Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

[GeneChing]

I know, not really martial arts, but surely some fun fight scenes. :o
view trailer (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/indianajones.html?showVideo=1)

[doug maverick]

its indiana jones, it look good.

[HtownShaolinBum]

Haha, yes, it is about time we got a peek at this film.

I know it will be good. Lucas and Spielberg turned down probably 10 or so scripts, some from people who are considered the best writers in Hollywood.

And they are in that government warehouse, possible tie in with the Ark story? Who knows, I dont care, this is going to be sweet. And Shia LeBeouf, not a bad pick. I mean, his name is retarded, but he is one of the few young actors that I like, unlike this Topher Grace character.

[冠木侍]

This movie is coming up soon, so I figure I'd bring this back to the front.

I think I saw two of the three previous ones. Let's see how Harrison Ford holds up...

[sanjuro_ronin]

Nice, looks like a typical Indy movie, action, special effects and humour.
Sweet !

[Jimbo]

I saw it on Thursday, and despite the lukewarm to poor reviews, I actually had a good time. Sure, it may not be up to the first 3 in the series, but I personally enjoyed it more than The Temple of Doom. My personal favorite remains Raiders of the Lost Ark.

First off, without wanting to spoil it for anyone, I will say that it is basically the same as watching a cartoon, even moreso than the over-the-top action/chase sequences of the earlier films. The new CGI effects somehow seem less convincing than the effects in the older films. (IMO, some of the CGI in older, early-'90s movies is more convincing than much of today's). And as for those action sequences, let's just say you really need to bring your suspension of disbelief along for the ride. If you can just view it as pulp escapism for a couple hours, you may enjoy it like I did. (for the record, I still love the old Road Runner cartoons as well, if you catch my drift).

Harrison Ford has been getting a lot of criticism in reviews for "being old", but I think he did pretty well in the role, considering. I don't think in this movie that Indiana Jones is quite 65 years old, like Ford really is, though.

I'd not seen Kate Blanchett as a villain before, and I must say she plays a good one, though I have read critics say she looked "lost and wasted in her role". She has that angular, intense look and acting chops to hopefully get future villainous roles.

My least favorite character in the film was "Mutt" played by Shia LeBouff(sp??). He did okay in the role he was given, I guess.

I do think the reunion of Ford and Karen Allen was definitely a highlight of the film. Though older, it seemed like they hadn't missed a beat since Raiders.

[BruceSteveRoy]

worst movie i have seen in 5 years hands down (maybe 10). my willful suspension of disbelief only goes so far. i mean aliens... ALIENS?!?! seriously? wtf?? awful script, awful plot, awful cgi. good acting though. mutt's character was not engaging in anyway, although like you said shia did ok with what he had to work with. the only scene that gave me hope that it might be ok was the motrocycle/car chase scene in the college. before and after that there wasn't much i could find to enjoy.

i mean really.. Aliens? weak.

and the nuclear explosion? i know indy is all that is awesome but i don't care who you are or how "lead lined" the fridge is; you can climb into a fridge and get blown at leasst 50 ft in the air by an atomic explosion and walkaway without a scratch.

and aliens? c'mon. my intelligence is insulted.

and what was with the prairie dogs? why are you trying to add cute to the film? is it for all the little kids in the theater? i found the movie condescending and trite. i really feel like my IQ was lowered by the end of it and yet some how not lowered enough to accept the ending or enjoy the movie. most of the theater shared my view. evidenced by the fact that many of them walked out on it.

did i mention how preposterous the aliens thing was?

they made indiana jones into a scifi movie and a bad one at that. george lucas should be strong up by his heels.

[BruceSteveRoy]

here is a rare moment when a person says almost exactly what i feel. this is taken from a person that is more articulate than me from another forum that i frequent.

"Those who know me in real life will know how much of a fan boy I am. Comic book, Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Kevin Smith, ViewAskew, you name it, I love it. So when news of a 4th Indiana Jones movie started to gain speed and finally a movie with a release date was announced I was literally in heaven.

What’s not to like? The Indiana Jones movies have always, always, always represented the best in action adventure movies and when I first peeped the trailer for the new movie I nearly wet my pants.

