<p>Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull </p>
<p>A film review by Jason Pitt</p>
<p>For Critical-film.com </p>
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<p>I thoroughly enjoyed the fourth instalment in the Indiana Jones franchise. It was a wonderfully enjoyable film throughout most of its running time. It was exciting, funny, and Harrison Ford certainly hasn't lost and of the Indy charm or sarcastic wit and dialogue delivery that made the character so memorable more than 25 years ago. It was an exceptionally risky proposition, attempting to revive a classic film character nearly twenty years after the previous film. I mean, come on, Harrison Ford is a senior citizen, and Steven Spielberg hasn't directed a truly memorable film since the early nineties. (This of course, is only my personal opinion.) </p>
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<p>However, Indiana Jones is a both well known and much respected franchise, so the fourth film could have followed Indiana Jones trying to retrieve fossilized Mammoth poop from sewer-dwelling cannibals under New York City , and it would still be guaranteed to make huge money. So really, the only risk was destroying the reputation of a beloved film character… but who in Hollywood cares about that, when money's at stake? Regardless of the financial intentions of Spielberg and George Lucas, the film is nearly a complete success. The film was so true to its predecessors, and such a wonderfully entertaining big budget adventure film, the likes of which hasn't been seen, probably since the last “Indiana Jones” film, that the horrific distraction of the climax threatens to destroy the Indiana Jones-ness the rest of the film so successfully established. </p>
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<p>The story, which involves Indy looking for a mythical Crystal Skull, is firmly grounded in both reality and the mythology the former films created. It's both funny and exciting, and is as solid a film as anything Spielberg has done in twenty years. It feels like the big-budget adventure films of the 40's and 50's, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was originally created to modernize. Many sequences are shot with a soft filter, creating a hazy image, which harkens back to the glory days of beautiful black and white. It's remarkable, and unlike anything I've seen theatrically. </p>
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<p>It feels like an “Indiana Jones” film, through and through. Great action set-pieces, classic booby traps, and Harrison Ford is still surprisingly good, despite the fact that he can order from the senior's menu at Denny's. It gives even greater hope that 2008 may be a record year for big budget films, as so far the blockbusters have actually been surprisingly good. All seems well… </p>
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<p>That is, until the film reaches its climax. The films final 15 minutes are so far removed from anything else in the series that it irreparably damages the film. It's not enough to destroy the experience, but the film loses its grounding in reality, takes a 180 degree turn, and lands right in the middle of “What-the-hell-is-happening-ville.” Now, for those of you who are not in the know, “What-the-hell-is-happening-ville” doesn't exist. But, neither should the climax of Indy 4. You'll leave the theatre scratching your head, saying “It was great until…” </p>
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<p>The film takes place 19 years after the third film, which lends credibility to the story and the climax, but it just seems so out of place and context with the rest of the series. However, I enjoyed the rest of the film so much, that I have no problem giving it a solid recommendation. The ending doesn't fit, but what can you do? Perhaps George Lucas is getting senile in his old age (he's younger than Harrison Ford), or perhaps they simply wanted to differentiate from the rest of the series, for a new generation. Who knows, and who cares. 90% of the film is adventure excellence, and that's more than I had originally hoped for. </p>
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<p>(Four Stars) </p>
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