Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Blu-ray]

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas bring you the greatest adventurer of all time in a nonstop thrill ride (Richard Corliss TIME) that s packed with sensational awe-inspiring spectacles (Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times). Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull finds Indy (Harrison Ford) trying to outrace a brilliant and beautiful agent (Cate Blanchett) for the mystical all-powerful Crystal Skull of Akator. Teaming up with a rebellious young biker (Shia LaBeouf) and his spirited original love Marion (Karen Allen) Indy takes you on a breathtaking action-packed adventure in the exciting tradition of the classic Indiana Jones movies!System Requirements:Running Time: 122 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/HEROES Rating: PG-13 UPC: 097361386645 Manufacturer No: 138664

Amazon.com
Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. --Ellen A. Kim

Stills from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews: Read 511 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Almost as good as "Raiders" May 23, 2008
111 out of 212 found this review helpful

1957 - jeeps are driving up to a military base. There's a sign warning of a bomb test shortly. A Colonel requests entrance on the base and is denied. His men open fire on the sentries and storm the base.

Their goal--the soon to be detonated bomb? Nope, the dusty storage facility.

The men, who turn out to be Russians, open the trunk and drag out a hostage. Guess who? If you guessed Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) you are correct.

That's the opening to this film...

It's twenty years after we left Indy. He's a little bit greyer, but he's still going strong. This time, he's teamed up with Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), a motorcycle riding, leather wearing college dropout who needs his help saving his father Oxley (John Hurt) and Mom, Mary (Karen Allen) from the Russians who are holding them captive.

What the Russians want is a Nascan Indian relic, a crystal skull of legend that some say was the manifestation of a god. If they don't get it, Mutt's parents die.

There's a lot to like about this film:

There may be some wear and tear on Ford, but he can still pull off playing Indy.

Karen Allen is back reprising her role as Marion Ravenwood. She's always been the best of the female leads in this series and she still can deliver 26 years after "Raiders."

Dr. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) a Russian research into psychic phenomenon and the supernatural is the lead villain and she plays her part superbly. My favorite part of this film is the typical car chase with an Indy twist that every action and adventure fan should love.

Plus, I think the themes in this story tie together a lot of elements that people who love the Indy series are going to appreciate. I will definitely be buying the DVD when it becomes available.

Rebecca Kyle, May 2008

1 out of 5 stars

Crystal Numbskull October 11, 2008
98 out of 131 found this review helpful

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.

1 out of 5 stars

Terrible! May 28, 2008
76 out of 129 found this review helpful

Like millions of fans, I was eagerly awaiting for Indy to don the fedora once again. Ford proves that he still has the charm and starpower to portray the iconic figure of Indiana Jones. Yet, the film becomes a parody of the Indiana Jones franchise, as Indy is hunting for relics of beings from another dimension. Not to mention the alien spaceship and a college professor who is possessed by the power of the crystal skull. Although mysticism has always played a central role in the Indy films, this recent installment is over the top. Cate Blanchett's character attempts to channel telekinetic abilities to harness the power of the skull. Whatever happened to the journey of discovery and interpreting clues? Shia LeBouf's character was unnecessary, and was quite annoying as he is seen fencing atop a duck boat, and swinging from vines like Tarzan. Lucas and Spielberg should be ashamed of themselves!

5 out of 5 stars

A Movie Designed to Entertain -- Nothing More September 24, 2008
48 out of 63 found this review helpful

Many people reviewing this movie seem to suffer from "Star Wars Syndrome" -- in other words, the originals were beyond reproach and the new ones were so woefully bad that a team of chimps could have written better stories. In fact, ANYONE could have done better! Nothing good about the new movies - not one thing.

But the ORIGINALS -- why, they were written, directed and produced by God himself, so flawless were they! It's amazing how Lucas was able to pull off three flawless Star Wars films (with the possible exception of Ewoks), and yet he can do nothing right today.

And so it goes with Indiana Jones. Blah, blah, blah.

People have criticized the plot device in this movie. They can't quite come to terms with such a "supernatural element." But the original movies -- why, they were just fine! The opening of the ark? The worship service in the Temple of Doom (removing beating hearts, anyone)? The healing power of the Holy Grail? No problem. In fact, we see it every day. But ALIENS -- can't quite stomach that, even though they were all over pop culture in the fifties and fit in well with the period.

This movie, instead of just making stuff up, follows the structure of the first three films. It incorporates many supernatural elements with which we are acquainted-- crystal skulls, UFOs, Nazca lines in Peru, Area 51, and even the legendary El Dorado. Everything fits in nicely, though the plot is a bit more convoluted than the first three films.

When did so many people stop enjoying movies and resort to being so critical? I imagine if this had been the first breakthrough movie, made in 1981, and "Raiders" was the new 2008 film, it would be criticized beyond reason:

"'Raiders' is just more of the same. The plot was non-existent; Indy had to find a headpiece that would point him to the location of the ark by using the sun's rays. For some reason he's able to simply escape from an underground chamber full of CGI snakes after being sealed up, ostensibly for all eternity. At one point Indy goes underneath a truck going 50 mph and gets back on to fight! And at the end of the movie all credibility was lost when they opened the ark and the bad guys were destroyed -- what a cop-out! Aside from the relationship between Indy and Marion, the characters were poorly-drawn, one-dimensional caricatures -- especially the cartoon Nazis. Lucas has lost it and Spielberg has seen better days."

You see?

In fact, before this movie was released I asked a friend if he was planning to see it. The reply: "I don't think so. Been there, done that." As if, after nearly twenty years, one more movie was just too much to handle. Amazing! This same person probably hasn't missed a single Bond movie in the same twenty years (talk about "been there, done that")!

Take the criticisms with a grain of salt. This movie was made for one reason -- public demand. There are four elements that make a good Indiana Jones movie: George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and John Williams. Lucas's plot is better than anything I -- or any of the other critics -- could have plausibly come up with. Spielberg's direction is great (though not spectacular, as in "Raiders"). Harrison Ford is fantastically fit -- in fact, were it not for the grey hair, he hardly looks much older than he did during "Last Crusade." And John Williams's eerie score is excellent as always. This movie fits in well, in tone and in feel, with the other movies and is a worthy successor. Is it as good? I'd say it's at least as good or better than "Temple of Doom." But that's the point -- it doesn't have to be -- it's its own movie, designed to entertain and nothing more.

This movie was thoroughly entertaining to me; I'm glad I can still enjoy movies without being overly critical. I recognize it for what it is -- just a fun movie. That's all it is. Not the Second Coming.

See this movie. Enjoy. Welcome back, Indiana Jones!

1 out of 5 stars

Indiana Jones and the temple of bad scripts September 18, 2008
47 out of 62 found this review helpful

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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