Reviews Film / Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

Time has not been kind

1. I don't know what the plot is supposed to be. Too much (or too little?) of the film focuses on Indy's trials and tribulations at his university, and the Red Scare sweeping the country. None of it pertains to the titular skull or the upcoming quest, and Indy could have embarked on the search for Oxley whether he were employed or not — or even whether he had run into Mutt or not. Oxley is, in my opinion, a wasted character; I suspect the screenwriter was going for a neat "Stanley and Dr. Livingstone" vibe, but this was lost in the shuffle. There is just so much extraneous nonsense going on, including the mummified Spanish conquistadors (?), Blanchett's psychic powers (which do nothing) and the fat pig Mac who keeps dogging everybody around. He's about as useful as Tim Curry was in Congo, and equally greedy; if his aim was just to collect treasure, he could do it without switching sides constantly. Finally, the ending reveals that there was never any danger from the aliens or the Russkies to begin with. When your CGI reminds me of the ending to Mission To Mars, it's bad.

2. It pales in comparison with past Indy films. Five words: Law of economy of characters. Fan opinion seems to be split on Mutt. I found him out-of-place, cryptic, and bland. Can you believe it? A greaser with no discernible personality! I think the machinations of the plot became transparent for me in the scene where Mutt reveals that he's an aristocratic preppie with a knowledge of fencing. Indiana Jones ends up becoming a supporting character in his own film. I don't remember him doing that much; he just reacts to his surroundings and tries not to die.

3. Fails as a standalone film and a nostalgia film. If you take away the Indiana Jones mythos, this is a very mediocre family-friendly romp that could easily star Nicholas Cage or The Rock. Factoring in the nostalgia, however, I couldn't connect with Indy because he only vaguely resembles his past persona. Not just his age and weather-beaten behavior, but his whole character. Granted, Indiana Jones is not exactly Hamlet. But Indy seems like he'd really prefer to just kick back and retire, and while this is an interesting starting point, I kept waiting for the old Jonesian audacity to flare up again.