Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Going into Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I had only one demand from the cinema experience – that this film felt like an Indiana Jones movie; that it contained the heart, soul and spirit that made the original trilogy so great.

And Kingdom of the Crystal Skull certainly has its “authentic” Indy moments, in line with the tone of the original trilogy – there’s a college town chase sequence that kicks off with an amusing diner fight, waterfall plunges and an entertaining quicksand rescue scene.

However, these moments are scattered, and the rest of the movie feels pretty, well, vanilla. Don’t get me wrong. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is still a fun popcorn movie but it’s certainly not the blockbuster of the year. And it’s certainly not nearly as good or memorable as the original trilogy. I’ve had more of a gripping Indiana Jones experience reading some of the spin-off books and playing some of the video games than watching this film.


Of course, my opinion of the movie could be coloured by my built-in prejudice against the revelations at the heart of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Other Indiana Jones material has focused on religious iconography, ancient myths and wonders, which personally fascinate me.

The concerns in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, by comparison, mirror the film’s 1957 setting: it’s a time when paranoia of Soviet Communists is sky high, the Cold War is heating up, and both sides are desperately seeking the technological edge that will trump the advantage of any nuclear weapon. From the film’s outset it’s obvious what will supply that technological edge, although character commentary tries to camouflage it as something more mystical than extra-terrestrial.

What really works in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s favour is Spielberg’s spot-on depiction of an era (I actually would have preferred more urban globe trotting to bundu bashing in this movie), and Harrison Ford’s presence as the intrepid, if increasingly world-weary, title character. No question about it, Ford still makes a fantastic Indiana Jones. His is a far more credible return to an iconic character than Sylvester Stallone achieved with Rambo.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is still a flawed enterprise though. The film relies heavily on CGI, particularly during an extended jungle car chase sequence. Audiences aren’t stupid. The reason that the stunts in the James Bond films, and the original Indiana Jones trilogy, are so thrilling is that we know stuntmen and women are putting their lives on the line to achieve them – instead of just prancing around in front of a green screen. The CGI-enhanced sequences in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull mean viewers don’t become emotionally invested in character fates because we know they’re not in peril.


Peril is, in fact, a factor that’s largely missing from the film. For all the tomb exploration that occurs in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, there are little to no booby traps, the local tribespeople are easy to scare off, and Indy runs around the last Act of the film with a 4-person strong squad in tow, each of whom has their own skills to contribute to the adventure. Even Cate Blanchett’s Soviet operative, with her mind-reading obsessions, doesn’t seem especially dangerous or even vicious.

As for emotional investment, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull doesn’t demonstrate much in the way of heart. There are some touching moments between Indy and Marion (much welcome Raiders’ returnee Karen Allen) but they are all too short. And the “father-son” relationship between Indy his young greaser sidekick Mutt Williams (Shia Leboeuf) is never put to the test as it dramatically was between Indy and his father at the end of The Last Crusade, or even between Indy and Short Round in Temple of Doom. Mutt and Indy may resort to “grandpa” and “kid” jibes but their loyalty to one another is never questioned.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is definitely worth watching, but go with moderated expectations. The film features a number of moments already depicted on-screen in The Mummy 2… and when a blatant Indiana Jones knock-off beats the original to the punch, it is a bit of a letdown.