Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3/4
A Good Return
chiggles - wrote on 05/31/2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull is the 4th film in the famous Jones trilogy. With 3 films before this one, all spanning from early to the late 80's, Crystal Skull is neither the best nor the worst film in the trilogy. It does continue on the magic and fun that the first 3 films had accomplished, and it also continues the work of both George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg working together. The movie was funny, action packed, adventerous and overall fun. It is a great way to spend 2 hours in a movie theatre on a thursday night.
Harrison Ford is I believe now in his 60's, early or late I do not know but he is, and always will be Indiana Jones. These movies would not be as funny or as great as they are without the effort put in by Harrison. Now that he is growing farther …
Rating of
2.5/4
Eh! Spoilers Below... Oh No!
Joshua - wrote on 05/27/2008
I’m going to say I’m a bit disappointed with the new film. But should I be? We all know George Lucas is into making movies for kids now days (See the new Star Wars films). So when I saw the scene where Mud gets thrown into the air and grabs a vine and starts swinging around with monkeys, I knew we were onto something bad. Then what’s next? Ants that can track you down and pick you up and drag you in a whole? Then to finish it off, Indian Jones goes Sci-Fi! Now, with that said, if this wasn’t an Indiana Jones movie I could live with it. I would have thought it was a decent movie. When I got home I put in Raiders of the Lost Ark and remembered how great it still is. Everything seems a bit more believable, and a bit darker. So, just like the Star Wars 4 through 6, you …
Rating of
3/4
Despite Monkeys, It's Still Good
Alex - wrote on 05/26/2008
[Update 2-2-09] I rented this again. It is way better the second time. In fact, if you watch this one and think it is full of material that would never happen, watch Last Crusade...or any of them for that matter. The progressively get more and more ridiculous. Despite a few extremely weak moments, this is still a lot of fun. Also, if you listen to the special features on the DVD, you can tell the Spielberg blames Lucas for it sucking. Another reason why I hate Lucas.
Am I a spoiled little brat? Yes. But you can't blame me or my parents. One must blame Spielberg. My entire life I have grown up with Indiana Jones. I knew nothing before him and I will never have the chance to know anything before him. What were movies like with out Raiders of the Lost Ark? Probably a little …
Rating of
3/4
Skull Fractures at Times but Indy Spirit Prevails
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/25/2008
Sure, Indy is older, his punches are a little slower the special effects a little slicker (and sometimes totally irrelevant) but the despite the changes that sense of adventure still rings true and it still feels like Indy, though it falls short of the charm of the original.
A lot works and a lot falls flat with this film, with little middle ground. The CGI is huge factor. Cute animals should not be in this universe, cute CGI animals even less so. The ants, however, can stay - nothing says danger like thousands of manic bugs intent on devouring you.
The new characters work, for the most part. Shia LaBeouf makes a good counterpoint to the "old" Indy. His Wild One bravado strains at times, but overall he's a good addition to the series. Also working out is Cate Blanchett, though …
Rating of
2.5/4
Review - Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Delorted - wrote on 05/23/2008
It's been nineteen years coming and finally a fourth installment of Indiana Jones has come to life. But was it worth the wait? Is Indy still the good ol' hero we all know and love? The answers to both of these questions are...different. The second is “yes,” but the first is “almost.”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” brings back our old buddy, once again played by Harrison Ford, now in 1957 with the Russians on his tail. The story starts off in Area 51, where we find the very same hangar from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where the Ark of the Covenant was hidden. This time, however, the search is on for something completely different. The story continues with Indy running into a Greaser named “Mudd,” played by Shia LaBeouf, and they both continue on …
Rating of
4/4
A long wait but a good payoff
patjohnson76 - wrote on 05/23/2008
After a long absence, it's great to see an Indiana Jones movie again. I won't go into the whole plot, as other reviews have done that, plus this is one of the most talked about movies in a long time, so most people pretty much know what it's about.
Since George Lucas is involved, and it's a huge francise, I wouldn't be surprised to see reviews being ridiculously nitpicky, especially in regard to certain scenes. This is a little annoying on my part, as you'd be hard pressed to like a movie where you liked EVERY single scene. What you should know is that this is a very entertaining film, with lots of action and unexpected humor, and this cast has some of the strongest chemistry I've seen in a movie.
On a self-indulgent note, I teach at a summer program at Yale University every …
Rating of
3/4
Lack of action may induce squirming
kcvidkid - wrote on 05/23/2008
I won't say "Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was a disappointment, but neither was it a complete pleasure.
It's a treat to see Harrison Ford once again wearing the fedora, even though it took me a while to get comfortable again with the old friend I'd last seen 19 years ago. In fact, I think the beginning was a bit clunky for everyone involved, from director Steven Spielberg to composer John Williams. But after a long setup, it all feels comfortable and familiar.
Everyone is concerned about the age of Indy/Harrison Ford. Surprisingly, there are only a couple of big action sequences, so I didn't find this to be a problem. And the age is acknowledged and addressed in the story, so it's definitely more "Star Trek II" than "Star Trek: the Motion Picture". …
Rating of
2.5/4
Enjoyable enough
Josh C - wrote on 05/23/2008
While I don't regret going to this movie at all, I am hard pressed to find things I can actually say were really good. The movie uses the typical action/adventure formula with goofy sidekicks, witty dialog and obvious story line (think The Mummy). So with that said, Spielberg disappointed me. Fortunately for him, this formula still works decently and made for a film that I enjoyed overall.
There were a couple of scenes that ruined my enjoyment however. To me, I separate the supernatural from the natural and when something in a movie that is supernatural occurs I am willing to believe it for the movie's sake. But when something natural happens that just couldn't happen, I have trouble getting past it. For example, in this movie Indiana takes cover in a refrigerator at a nuclear test …
Rating of
3.5/4
An exciting addition to the series
newmans_own - wrote on 05/22/2008
Thanks to the change in setting, the film contains quite a bit more apparent CGI work than the earlier films. It examines multiple forms of American culture in the 1950s, most notably the Red Scare and the weapons being developed to fight it. But Spielberg wisely balances the fake stuff with exhilaratingly real action that reminds us of what good movies used to be. And surprise, surprise- it’s just as exciting now as it was back then. As expected, every inch of the film is expertly constructed. This is Spielberg’s brightest and purely exhilarating film in at least ten years. The final moments of the climax are particularly stunning – an ending only Spielberg could pull off. It’s basically his entire career come full circle.
Returning as the titular hero, Harrison Ford gives a …
Rating of
3/4
Indy Is Back, But Extreme Fans Be Warned
bingcrosbyb - wrote on 05/22/2008
(SPOILERS)
“I hope they make another Indiana Jones. That was pretty good.”
I heard that comment from a young boy (maybe 10?) while I was walking out of a screening of the incredibly fun, entertaining, and nostalgic Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. About halfway through watching a midnight screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I had this big stupid grin on my face. I was watching the first Indiana Jones movies in 19 years. Wow. I couldn’t believe it. And on top of that, it actually FELT like an Indiana Jones movie. Big action, a few laughs, some old friends, some new ones. As the movie ended and the lights went up, there was a nice round of applause (though not loudly) and some hummings of the Raiders March. I found myself even …
