Movie Review: Indiana Jones And The Kingom Of The Crystal SKull

The result is two hours of fun.

Full scale fun awaits all who venture into the delightful world of renowned archaeologist Indiana Jones who doesn’t seem to have lost a step since his inaugural run during Raiders of the Lost Ark.

By Citizen Correspondent Robert Waldman

Date Posted: 05/28/08

Reader Rating:

So far we’ve seen Indiana Jones tackle the Nazis in three previous outings. This time writer/creator George Lucas (Star Wars) has the famed archaeologist take on the Russians in 1957. Director Steven Spielberg (Jaws) offers us a great atmosphere rocking with sounds and sights from the era as Dr. Jones takes off on a whirlwind trip to find some magical artifact hidden in a mystery city somewhere in South America.

Very clever writing from George Lucas sees an emphasis on science and history combine as this ancient sleuth winds up in deeper trouble by the second. Ford does not really show his age at a svelte 65 and has all the charm as in his youth, giving off one-liners by the dozens and surprisingly making them all work flawlessly. Fun with his age eases us into the action that begins stateside and hop scotches to the jungles of Peru.

Past friends resurface with a new enemy named Irina Spalko who just oozes evil. Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth) hams it up and wins hearts as the wicked witch of a KGB operative who delights in tormenting (and torturing) our American professor who leaves the books behind as he gets hooked again on some quest to save the world.

One reason it took so long to green light a new Indiana Jones adventure was due to the film schedules of Ford and Spielberg and the difficulty of coming up with the right story. Lucky for us everything has finally come together and the result is two hours of fun. Escapism never felt better as the action sequences are outstanding. One big plus is the casting of Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia) who I would stay steals the show as Mutt Williams, a slick-backed greaser who winds up in an even bigger mess when he hooks up with our Mr. Jones.

Full scale fun awaits all who venture into the delightful world of renowned archaeologist Indiana Jones who doesn’t seem to have lost a step since his inaugural run during Raiders of the Lost Ark. Well, maybe half a step.

Read more reviews by Robert at www.moviereviewssite.com.