The movie promised so much in the trailer and a manic grin spread across my face when the first bars of the famous theme tune piped up. This was Indiana Jones, after a 19 year gap, he was back on the big screen.

I got to the cinema with the lady friend early because I wanted the best seat in the house and what a full house it was. Every single seat was taken and you could see the excitement in everyone’s faces. Indiana Jones was back!!!

When the movie starts, you see a man dragged from a car and thrown to the ground, the fedora blows into view and a figure in silhouette picks it up and puts in on. My heart leapt, this was it, this was going to be THE movie of the year.

Sadly, I was cruelly mistaken…

This isn’t Indiana Jones, not by a long shot. There was none of the fun and adventure that permeated the original trilogy, instead Lucas and Spielberg have given us crap! The movie jumps from one ludicrous scene (Indy survives a nuclear blast in a fridge) to another (take your pick of the many on offer) and you’re asked to suspend your disbelief too much.

Sure ‘The Last Crusade’ had a knight from the 11th century alive and kicking in 1938 but it fitted well within the context of that movie and in ‘Raiders’ you had the Ark of the Tabernacle which was full of ghosts. However in ‘Crystal Skull’ your disbelief is tested to its very limit and then beyond and you’re treated to scenes that wouldn’t be out of place in the new ‘X Files’ movie.

Okay there were some pure ‘Jones’ moments in there regarding booby traps, snakes and punch ups with nasty henchmen but overall the movie was dull, predictable and the ending is straight out of ‘Close Encounters…’ and clearly has Spielberg’s fingerprints all over it.

It really pains me to be dissing Indiana Jones as the first three movies are a masterclass in movie making but this 4th movie just isn’t Indiana Jones and I came away hugely disappointed as did a number of people who had left before the ending once you realise where the movie is heading…

I sat there trying to justify what I have just seen, hoping that the movie was going to get better, but it never did.

I forgave Lucas for the Star Wars prequels, as, in my view, he redeemed himself largely with ‘Revenge of the Sith’ but ‘Crystal Skull’ is a huge blot on his and Spielberg’s CV.

I’m sure there will be many people, fans even, who loved the movie and I have to admit there are some wonderful set pieces in there, but it just wasn’t enough to lift the movie.

I was seriously gutted.

Like I said, the trailer promised so much and when I was sat watching the movie I kept hoping against hope that the story wasn't going to end up where it did but the rumours on the interweb were true...

Don't let my review stop you from going to see it, I mean you might come out thinking I'm crazy for not liking the movie.

I did try to like the movie, but it sucked badly overall...

I can't believe that not one of the proof readers, script doctorers, actors said "George, you can't be serious?" The plot was ludicrous and extremely painful to watch unfold and was clearly left over from some movie that Lucas/Spielberg failed to get greenlit.

I'm still pained by what I saw...

1 out of 4… "

[doug maverick]

i liked it. thats right i liked it. i thought the the whole inter-demensional beings thing totally fit in with the pulp comic book/serials that indiana jones is based on. it didn't bother me one bit. it reminded me of those old howard hawke films with clarke gable. one thing i just couldn't suspend my belief from thou was the nuclear blast, only chuck norris could survive that **** and even he would have lost an arm. to me the plot was kinda inconsequential as i was more interested in the characters. can't wait to see the next installment.

[Shaolinlueb]

i liked it. thats right i liked it. i thought the the whole inter-demensional beings thing totally fit in with the pulp comic book/serials that indiana jones is based on. it didn't bother me one bit. it reminded me of those old howard hawke films with clarke gable. one thing i just couldn't suspend my belief from thou was the nuclear blast, only chuck norris could survive that **** and even he would have lost an arm. to me the plot was kinda inconsequential as i was more interested in the characters. can't wait to see the next installment.


i liked it too. even though the tarzan thing and the ants got to me. i overall had a fun time with it and thats what it was suppossed to do.

[GeneChing]

Crystal Skull is better than the Disney ride, but mostly because of Cate Blanchett. She's a great villainess.

