Perhaps the only disappointing thing about “˜Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ is the realisation that once you leave the cinema, you are struck with the fact that it is not actually real. The gripping plot, incredible action and real sense of being a part of the action makes the final result a movie that truly makes you wonder why you aren’t chased by Russian women with guns, gold and the Order of Lenin.
Harrison Ford, taking a major jump back into the centre spotlight after what seemed like a waning career, truly re-entered the world of surreal archaeology (who said history was dull?) and has left again a legacy with which James Bond, National Treasure and all other actions movies will surely be compared.
Due to the age of the title character, the action moves from one great historical conflict to another. The fall of Nazi Germany rules that era out, but rise of Russia resulted in Jones’ new setting: the Cold War. This was a gamble taken by Spielberg and Lucas in the latest movie, as it almost sounds blasphemous that Indiana Jones doesn’t fight Hitler and the Nazis. However, the gambit paid off with the introduction of the Russian female bad girl and the surprising, and continual, shift of loyalty.
From the outset of the movie, there was typical Indy subterfuge, confusion and intense action: Russian spies, Indy getting beaten up, and then of course that fantastic moment when we know this is truly an Indiana Jones movie ““ Jones pulls out the whip. The action is alive from the start, and we are pulled along a tangled web of scrutiny, confusion, shocks and surprises (just as Jones himself is) until the final (and perhaps too obvious) climatic scene. It leaves you with a sense of complete satisfaction that this movie really was worth the five quid and two hours of your life. In fact, it wouldn’t be a waste to see it again”¦and again and again”¦
Swashbuckling hero, archaeologist Professor Henry Jones Jnr. sets off on a quest for the lost city of gold. Faced with Communist opposition, a young college dropout as his aid and a complicated set of principles from his closest ally, Indiana has to keep one step ahead of his enemies to ensure that the secret powers of the hidden city are kept away from those who may misuse them. The complicated, seemingly mindless, ramblings of an insane colleague are all that Jones has to spur him on. But, the hero being the intrepid Indiana Jones, there is always a solution, and it just so happens that he comes to the right conclusion literally thirty seconds before his counterparts. “˜Atta boy Indy!
Indiana, wearing stuffy professor clothes of the typical “˜50’s teacher, soon switches to the clothes that tailors across the world have orders to make specially, some even with the nick out of his hat from the second movie, and, when all else fails, Indy has the trademark whip at his disposal. Needless to say, the fear of losing the whip or that hat is just as contemptible to Indy as it would be that the Russians would get there before him. However, the trademarks of the movies are the things that have kept us enjoying, for over twenty years, the stories of another Alan Quartermain.
From gunfights, to quicksand, to fisticuffs – Indiana Jones has it all. One startled viewer, albeit new to the Indy movies, said afterwards, “Fantastic! Brilliant movie! Mind you, I’m still unable to stop clenching my butt.“ This is truly not a movie for the light hearted; with ants in multitude, men jumping out from anywhere and of course the usual Mayan men with bones through many of their facial extremities. Another viewer said, “Gross. Completely gross. I mean, what was with the bugs and the snakes and”¦“ The list continues. Scary? Yes. Kinda twisted? Yes. A must see nonetheless? Oh yes.
The masterfully crafted blend of intricate plot lines, a confused love story, countless twists, typical Indy action, and any amount of insects and bugs and hidden surprises that characterise this type of action movie makes “˜Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ without a doubt, the must catch movie of the year.
But will the new movie replace “˜The Last Crusade’ in our minds? Well, I don’t think so. Both movies were a fantastic two hours of screen play, however, they are generally very different, and of course, number four has no Sean Connery, with which to keep us amused. However, the decision to keep much of the same cast as before ensures that, with the same inspiring music, “˜The Temple of the Crystal Skull’ will at least stand on a par with the Indiana Jones classics.