Indy's back

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

It's been a long time coming and is one of the year's most hotly anticipated films, but it's finally here. Yes, Indy's back doing what he does best: whip cracking and wisecracking his way through another impossible action adventure. Of course, as was seen with Lucas's other project, the anticipation left lots of people underwhelmed, and there are bound to be those who feel the same way about this one too.

As the saying goes, "nostalgia isn't what it used to be". The first INDIANA JONES film was a homage to the action adventure serials that showed in the cinemas in the fifties, the films Lucas and Spielberg grow up loving, and that same feeling has been applied to THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, except this time the nostalgia is for the original Indy films and not the generic B movies that inspired them in the first place.

But does it live up to the hype? Yes and no. There is no denying it does what it says on the label, although Harrison Ford is getting close to his use by date, at least in this role. His face is looking as battered and wrinkled as his trademark trousers, but that has been taken into consideration by moving the story forward 20 years to the Cold War and the paranoia the US had about the (invented) threat of a commie invasion (see Adam Curtis's Power of Nightmares for a real insight into that and more). It was also the era of rock 'n' roll, which Lucas explored so well in AMERICAN GRAFFITI; one of Ford's earliest feature roles and his first with Lucas. It was also the time when the US was testing and amassing its arsenal of WMDs, which feature in the action-packed opening sequences that are as integral to the franchise as the fedora and whip.

What is great is the fact that the writers have made a point of emphasising Indy's advancing years, particularly for comic effect, with some of the best gags coming at Indy's expense. To his credit, Ford does a great job of the action sequences, again with a self-deprecating glint in his aging eyes. And when he is joined by the teenage Mutt (the excellent Shia LaBeouf) the age-related banter gets into full swing.

Without giving away any specifics of the story, it does follow the tried and tested Indy formula of goodies vs baddies, with the Russians taking over from the Nazis, led by the ruthless Irina Spalko (the always excellent Cate Blanchett), Spalko is looking for the titular crystal skull because she believes it will give her and her comrades the power to control the minds of the rest of the world. So it is up to Indiana to find the skull and return it to its rightful place, which, this time, happens to be the legendary El Dorado in the Amazonian jungle, with hordes of Russians and restless natives (and killer ants) in pursuit, and all leading to an obvious conclusion. I'd rather not say any more about the story because it is nice to see it unfold without any anticipation, but suffice to say that a theme common to both Spielberg's and Lucas's best films is the main plot device.

Since RAIDERS first hit our screens back in 1981, we have seen a variety of archaeological adventurers on the big screen including the very pleasant on the eyes Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, Brendan Fraser in THE MUMMY franchise (which has another instalment out on August 8), and Nic Cage in the NATIONAL TREASURE flicks. Bearing that in mind, Indy is still the daddy and that is what makes this film so endearing, beyond the formulaic story.

While it is more Saga than saga at times it is still a great romp that acknowledges its roots and gives great entertainment for Indy fans, both old and new. What more can you ask for from a film?

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL opens everywhere (literally) on May 22.

Official website

Review: Chris Patmore

To tie in with the release of the film Titan Books have published a graphic novel of the story, which is available from major retailers including Amazon and Play.