Honestly, I loved Raiders. Who didn't? I enjoyed Temple because I thought Kate Capshaw was hot and it had a spunky Asian sidekick fighting thuggies. I could relate to that back then. I liked Last Crusade because of Sean, but the ending was so stupid. The Holy Grail always evokes Monty Python for me, and it always will. After Raiders, I had already checked out intellectually of Indy flicks the same way I checked out of Star Wars. Of course you park your brain outside. If you bring your brain into the theater, you will regret that. Indy is fluff. It's always been fluff. But it's fun fluff. If you're expecting something more, look elsewhere.

As for Skull, it has some fun moments for sure. The nuke blast, which has already been a spoiler above, was a great big screen scene with THX sound blaring. Skull has some good self-reference, stuff you can see from miles away, but entertaining nonetheless. Marion, which has also been a spoiler just about everywhere, was perfect. As hot as Kate was, it was always about Marion. By the time the sword fight scene came, I was pretty satisfied and amused. I'm easily amused by sword fights. I'll probably forget about the film in a few more days, but it was diverting at the time.

[BruceSteveRoy]

its unfortunate that i can no longer trust any of your opinions.

[jethro]

haha, you are a funny guy Bruce

[GeneChing]

Do tell, BruceSteveRoy, do tell us what pushed you over to the dark side of doubt. ;)

[Jimbo]

Well, I personally think this movie should be buried in a time capsule for future generations to reference 21st-century culture at its height. :D

[Zenshiite]

I liked it. Liked it better than Iron Man, primarily because it had a greater sense of fun.

Breath of fresh air compared with most modern action/adventure cinema.

[jethro]

Hey BruceSteveRoy, don't go jump off a building or anything buddy. Everything will be alright.

:p

[The Willow Sword]

I liked it and i didnt.
I liked it because it ressurected that old adventurous pretend archeologist in me to try and find anything buried anywhere that i could dig. Yes when i saw Raiders as a kid i wanted to be an archeologist and do all the same sh!t that Indiana Jones did. Especially in the realms of the Maya(have always been into Mayan stuff). I also liked it because the movie is just plain Fun.
I would like to remind all the people here who were vehemently dissapointed in this movie that "THIS IS ONLY A MOVIE, ITS SUPPOSED TO BE FANTASY AND IMAGINATION,ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FUKING REAL YOU DOUCHWADS!!!!! Since WHEN does a Movie have to resemble ANYTHING REAL in REAL LIFE? A MOVIE is an ESCAPE from REALITY YOU MORONS. JESUS HAROLD CHRIST ON A FUKIN RUBBER CRUTCH!!!! only in a MOVIE can you survive a nuclear blast in a lead lined fridge. only in a MOVIE can you successfuly swing around on a whip. Only in a MOVIE can you dodge bullets, and only in a movie can you be 60 and still kick the a$$ of trained soldiers with machine guns with your bare hands and a whip. Only in MOVIE can you Survive 3 drops off a staircase like waterfall. ITS FANATSY AND IMAGINATION!!!!!!!! its a movie.

I didnt like the Movie because they made Indy ride B!TCH on Shia Lebouf's Motorcycle. That p!ssed me off to NO END. INdiana Jones does NOT ride B!tch!! he MAKES YOU RIDE B!TCH and the scene should have been written where he tells Shia to get on back and hang on!!!

Get a life Bruce,or better yet get an imagination. TWS:cool:

[BruceSteveRoy]

Get a life Bruce,or better yet get an imagination. TWS:cool:

not sure exactly when you became such a **** and i expect better out of you. anyway, my imagination works just fine. as for not getting worked up i am not the one calling ppl douchwads for expressing an opinion about what a piece of **** this movie is. so unbunch your panties homes.

but if we want to get into personal insults over the expression of opinions than yes i am perfectly willing to slum it and go way down to your level.

the one positive aspect of the movie:

its my new measuring stick on how quickly i can completely disregard a persons opinion. all i have to do is say "what did you think of the new indiana jones movie?" and if they reply with a hearty "it rocked", i can smile pityingly on them as they begin to drool, wet themselves and run face first into a wall. bc in order to think this movie is good you would have to be completely pants on head retarded. so am i surprised that tws liked it? not at all. he is apparently just dumb enough to. but i am surprised at sll and gene bc i know they are both intelligent people.

but as a measuring stick for turning normally intelligent and informed opinions to ambiant white noise it is perfect.

o and btw you can put :cool: after your name as much as you want and it won't make it true.