33 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
Indiana Jones Blu-Ray
I have read a lot of negative reviews about this movie and it saddens me. This movie in my opinion felt very much like the other Indiana Jones movies. It also had a lot of details from the year this movie takes place in from the hatred and fear of the Russians, the Elvis song being played in the beginning, the aliens wich were thought about a lot back then, to the "I like...
240 of 298 people found the following review helpful:
So much time, so little result.
I love the first three Indy films. Like so many others I was greatly looking forward to seeing a new one. I thought (or hoped) that the very long time they took to come up with a script meant they were polishing it to a brilliant shine. After seeing the movie, I conclude it was really a long negotiation between Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford, with some of them eager to make a...
I love the first three Indy films. Like so many others I was greatly looking forward to seeing a new one. I thought (or hoped) that the very long time they took to come up with a script meant they were polishing it to a brilliant shine. After seeing the movie, I conclude it was really a long negotiation between Lucas, Spielberg, and Ford, with some of them eager to make a crappy movie, and some of them not, with the end result being crappy, but perhaps not as crappy as it might have been.
The movie started with a bit of promise (other than the infantile CGI prairie dog). I'm not as offended by the nuclear fridge scene as many are, because I know those mock towns weren't built at Ground Zero (or they would have been vaporized). They were built at a distance to judge the effect of the blast on places some miles from the explosion. So while it's not credible for Indy to survive being tossed around that much, he didn't exactly survive a nuclear explosion. Some of the other early scenes, such as those where Indy is actually discovering something, are also good.
Still...
About halfway through the movie, despite my fervent desire to like it, I realized it just wasn't working for me. No suspense. No real sense of urgency or danger. Low stakes. Too many marginal or pointless characters. Too much cartoon nonsense going on, far less believable than anything from the previous films (the stupid monkey vine swinging, Marian's idiotic tree-driving stunt, the multiple waterfall drops...none of it scary, none of it remotely convincing, or even fun). Marian's long-awaited big reveal was one of the biggest, flattest duds in film history. She shows up and spends most of the rest of the movie just tagging along with a dazed grin on her face like she was just grateful to be there, a flaccid dishrag compared to the character from the first film. Not Karen Allen's fault...she was just thrown in for nostalgia's sake, and was poorly written. Mutt was actually not a bad character, but I don't need or want him to be Indy's son. Is there any worse cliche in fiction than the Son He Never Knew He Had? I realize Spielberg and Lucas are fascinated by father issues, but I'm not. And then there's the whole point of the movie...the skull and the aliens...ehhhh. Who cares? The finale was a muddled jumble of flashing lights and wind that meant nothing and evoked nothing but tedium. Remember at the end of the previous films, where the characters actually seem to notice that something extraordinary has happened, were even scared, or traumatized just a little bit (okay, not so much in Crusade, where they quickly shake off any aftereffects and devolve into slapstick and lose all interest in their surroundings). Not this time. The giant flying saucer takes off, and Indy and his massive crew of sidekicks start cracking jokes.
I'm inclined to blame Lucas for most of this mess. He's made a habit of lapses of taste and judgement since...hmm..."Howard the Duck"?
I don't want to see this movie again, and I don't want to own it. I hope they don't make another, because these guys have proven they no longer have what it takes.
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God, this KILLS me as a lifelong Indy fan, but what must be done must be done...
An excerpt from my review on Pirates: Dead Man's Chest applies flawlessly here:
"It suffers from all the pitfalls you fear going into a sequel...bloated budget, very little growth from the main characters, overly-complicated plot, countless unnecessary scenes of which very few carry any sort of punch, etc."
It's clear from the outset that Lucas and Spielberg were zeroed in on the punchy, pulp fiction action that Indy was first conceived, vs. catering to a more modern, movie-going audience. If you go into it expecting a freshly scripted, character-enriching experience, you'll likely be disappointed. If you're looking for a nostalgic popcorn-popper, chances are you'll be satisfied.
