image © Paramount Pictures
So why the negative early reviews? The thing is that the hulking Indy IV production is an easy target to pick holes in: Yes, the plot unnecessarily convolutes itself. Yes, the precious artefact at the centre of the story does, unfortunately, look like something you’d find in a bargain bin at Woolworths. And yes, there’s sometimes a CGI trick where a good old-fashioned stunt or fistfight would have felt more wholesome.
Look past the pitfalls though and you’ll find the heart of the Indiana Jones franchise still beating. Harrison Ford appears almost uninterested at first, mumbling his lines like a shadow of his former self. The older Indy, world-weary and cynical, isn’t so easily tempted to pick up the whip. He’s shot up by Russians and blown out of a mushroom cloud before he really seems to be along for the ride – his venerable reluctance inviting us into his corner.
But there are huge swathes of action to be churned through in the second half, so the hesitation can’t last long. You can almost feel Spielberg’s eye on the clock as the script hastily welds Harrison Ford and Shia LaBoeuf together and throws them out onto that nostalgia-tripping world map. It’s a joy to witness Indy regain his full stature as the taste for the big find reaches his nostrils. Old as he may be, he still changes and develops across the neatly trimmed two hours.
In Pictures: Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
image © Paramount Pictures
LaBoeuf defies his critics, demonstrating comedic fifties sensibilities and bringing flair to the challenging ‘sidekick’ role. Cate Blanchett and Ray Winstone are given perhaps the toughest jobs of all, both playing unashamed stereotypes (Blanchett the Russian ice queen, Winstone the flawed British geezer). All they can do is stick to their guns as their characters are handed the plot’s most imagination-stretching twists. Both emerge with credibility intact though, even if they’ll unfortunately remain associated with Indy 4’s dodgiest segments.
Indy, meanwhile, takes more of a beating than ever before. He’s beset by giant ants, thrown from waterfalls and pummelled by Russian baddies. We’d have liked to see more of the pit fighter, making his way through on sheer grit and determination, but there’s only so much that can be asked of a 65-year-old. The momentum stumbles a little towards the end when the character’s wicked sense of humour is replaced by glowing episodes of ‘goodness’, but following such an excellently paced ride and ultimately such a magnificent series of films, we can allow for a little sentimentality.
The final credit must go to Spielberg. The path trodden by Crystal Skull is a dangerous one that could have spun into comedic implausibility. But Indy’s final discovery is from a field that’s particularly personal to the Berg and one that he handles brilliantly. At each climax he escapes the sense of empty CG spectacular by giving us a defining and memorable image. He’s a brilliant photographer at heart and he remembers it even when each minute of this gigantic film costs over two million dollars. It’s not worth finding fault with Indy’s bulky modern-day climax, just allow yourself to be swept up by it.
A brilliant adventure. The problems with Indy IV are only skin deep - ignore them and be amazed.
In Pictures: Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull In MSN Video
image © Paramount Pictures
