Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

David Koepp (screenplay)
George Lucas (story) ...

Release Date:

22 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

In May, the adventure continues.

Plot:

Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

Plot Keywords:

Soviet | Skull | Professor | Power | Crystal

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett	...	Irina Spalko
Karen Allen	...	Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf	...	Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone	...	'Mac' George Michale
John Hurt	...	Professor Oxley
Jim Broadbent	...	Dean Charles Stanforth
Igor Jijikine	...	Dovchenko
Dimitri Diatchenko	...	Russian Suit
Ilia Volok	...	Russian Suit
Emmanuel Todorov	...	Russian Soldier
Pavel Lychnikoff	...	Russian Soldier (as Pasha D. Lychnikoff)
Andrew Divoff	...	Russian Soldier
Venya Manzyuk	...	Russian Soldier (as Veniamin Manzyuk)
Alan Dale	...	General Ross

Also Known As:

Fourth Installment of the Indiana Jones Adventures (USA) (working title)
Indiana Jones 4 (USA) (working title)
Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods (USA) (working title)
Raiders of the Lost Ark Sequel (USA) (working title)
The Untitled Genre Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Ireland:12A | UK:12A | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG | Denmark:11 | Norway:11 | Finland:K-13 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | Spain:T | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44295) | Malaysia:U | Taiwan:PG-12 | Peru:PT | Germany:12 | Austria:10 | New Zealand:M | South Africa:13V | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In 2002, high profile screenwriter Frank Darabont, who'd penned several episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, was brought on board the project during what was probably the most publicized of the many failed attempts to find a screenplay for a fourth Indiana Jones film. Darabont collaborated closely with Steven Spielberg for over a year, resulting in a script entitled "Indiana Jones and the City of Gods." While Spielberg reportedly loved the script (according to Darabont he called it the greatest script he'd read since Raiders of the Lost Ark), George Lucas rejected the draft for reasons that were never disclosed, and the film was sent back to the drawing board once more.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: If the Crystal Skull were solid quartz, as explained early in the film, the characters wouldn't be able to hold or throw it easily with one hand. However, the skull isn't quartz. Though it looks like fine quartz crystal, the skull is light, magnetic, flawless, and carved more finely than even modern techniques could easily do. Calling it quartz wasn't a mistake - it was a plot device to keep the audience wondering.

Quotes:

Mac: Jonesy!
[Indiana punches Mac in the face]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ninjas vs. Zombies (2008)

Soundtrack:

A Solas

Entertaining in that self-parodying sort of way, but somebody PLEASE tell George Lucas to retire!!

Usually, when you go to see an action/adventure movie, especially an Indiana Jones movie, you're going to suspend your disbelief and just allow yourself to "get into" the movie. These kinds of movies are supposed to be mindless escapist fun. Still, one might expect some small modicum of plausibility or connection to the real world. When it comes to "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," forget about suspending disbelief. Just pretend you're in another dimension altogether. If you do that, you'll have have met one of the two prerequisites for seeing this movie. (If you don't believe me now, you will when you see this film and see our hero survive a cataclysmic event in a fairly cartoonish manner a mere 15 minutes into the film.) The other prerequisite is that you've seen the other three movies...religiously. A huge chunk of the entertainment value of this film comes from nostalgia, in-jokes, and self-parody. It is an entertaining movie and I had fun and laughed while I was watching it and the reason for this is because we are either enjoying seeing all of the same old gags done once again in a bigger and cooler way, or we are enjoying seeing those gags mocked. Trusty bullwhip? Check. Fedora? Check. Long car chase with fighting and leaping and what-not? Check. Dark tombs lit only by torches? Check. Gross creepy crawly critters? Check.

This is what makes the movie entertaining, but is also what prevents it from greatness and what makes me hesitant to call it a true "Indiana Jones" movie. George Lucas (who co-wrote the screenplay) has tried to do here what he did to the "Star Wars" prequels, namely that he thinks that appealing to the fan base with in-jokes, self-parody, and re-hashing the same old stuff can take the place of actually writing a a story that can stand on its own merits. The "Star Wars" prequels failed because Lucas could not get past his constant references to the original trilogy and so instead created fan fiction instead of true prequels. (Well, there was also the fact that Lucas' dialogue SUCKED.) Here, the stunts and action sequences and in-jokes keep us feeling entertained during the course of the film, but when we walk away, we wonder where was the real story.

Indiana Jones is a homage to 1930s serials about treasure hunters. He's out of place in the 1950s. Also out of place are the Soviets(led by Cate Blanchett in a Rosa Kleb-like role). And there are many, many, MANY instances where you will get to wondering just how implausible the next stunt will be. All of that I can put up with, though, and in fact can and do add to the entertainment value of the film. What I could not put up with was the ending, which will remind you not of Indiana Jones but of the ending to another Spielberg movies that pre-dates "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

This movie is lots of fun to watch, but it doesn't take itself seriously and probably shouldn't be part of the Indiana Jones canon.