Many will cry foul over the film's plot being related to aliens. That was the center of pulp fiction in the 50s and clearly that was important to the writers here. I can't argue with the creators in terms of their subject matter, but I will say this: the alien theme, while I understand its origins in the mind of the filmmakers, was a big and VERY NEEDLESS jump in the genre. It reminded me of what a new writer does to a previously existing successful series in any medium, such as a TV show, or comic book. They've got hundreds, if not thousands, of mythologies to choose from and they settle on...campy, American pop culture? A really risky premise and unfortunately, a theme that Lucas insisted on. But hey! It's Lucas' baby, we need to accept the premise to move on, which bring me to frankly, the biggest and most glaring problem....the STORY/SCRIPT/PLOT.
Detailed points:
1. The entire Area 51 sequence: TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. The story could easily have started from the university. Mutt could have been introduced with a lot more care and in such a way I cared when it happened. We could have learned a LOT more about their chemistry and relationship instead of wasting time at Area 51. The same goes for the nuclear testing scene - 100% UN-NEEDED.
2. CARTOONISH VILLAIN and SUPPORTING CHARACTERS - Spalko, played by the very talented and capable Cate Blanchett, is easily the weakest villain in any IJ film to date, being outmatched by not only predecessors, but previous SUB-villains. Case in point - I was more loathsome of the antics of the Nazi general from Crusades, or the slimy Toht of Raiders than Spalko. We never see her worst deeds. Why should we hate her? I knew why I wanted to see previous villains fail, but not so here. More squandered talent in Jonh Hurt and Ray Winstone - their characters were also two-dimensional and forgettable. Again, these issues are a symptom of a bad script.
3. TONS OF PLOT EXPOSITION USING DIALOGUE instead of imagery, actions or scenes. Are you kidding me? This is SPIELBERG. This is LUCAS. And yet they STILL fall into this amateur trap that's preached in Film-making 101? This was the majority of my problem following the details of the story, because it was fed to me through laborious blocks of dialogue. I honestly can't recall how scenes were linked together...there's no "dots" for me to follow having just watched it.
4. ASPECTS OF LOVE. Maybe it's just me, but the way that Marion was re-introduced and the whole "family" dynamic were really flat. Marion seemed more like a token shoe-in than the fiery character we knew and grew to love in Raiders. Another NEEDLESS character. This only made the wedding scene a bigger question mark and awkward. There was NO buildup to that outcome and frankly, the idea of getting married doesn't fir either character AT ALL. They make better adventure buddies that have spurs of passion for one another, but know it would never work between them. THAT is the Indiana and Marion we know and love.... pragmatic and stubborn. No where to be found here.
5. FLAT ENDING. By the end of this film, I need to understand INDIANA JONES better. Just like I did at the end of Temple of Doom. Just like I did at the end of Last Crusade. But here? I knew nothing more about him. No new leaf turned. Just kind of going through the motions of what the filmmakers THINK we need to see of him. And even in THAT respect, the scripts fails - little use of the whip, a pistol or even most glaring yet....
His WITS! Pay attention....this film included NO part of Indy using his ingenuity or outwitting the bad guys when his back was against the wall. I found myself out-thinking the film. That should never happen.
Then there's all the more petty complaints that people have that many I agree with, but were not the most damaging, such as the nuclear testing sequence, the Tarzan and Brando homages, etc. These were somewhat tacky elements, but FORGIVABLE if the story/plot/script is any good at all, which unfortunately and almost inconceivably, is not true here.
I think the reality is, this is a franchise that is not meant for modern thinking movie goers. The suspension of disbelief is harder to come by. That isn't to take anything away from Indiana Jones, it's just a simple observation that timing is almost just as critical as subject matter in the formula for success. But it's also glaringly apparent that Lucas is totally out of touch with movie goers and his audience. I really wish that when he considered reviving the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, he realized that such beloved treasures as those had NOTHING to gain, yet EVERYTHING to lose. Crystal Skull is, unfortunately, another unnecessary black mark on Lucas' legacy, not unlike Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones.
Despite my disappointment and long-winded criticisms, many will enjoy this film for what it is. Still, one can't help but be befuddled that after 19 years, this is best the Lucas and Spielberg could come up with.
