhere you look, sword fights atop jeeps, Tarzan monkeys, big alien things... Oh, damn I said it. Aliens. In an Indy movie. It is a lot to swallow, and I know a lot of folks have been having issues with it, but really the story is the typical, Indy and friends follow clues, and dodge booby (hee hee .... booby... ) traps, just so happens, well there's aliens.. ha, didn't ruin it for me. Though seriously you will be shaking your head at the end, going "Seriously, did I need to see this... no", but then they throw in a little feel good last few minutes, so all is well.
Harrison still held it down, no doubts, he is the man. I liked that they didn't try to hide his age, rather embrace it, make it part of the story. And with a few touches on the originals, and his father, kept the story lines intact rather well... unlike the damn episode 1, 2, and 3... but I digress... No need one more... Damn U Lucassssssss! And I'm good. I like Star Wars too, just saying. Shia is a nice addition to the cast, and holds his own quite well, and Steven can make you smile watching an action scene let me tell you. 
Great summer fun, for the whole family. 
Overall, I'd say on par with "Raiders of the Lost Ark", better than "Temple of Doom", and no match for "The Last Crusade". If only someone had told Steven he didn't have to fit Close Encounters into the damn thing ... ha... ah well 

Movie scale 3.5 out of 5 stars
action/blockbuster scale: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I got my whip, my leather, and 10 dollars... Boony is getting dangerous tonight... hells yes

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