UPDATE: Lisa’s full review of Indiana Jones 4 is now available here.
IF YOU ARE A PLOT PURIST AND DON’T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MOVIE, DON’T READ THE FOLLOWING!
It’s a measure of the unique panache of the aging guy in the fedora that people started lining up hours ahead in the full midday Cannes sun for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And in the few moments of silence and dark screen before the Lucasfilm logo appeared, uncontainable devotees in the balcony began singing the famous four-note theme — dahhh-di-duh DAH — that’s as much a part of the Indy experience as the expectation of a bullwhip well used.
I felt like singing, too. And I burst out in a laugh of pleasure when Henry Jones II first appears — rumpled, grimy, his gray hair thinning, within sight of his iconic topper but not within reach. (Indy has been kidnapped by Russians posing as U.S. military personnel in the New Mexico desert — long story — and brought to the feet of Cate Blanchett, in rich Natasha Badanov mode as a Soviet mind-control expert in hot pursuit of the title skull.) There’s joy and a middle-aged playfulness to the best of Steven Spielberg’s unlikely sequel. And I mean that as a full compliment: All the movieman’s themes are here, his interests, obsessions, trademark strengths as a cinematic storyteller, and Spielbergian "tells," too, with hubcap and sideview mirror reflections dating back over 35 years to Duel.
Harrison Ford? Terrific — and re-energized after too many recent action roles he has appeared to sourly resent. This older, creakier (but still spry) adventure hero wears his worldly wryness with even greater earned authority. Shia LaBeouf? Inspired, channeling one-half James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, the other half Spielbergian Everyson.
The "but" that dangles in this instant reaction (a longer, more archaeological review will follow) is that The Crystal Skullthreatens at times to crumble under the weight of all the impersonalzigging and zagging loaded on for the sake of special effects. Theprecious ancient cranium itself — where it came from, how to keep itout of the hands of the Russkies and get it to where it belongs — is oflittle interest, no matter how many waterfalls loom, monkeys swing, andlocks unmesh. The first bravura action sequence is kickass, the 11th or12th is industrial filler that makes swaths of the two-hour runningtime drag.
I love Indy, and his long-lost son, and Karen Allen as hisrediscovered old flame, Marion Ravenwood, too. As with every Spielbergmovie, family psychology drives the story, while skeletons,extraterrestrials, jungle tribesmen, and foreign villains make themost noise. I get the rudimentary, mass-audience political jokes andallusions, from the bomb-shelter-era quaintness of old-style Russkiesto the tweedy dean who says, "I barely recognize this country anymore."I also think time has not dulled Indy’s survival instincts, but neitherhas it inspired any risk taking on the part of the franchise owners. This is a 90-minute story pumped up to 123 minutes, not so much onsteroids as on Frappuccino, and the chance sing the old four-note tuneagain.
Comments (1-30) of 135 Add your comment
So did she like it? If the complaint is that there is too much action then that’s fine with me. IT’s SUMMERTIME!!! So lets turn off our brains and have a helluva romp with our old pal, Indiana. This is starting to sound better and better each day.
Might want to add a spoiler notice for those of us who didn’t know Indy’s son was in this
Yeah come on, are you really complaining that this movie has too much action in it? What the hell did you think it should be – a family drama? EW really needs some new reviewers.
Thank you very much, Lisa Schwarzbaum, for revealing plot points of the movie without putting a spoiler label on this article. Some of us actually wanted to be SURPRISED by elements of the story.
wow thanks for telling us that shia is his son…well done
Sounds to me like she is saying it’s been “Georged” with. Must Lucas insist on killing every decent franchise he’s ever been involved with? Lucas, back away from the CGI and go read a good book.
You stink! Thanks for telling us that Shia is Indy’s kid. How about a spoiler alert next time!
You stink! Thanks for telling us that Shia is Indy’s kid. How about a spoiler alert next time!
Seriously? Thanks for that spoiler. Yes, it had been rumored but not confirmed. EW, please edit the article then delete all of our comments about the spoiler for the sake of other readers!
SPOILER ALERT… but did any of you really think you were gonna be *surprised* at that plot point? could it be any more obvious??
thanks for the spoilers, dumbass
OMG! This is going to be way better than awesome!!
We all knew Shia was Indy’s son, we could see that a million miles away even if they didn’t bring back Karen Allen, but I am upset that you/Lisa didn’t have the courtesy to put SPOILER in your title.
Won’t read anything more from this site on movies, ie. Sex and the City and Dark Knight. I don’t want those films ruined, too!
UGH!!! I was looking for a review not a spoiler of the whole movie! Thanks a bunch!
Seriously, you should take this article down or put up a spoiler alert. We’ve been waiting a long time for this movie and you’re ruining the experience.
THANKS!… (idiot)
Thanks for putting up the spoiler alert.
Although I still read it, and am STILL pumped to see the film
There’s no such thing as TOO MUCH action. Never send a woman critic to review an action movie!
The first paragraph is only in CAPITAL LETTERS saying don’t read this if you don’t want to know the plot. All those who are upset about finding spoilers out should, oh I don’t know, READ THE VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH!
Lisa, shame on you!!! I agree with everyone else you should’ve put a spoiler alert in your heading. I assumed, as did everyone, Shia’s character was Indy’s son, but why ruin it for everyone? Also, you gave away too much plot. Terrible.
I am a long-time subscriber to EW and reader of the website and frankly this is unacceptable. Thankfully is the the exception rather than the rule.
I read the article in Google Reader … there is NO spoiler alert, at least there wasn’t when I read it. When I came to the page to leave my comment I didn’t reread something I didn’t want to read in the first place. I went directly to ‘add a comment.’ Again, boo.
What ever happened to movie critics that actually “like” movies? Review after review.. No moral code, no life lesson.. Movies are for entertainment people. They don’t have to have life lessons, they need only take our mind off the rest of the world for about 2 hours… I have found that if you critics dislike a movie, then it’s certain to be good!
Are you people serious? Wtf role did you think Shia Lebouf was playing. They couldn’t have made it more obvious. Get off your high horses and stop complaining about something you already knew being ruined. I assume you wrote these comments before the entire first paragraph in all caps warned you, otherwise I’d be even more amazed.
It’s Natasha Nogoodnik. Boris Badinov. Not Natasha Badinov. Even apart from the review, a so obviously flubbed cultural reference (and one that’s so easy to check) just peeves me.
I agree with Pam
Tom Strong, don’t be a sexist jerk. There *IS* such a thing as too much action in a movie, or too much dialogue, or too much romance … It has nothing to do with the reviewer’s gender.
I thought it was Natasha Fatale. I could be wrong.
And for those of you complaining that spoilers were included…it’s a frickin Indiana Jones movie! The plot is irrelevant.
In the words of my cousin who just saw this movie with me “there’s something missing,” in this film. The movie does have a unique Spielbergian spin, which is nice. But overall it feels very much like they were all going through the motions during a great many different parts of this film. Also, there is a particular scene in the jungle that’s wayyyyy too long. (i.e. the too much action) FYI You must suspend belief throughout the ENTIRE movie!
Eeeeexcellent.
Pam, get over yourself.