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It seems fans either hated or loved the latest Indiana Jones film as noted by the numerous other reviews, but I was moderatley satisfied with the effort. Rather than do an honest review of a DVD that I do not have yet, I just wanted to point out the new features for the upcoming two-disc edition of "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". For collector geeks like me, Best Buy is offering a replica Crystal Skull with the two disc set as a special Best Buy exclusive collector set. Also Target is packing their 2-Disc Sets with a collectible hardcover book (the two DVD's are actuallly stored in the book).
Note when the DVD will be available there will be a single disc and two disc editions. Here are the details for the two-disc set.
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL two-disc Special Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with THX Certified Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Disc 1:
* The Return of a Legend--The evolution of the new film and a tribute to the legendary hero and his creators.
* Pre-Production--Follows Steven Spielberg as he creates animatic sequences, Shia LaBeouf as he learns to swordfight and captures the reunion of filmmakers and cast on the soundstage.
Disc 2:
* Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull--Join filmmakers, cast and crew for a complete look at the making of the film.
Shooting Begins: New Mexico
Back To School: New Haven , Connecticut
Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo , Hawaii
On-Set Action
Exploring Akator
Wrapping Up!
* Warrior Makeup
* The Crystal Skulls
* Iconic Props
* The Effects of Indy
* Adventures in Post Production
* Closing: Team Indy
* Pre-Visualization Sequences
Area 51 Escape
Jungle Chase
Ants Attack
Galleries
* The Art Department
The Adventure Begins
Cemetery and Jungle
Akator
* Stan Winston Studio
Corpses, Skeletons & Mummies
Aliens & Crystal Skulls
* Production Photographs
* Portraits
* Behind-the-Scenes Photographs
* Lego INDIANA JONES: THE ORIGINAL ADVENTURES XBox 360 Game Demo
* Trailers
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Why is George Lucas intent on ruining the two franchises (Star Wars and Indy) that brought him to prominence and established him as a household name? This movie started going downhill from the very first scene with the ridiculously generated prairie dog. It sets the tone for the whole movie: Scenes that are completely over the top and are done in such a lazy fashion that the contemporary "Mummy" movies look like high art in comparison. Over the top is fine as long as it is done with a certain flair and injecting humor (exhibit A: grossout dinner scene and rollercoaster traincart ride in ToD). I hated the prairie dogs and the monkeys that Shia rallies to his "cause". The George Lucas/Steve Spielberg of 20 years ago would've put forth a little more effort in making scenes like these believable both in terms of quality of special effects and within the context of the story. They fail on both counts on these scenes and multiple others.
George Lucas has reached a point in his career where A)he doesn't have to try as hard to make a good movie (the studios will throw money at him regardless of the ideas he proposes) and B) is surrounded by people that idolize him and know better than to criticize his ideas. Result: 3 star wars prequels and an indy film that don't even come close to the level of quality of anything he has been involved in prior to 1990.
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This review is from: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
No wonder Brandon Frasier passed on this one.
Raiders is one of my favorite movies. The second one is okay, the third I enjoyed quite a bit.
But I don't remember any silly little CGI creatures in the originals. There was Indy's old flame, Marion - in Skull her character is abandoned - all you get is Karen Alen with a dumb smile on her face. When a jeep lands on a tree and springs off it into a river - she has a ridiculous smile the whole time. The original Indy flicks were fun but almost scary at times. This one is just plain silly. CGI ants, monkeys (the monkey scene is probably one of the lowest points in the flick), prairie dogs, etc. And yes, they're silly, too!
The dialog is so stiff at times, scenarios are so forced, all I could do was wait for the movie to end. And it took a long time for that wonderful moment to come.
There's not really much of a plot. There is a skull, they must get it and place it somewhere. That's it. And oh my, the last 20 minutes must have $30 million in CGI but not much really happens.
If you loved the over the top CGI from the first 3 Indy movies and the complete lack of an interesting story, then you'll LOVE this one.
I would rank this down as one of the worst movies I've seen in my life. Probably about halfway in I lost interest and spent more time examining my fingernails, noticing all the little details at my theater I'd never paid attention to. I didn't have a phone or Gameboy so there wasn't a lot to do.
