Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Set in 1957 with the title intrepid history professor cum-archaeologist adventurer (Harrison Ford) being held prisoner by pesky Russian psychic (!) Cate Blanchett (part of a Paranormal/Scientific branch of the KGB) and cohorts, forcing him to get into Area 51 and steal a precious artefact found (a crystal skull) at Roswell in the late 40s. He escapes, only to have to evade a nuclear blast, followed by an interrogation by the FBI (who have apparently employed the janitor from “Scrubs”), who are unsure of his loyalties. Anyhoo, the film really gets going when Indy is approached by young punk ‘Mutt’ (Shia LaBeouf) to help save an old friend (John Hurt). Indy’s investigation into the missing professor’s whereabouts leads him to the legendary El Dorado in Peru, with Hurt apparently obsessed with finding the Crystal Skull of Akator, something Blanchett and those pesky psychic Russkies sure would like to get their hands on, too, for nefarious (read: COLD WAR) purposes. Whilst in Peru, Indy and Mutt also come across Mutt’s mother, the former Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy’s main squeeze from the first film. Ray Winstone plays Indy’s pal Mac, a mercenary with seemingly never-ending changes of allegiance, while Jim Broadbent pretty much takes over from the late Denholm Elliott as Indy’s University Dean.

Unlike many of you, I really enjoyed this 2008 Steven Spielberg (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “ET: The Extra Terrestrial”, “Schindler’s List”) continuation of the well-loved adventure series. The first time I saw it. Seeing it again in 2019, it holds up as an enjoyable film. It just isn’t quite as enjoyable the second time around. I still don’t understand the hatred, though.

Harrison Ford’s Indy gets a great entrance and the actor is in fine form. I think the actor’s own personality is probably closer to Indiana Jones than Han Solo, and he’s perfect here from moment one. You immediately feel like you’re seeing an old friend for the first time in years, and it’s a good, warm feeling. Cate Blanchett’s Russian accent proved far less convincing to me on second viewing than first, but the actress has enough presence to credibly go up against Ford’s Indy, which is no small feat. She’s just OK though, which is somewhat of a disappointment for such a talented actress as Blanchett. Her best scene is duelling swords with Shia LaBeouf while on adjacent moving jeeps in jungle terrain. I think she’d make for quite a fine Bond villainess, actually. This just isn’t her finest hour in a career full of very fine hours. Ray Winstone is pitch-perfect as Indy’s untrustworthy pal Mac, essentially playing the John Rhys-Davies part, but a little less amiable. Although they lay on the 50s-era Marlon Brando costuming a little thick, I’d argue that Shia LaBeouf is objectively better here than Blanchett. Spielberg probably doesn’t get the best use out of John Hurt, but a big bonus is bringing back Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood, falling into immediate lock-step with Ford’s Indy like it’s still 1981. She’s terrific.

The film’s highlight for me is the opening 45 minutes, which is exciting, good old-fashioned Saturday matinee fun with a reliable hero. The music score by the one and only John Williams (“Star Wars”, “Superman”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) is excellent, too. I also enjoyed the amusing brawl in a 50s diner, with chairs flying and everything set to ‘Shake, Rattle, and Roll’. It’s cute. It’s certainly a more fun film than the dark and dreary “Temple of Doom”. In fact, the only drawback in the early going (and it’s a problem throughout the film as a whole) is the slight artificiality to the film’s look. The CGI isn’t terrible (the giant ants aren’t as bad as I remembered), the problem is that the whole film looks to be playing out on a green screened backdrop, and it gets quite distracting. It’s rather disappointing from such a tech-savvy, high-class director like Spielberg. Still, I find it a fun and underrated film featuring an all-time great action-adventure hero at the centre. Ford’s Indiana Jones carries the film quite a long way on his shoulders alone.

It also helps that the script by David Koepp (“Jurassic Park”, “Panic Room”) keeps things light and amusing, with a good amount of humorous interplay throughout. The plot was a source of unhappiness for many people, but it’s quite up my alley and nowhere near as incongruous as many seem to believe. So for me the film works in the comedy, action, and plot departments quite well.

People either seem to love or loathe this long-awaited film, the fourth in the immensely popular, old-school adventure series. Not surprisingly, I’m somewhere in the middle, but definitely more in the former category. I expected and wanted old-school fun and non-think entertainment and thrills. I got what I wanted, even if it doesn’t hold up as strongly on repeated viewings as I would like. It’s fun, and that’s fine with me. At least it’s better than “The Temple of Doom”.

Rating: B-