Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

When a new film is as highly anticipated and part of a series as classic and endearing as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it is almost impossible to separate expectation from analysis. It is so hard to refrain from the question, “what could it have been?”

This dilemma might explain how I could exit the theater at 2:30 AM the other morning/night full of praise for the movie I had just seen, while still feeling incredibly disappointed. I was entertained, even thrilled. I laughed. I got goose bumps. I spent two hours with some old friends, some of my best (proverbial) friends when it comes to cinema. And yet, I felt let down and confused. I wanted so badly to love this movie, to put it high atop a pedestal and experience those warm, fuzzy feelings like I used to when I watched Indiana Jones as a kid. But two things prevented that from happening: 1) This is not the Indiana Jones I watched as a kid, and 2) I am not that kid anymore. I’ve become somewhat of…a cynic.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (that’s the last time I’m typing out the full title!) is true to the form laid down by the original three Indy films. Beginning with the classic transfer from the Paramount logo to part of the scenery (in this case a rather corny one), the movie immediately throws us into a bygone era, right in the middle of an exciting adventure with formidable antagonists. Our beloved hero is back – he looks older, he sounds older, but that’s him all right.

An evil villain from an evil country is seeking a mysterious artifact, and they know that the only one who can help them find it is Indiana Jones, that rogue adventurer who makes being an archaeologist and college professor look absolutely awesome.

Spielberg and Lucas remind us repeatedly that we’re now in the 1950s – by playing the song “Hound Dog,” casting the Russians as evil commies, showing a nuclear test in a faux town out in the Nevada desert, and portraying the government-induced paranoia and red hunting of the time…among other things. Some of these references are fun, but after a while they seem to be screaming, “See? It’s the 50s!”

Some of the familiar faces are sadly missing from Indy’s life – only framed pictures on a desk are there to represent Marcus Brody and Henry Jones, Sr. The new character of Mutt Williams is introduced early on, and the young/old sparring chemistry between Indy and Mutt is fun to watch. Even Marion is back! But without the presence of other classic Indy characters, and the odd presence of several brand new characters who we’re just supposed to trust that they go way back with Indy, it just leaves a sense of Indiana Jones being in the wrong movie.

You may find the explanation of the artifact and the consequent climax annoying or jarring in relation to previous Indy films. It didn’t bother me, and I thought plot-wise it fit in just fine with the rest of the canon. But there certainly was something powerful, and even comforting, about having the focus be on Biblical lore in the first and third movies. I guess Temple of Doom allows me to accept a purely “secular” Indiana Jones.

The action scenes were fantastic. I was utterly engaged in every one, and they really did possess the spirit of the action in the old movies. Harrison Ford can still take a beating and put up a fight, and it was so much fun to watch him ride around on a motorcycle, use his iconic whip, knock out bad guys with a punch to the face, and never ever lose his hat.

However…the overall feeling that I had leaving the theater, regardless of all my praise, was that this Indiana Jones was missing magic. It followed the same structure and had a lot of the characteristics of the old ones, but it felt flat and tired to me.

My favorite of the old three is Last Crusade. It too dealt with the subject of getting old, of confronting the decisions we’ve made in our life, and of the importance of family. But whereas these qualities gave Last Crusade a sweet maturity and introspection that lifted it high above average, Crystal Skull almost seems to revert back to juvenility and deal with these subjects in a bored, shallow, two-dimensional way. All of the filmmakers and Harrison Ford are 20 years older – but rather than giving this picture a stamp of maturity and wisdom, it seems like a bunch of old men trying to make a movie for kids.

One of the most disappointing things of all is the music. Anyone who knows me is aware of the dangerously idolatrous obsession I have with John Williams. I adore this man’s work, and I have come to idolize and trust him to the point that not only do I highly anticipate a new score from him, not only do I expect great things from a new score of his, but I actually have the sense that I know I will love the score without having heard it. Perhaps this level of expectation is what resulted in disappointment, but I can’t remember the last time I was this underwhelmed and uninspired by a new John Williams score. It was boring and brooding, and when it tried to be fun and exciting it just sounded rote and tired. All the frenzied magic and memorable themes of the old Indiana Jones scores were totally absent from this score – except really for the references he made to those previous scores. I literally found myself involuntarily frowning and sighing at different points during the film because the score was such a letdown. I hope this changes with time and I grow to appreciate it more than I do now...

I sorely, desperately wanted to love this movie. And I did love being back with the character; I loved the action, the humor and banter – I loved a lot about it. I had a fun time. I suppose I was just expecting something different. I wanted the same timeless magic that exudes from those old movies. I especially wanted the emotional and personal resonance of Last Crusade. And I didn’t get it.

Warnings
There are only a few words uttered that you wouldn’t want to put in a family Christmas letter. There is some spooky stuff and a little bit of action/adventure violence, but this film is truly targeted at families.

Redeeming Value
One of the strengths of Crystal Skull is the emphasis it places on commitment and family. Whereas Indy was a glorified womanizer in the earlier three films, he is looking back on his life with wiser eyes in this one, ultimately unearthing the value of the family. The finale felt a little stilted and out of place, but ideologically and spiritually I loved the ending.

As mentioned earlier, I did miss the presence of God – as uninformed and Hollywood as his presence was in Raiders and Last Crusade – in this adventure of Indy. The feeling of scope and awe, the feeling that we’re dealing with something much bigger than ourselves, was lacking in this film. And I think that God’s absence is the cause. Still, the same complaint can be made of Temple of Doom and it’s a fun adventure, so this does not completely ruin the film for me.

Crystal Skull is a great family film. It’s a fun night at the movies, with great humor, thrilling action, mysterious locales, incredible sets, and of course, Harrison Ford. Much of the effort to make this feel like an 80’s adventure movie paid off – it’s great to see real stuntmen and real sets. But recreating the formula and all the technical filmmaking aspects of the old Indiana Jones movies does not inherently conjure up the charisma and allure that those films possessed. And that is my biggest complaint.

Still, the more I think about this movie, the more I want to see it again. Perhaps I'll write a completely different review 5 years from now. From my flying computer.