I've spent more time discussing Crystal Skull than I had to. May the minutes wasted on Crystal Skull be a warning to those fortunate enough not to have scene the Mummy 4.
I'd really like it if George Lucas stopped producing films.
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What a mess this movie was. Good to see Indy again but you can tell from the start that Lucas had approval over this script after rumors he threw out so many better scripts out the window (Frank Durapont anyone?).
Indy surviving nuclear blasts, Rodents coming up from the ground and grinning at the camera, Shia LaBouf swinging from vines in a jungle with Monkeys and hardly any Marion. She barely has anything to say.
Then you get the ending which comes out of a different movie.
Suspending Disbelief is one thing but you gotta check your brain and taste at the door for this one.
Lets hope they don't make any spinoffs with Indy's kid.
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Personal sadness and disappointment here: what a great franchise this was, what a lovable character, now destroyed by pure Lucasian incompetence. I'd really loved all the first three movies, because in my opinion, they were perfect examples for timeless adventure classics and movie magic extraordinaire, each in its own style. Indy himself was one of my childhood heroes ... heck, I even loved the TV series (well, mostly), but when I saw this one, I almost puked my guts out. Honestly, I wanted to like it badly, but this flick is so incredibly stupid, so inconsistent and amazingly badly written, it's plain unbearable. All things which made the other movies so great are missing: the excitement of discovery, the thrilling adventure, the enjoyable character relations, the sarcastic yet charming humor, the over-the-top but still believable action scenes - all gone. What remains is this brainless, soulless, uninspired load of junk that (sadly) will score at the box office anyway, just because it's Indy - sort of. But worst of all, as you can clearly see in almost every take, the love is gone from the franchise. Even Harrison Ford looks mostly like he's just going through the motions. For my part, I blame it all on the ABSOLUTELY CRAPPY AND THOROUGHLY DUMB SCRIPT that 1) DENIES THE ACTORS ALMOST EVERY POSSIBILITY TO ACT (Karen Allen being the worst example) and 2) has literally everything that also made the star wars prequels fail: the ham-fisted dialogue, the completely ridiculous "storytelling", forced character development and relations, plot holes one could fly the death star through, overused CGI effects, the lamest humor imaginable ... the list goes on and on. So thanks, George Lucas, for ruining just another childhood love of mine - you couldn't have made it worse by introducing Steven Seagal as Indys long lost brother. But probably, that's what you were up to anyway and Spielberg just talked you out of it.
Bottom line: 20 years of waiting in vain ... excuse me now, but I think I'll go hiding in the basement and cry a little.
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I'm heartbroken by this movie, because the original trilogy is so good and so fun, but this might actually be the worst movie I've ever seen. Just so bad on so many levels. Right from the start, it just didn't "feel" like an Indiana Jones movie. I kept trying to like it, but the action was so silly and the ending was so dumb. Ask my wife, I was actually angry after I saw this movie, just so disappointed at what LUCAS did to this. Thanks for ruining ANOTHER great movie franchise, George.
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When I heard this movie was being made, and that Harrison Ford had agreed to once again portray the sexiest archeologist EVER, I was very excited and waited with great anticipation for it's release. Granted, I know that he's aged, but so have I, so I didn't find an aged Indiana Jones daunting. Then I started hearing rumors - whisperings about how the movie was going to disappoint. Then Spielberg and Lucas started spreading their own rumors -
"It's 100% faithful to the franchise".... "It's absolutely Indiana Jones".. etc., etc.. Optimism, for certain, but why?
My anticipation lifted once again, but I decided not to view any commercials or previews for the movie, nor to read any articles reviewing it, until I had a chance to see it for myself, untainted by the opinions of others. And, I have to say, when I finally saw the movie, I was very disappointed. National Treasures 2 was what this movie should have been - in fact, I kept finding aspects of National Treasures 2 in this movie, which made me wonder if the sets and action sequences were directed and produced by the same people. It's that similiar, and sadly, Nat'l Treasures 2 (being the true ripoff of Indy) was better.
