Indy’s new adventure goes from lackluster to ludicrous

We all longed for one more adventure from the iconic adventurer in the leather jacket, brown fedora and trusty bullwhip. Unfortunately, Spielberg’s latest film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, offers none of the magic, wit or charm of the original trilogy.

By Ally Lois

The film is set in 1957 and a long time has passed since our hero last crusaded against the Nazis. Indy (Harrison Ford) has been kidnapped by Russian agents led by pseudo-psychic, Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). The Russians are searching for an artifact – the fabled “crystal skull” – integral to their quest for mind-controlling power.

The Nazis of the old trilogy have been replaced by Russians, jazz by rock’n’roll, and our feisty hero is now a little worn-out, yet the first glimpse of Indy’s battered, brown fedora almost convinces you that he is back. Almost. From fighting the Russians in the Nevada desert, to a motorbike chase set against a consciously 50s backdrop, this almost seems like a world in which Indiana Jones could belong.

After escaping from the Russians, Indy sets off to the jungles of South America with new side-kick Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) to rescue Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and an old colleague (John Hurt). The pace and ambiance of the original films is initially captured, but allusions to the Roswell crash of 1947 and Indy’s amazing new ability to survive an atomic bomb blast soon alert you to the fact this isn’t quite the same reality Indy used to inhabit.

Lacking intrigue and logic, the plot reeks of George Lucas’s juvenile fixation with aliens (why is this man allowed near a script?). The true colours of Spielberg’s film begin to show by the time Indy finds himself racing through the jungle. Fast-paced, gripping action sequences are quickly reduced to a showcase of LucasArts overdone CGI and lame, self-indulgent stunts. Both Lucas and Spielberg seem to have forgotten that it was not only the action-fuelled adventures which made the original trilogy great, but also the well-drawn, witty and nuanced characters.

Indy merely swaggers along with an insultingly apparent belief that we will swallow the ridiculous plot if he looks like the Indiana Jones we remember. Mutt does his best Marlon Brando meets “The Fonz” impersonation, and as sincere as Blanchett’s performance is, with only a sword, a severe haircut and a Russian accent, Spalko is little more than a caricature and an unworthy adversary.

From early extra-terrestrial references, to paper thin characters, overdone action sequences and a cringe-worthy finale, this film is as hollow and hackneyed as its B-grade rip-offs and a bitter disappointment.

Score: 2 out of 5

Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf
Story: George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson
Screenwriter: David Koepp