Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Released: 22/05/08
Well I currently feel like a child who was enjoying a lovely fresh ice-cream and then dropped it on the floor... I have just returned from seeing the midnight press screening of probably the most anticipated film of the year; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Unless you have been living on the planet Zod (Like Lucas and Spielberg have apparently) then you cannot have failed to notice all the hype around this film and the media circus that is created at Cannes 61st annual festival over the weekend. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, no scrap that terrible news, but it is not good.
Yes there are still witty one liners, great comic moments and awesome stunts , mainly performed by the not so nimble man in his mid 60’s himself, Mr Harrison Ford.
However the plot is just so far fetched and suspending your belief is an understatement. Considering that the opening scene occurs in 1957 it is an absolutely preposterous plot, I don’t want to give it away as i know everyone will still go and see the film, purely out of their curiosity, but my advice would be to leave ten mins before the end, maybe even fiftteen mins to be on the safe side.
Grabbing the hat, rolling up the whip and pulling on that cracked leather jacket, Jones is off once again in search of...something, to find...someone. Hurrah! The first we see of our beloved her is him rolling out of a boot, and technically we see his hat and shadow before we even see him. I could go into it further, but any more details and i fear that i will receive and abundance of hate mail or get the sack for ruining the film that fans have waited almost 20 years for, was it worth it? I’ll leave you to answer that question yourself.
Ok, so to the cast. Obviously one of the main reasons most people will see this film is the fact that 19.. yes 19 years on Harrison Ford is still playing Henry Jones Jr, aka Indie. There are some familiar faces, in the shape of brash and bolshie Marion played by the original actress Karen Allen. Who sadly does not really do much bar the obvious aka fall into indies arms and reveal a few plot twists.
Cate Blanchet shows yet another side to her superb acting ability playing Ukrainian baddie, and finally to the newcomer, one of Hollywood’s current golden boys, who it seems can do no wrong, he is excellent in this as Mutt, the kid from the wrong side of the tracks, he rocks up on a moped looking like the late , great James Dean.
The best of British also deserve a mention with cameo roles from Ray Winston as the double crossing Mac, John Hurt as the pretty loony Prof. Oxley and Jim Broadbent as one of Indie’s struggling colleagues.
Sadly this come back was not all that I expected, granted my expectations were high but that was largely based on Die Hard IV last year and the fact that Bruce Willis came back as working class hero, Cop, John McClane 14 years on. Indie 4... well Spielberg has already quite publicly stated that he will be keeping his ear to the ground and has said that he will make Indie V if it’s what the public wants...So make your choice public, make your choice!
Amy V Gathercole
No comments:
Post a Comment