Cate Blanchett is a fine actress, but her performance as a USSR secret agent left me pining for that Nazi woman in the third Indy movie. At least she had screen presence with Harrison Ford. And Shia LaBouf - I don't get it. He's okay - he's not great - but his character was too predictably intertwined (and seemingly uninterested) with Harrison Ford's, and Shia seemed unnecessary. If you cut him out, you could make the movie without him, and though it would still be a stinker of a film, at least Mr. LaBouf wouldn't be forever tainted by it.
The treatment of Indy's dead father was understandable (as Sean Connery refused to do the movie), but the colleague who's statue is defiled (can't recall his name) was unnecessary. Why dishonor that character in such a way? And no explanation as to why he, too, was dead?
Karen Allen's part was vague, with very little development, as though Spielberg sprinkled a little Karen Allen in the soup for some added flavor. She should have had more to do, better lines, a deeper character, such as her original role in the first Indy movie. Here, sadly, she was simply screen filler. Even her relationship with Harrison Ford seemed forced; no spark as with the original movie. Sadly, she, too, could have been written out and the movie would not have suffered for it. Neither would our memories of Karen Allen's performance in the original movie.
And I'm sorry, but aliens DO NOT belong in an Indiana Jones movie. Yes, I get it - he's aged and we need to see him in situations decades after his last adventure - but why aliens? Couldn't the Soviet spies be doing something else? Couldn't the crystal skull have meant something more? What about the existing legends surrounding the skulls? Where was that? Archeology nearly didn't exist in this movie - there was no true Soviet nemesis to antagonize Indy - Cate Blanchett's character was more like that Nazi-guy from the first movie - the guy who's face melted? Her character was more like his; he was not the antagonist in the first movie, nor should she have been the antagonist in this movie. An 'evil' archeologist would have added more to the story than a leather-clad, bondage-queen Russian who can somehow speak to aliens with her mind.
To sum it up, this movie was bad. It saddens me to say that, too, because I've been a Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones fan for a long time. I loved all three of the movies made twenty years ago. I've seen them each dozens of times, more times than I can count. And I honestly could care less if I ever see this one again. I ordered the DVD for my husband, who wants to complete his collection, but I don't think either of us will be viewing it more than once.
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This review is from: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
I have read a lot of negative reviews about this movie and it saddens me. This movie in my opinion felt very much like the other Indiana Jones movies. It also had a lot of details from the year this movie takes place in from the hatred and fear of the Russians, the Elvis song being played in the beginning, the aliens wich were thought about a lot back then, to the "I like Ike" presidential slogan. Also the fight between the greasers and the Jocks that happened a lot back in the day. A LOT of detail went into paying homage to the year this movie takes place in and gives you the feeling you are back in 1957 with our great hero Indiana jones.
I know a lot of the action in this movie is over the top and at times unbelievable, but that is what I want when I go and see an action movie, an escape from reality. I like movies that are realistic too, but these movies are are meant to take you away from reality and stress and meant to just sit back and enjoy an action movie for 2 hours and this movie did that for me. Like I said it saddens me that people can't do that. The other Indiana Jones movies were just as over the top as this one was in my opinion and I could list several examples but I won't but NOBODY complained back then, audiences back then COULD sit back and enjoy a movie for what it was and not rip it to shreds. Watching this movie was like seeing an old friend again after 19 years and it was a great time and made me realise how much I missed him.
The Blu-Ray version of this movie is great. The picture is fantastic and the audio is just as good. I saw the standard definition version at a friends place and the quaility was substandard, it did not even match todays standards of standard DVD's, the picture was just not good for a movie just released this year. That also does make the Blu-Ray picture seem that much better though. The bonus features are terrific also, it covers EVERYTHING from pre-production to post production, make up, effects and it is all in HD. The Blu-Ray also features some exclusvie bonuses as is usual, it has a rather cool timeline feature and has 2 Theatrical trailers that are also in HD. It is dissapointing that the standard DVD released picture quality is so bad because I know a lot of people only have the option of getting that version, but if you have a Blu-Ray player and want to enjoy a good action movie with a great action hero we grew up with then you owe it to yourself to get this on Blu-Ray.
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