Indiana Jones - Reviews Only, NO SPOILERS

[Tyranus]

NO SPOILERS, JUST MY TAKE ON IT:

I saw the film last night with my children, sharing with them a cinematic thread that links me to my youth, and I must say I did not feel the betrayal of my childhood hero à la George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, as I had feared I might. I was not disappointed.

In my humblest of opinions, I don't think any of the Indy films have ever done the first film "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK" (Not "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" as Lucas has changed it to) the justice it deserved. It was a fantastic film that deserved a deeper, richer life to follow for its' main character.

I feel “Temple of Doom” was by far the weakest effort. “The Last Crusade” came closer to the mark, revealing the fact that our hero was named after the family dog, and featured the only man who could POSSIBLY have been Indy's father, James Bond 007, Sean Connery! This new film is on par with, if not better than, “The Last Crusade”.

As I saw the first teaser trailer for the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” months ago, my heart beat faster, the same way it did in the hot Summers of the 80's when I went to see the original films as a kid. Could this new film possibly do the Indy film icon justice? Did I dare hope or dream that it might?

I heard the familiar music, saw the look back at the older films as a nod to the original fans, hinting at past adventures for the newcomers who may not know this character, and the wonderful shadowy outline of the older man once again seating that familiar hat on his head.

After 19 years, Indy is finally back on the big screen where he belongs. Does Harrison Ford look 65? Yes.

Does the movie try to ignore this? No.

Does he pull off the character again? Yes.

Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones, at 35 or 65 or 95, he will always be Indy . . . an archaeologist . . . a teacher, part time. Audiences talk and talk and talk films to death before they are released these days. Will it be good? Will there be things that couldn’t possibly happen in it? It can’t be as good as the first. Is he too old?

*

The motion picture theater is a temple; leave your real-world disbelief at the door, forget that there are special effects at work, or that there are things you know MUST be CGI, or that a larger-than-life character swings from the ceiling on a bullwhip.

Hear the crack of that whip, watch the hero punch bad guys with glass jaws, feel the deep percussive thump of the machine guns and the rumbling of ancient stone mechanisms in your chest.

It's Indiana Jones for crying out loud, and the man in the hat is definitely back.

Get some popcorn and a drink, sit down in the dark with friends, and become a kid again, even if just for 2 hours.

[Daetrin]

Thanks for the review Ward. I was holding off seeing this based on the tepid reviews, but after reading this believe I can put myself back into the time the first movie came out, break out a bucket of popcorn, and just enjoy a fun film.

Funny enough IIRC Sean Connery is only 12 years older than Mr. Ford. A young father indeed

[Tyranus]

I'm glad it helped.

I just made VERY sure to NOT go in expecting the second coming, and I was pleasantly entertained.

[Caomhanach]

Funny enough IIRC Sean Connery is only 12 years older than Mr. Ford. A young father indeed

Sir Sean Connery is 78 this year

Harrison Ford is 66 this year

So yep you're right... Must be the scottish genes...

[Scootch]

Connery gets all the girls! And he was the best 007. Ford is the coolest....first he's Solo then He's Dr. Jones How do you top that?

Ooops....100th post

[Rolf]

I can´t wait to see it around one of these days, the danish press have give it full start too.

I´m a big indiana fan too, got the box etc .

[Vadersblade]

Wait for the DVD. They should have left well enough alone after Last Crusade. George had way too much to do with this movie. I think he has revealing photos of Spielberg somewhere from some college experimentation. It's the only reason I can see for Stevie letting George rape the original trilogy much the same way he did with Star Wars. Too much CGI, too cheesy, and so ridiculously unbelievable that a 5 year old wouldn't buy into it. Three things that ruin this movie: the refrigerator, the monkeys with Mutt, the Ants, what the crystal skull was, Cate Blanchett, and where was the whip? A couple more then 5.

If you do go see this movie, forget the first trilogy. Actually, watch Temple, and then go see it. Then you might be setting yourself up to watch an Indy movie on par for what you know. I can only hope the Indy franchise has the same curse the Star Trek one does, that for every horrible flick the next one will redeem the series.

[TD-5766]

"Raiders" was by far the best, like "ESB" was for Star Wars but, this movie was a great "Sit back and relax and just enjoy the movie" for its fun and action. Though sometimes very cheesy you have to expect that from JarJar Lucas and Speilberg, so just go in to have a good time and enjoy.

We all know Connery was the best Bond but we always enjoyed the cheesy Moore and had a good time.

[Tyranus]

OK . . . Let's examine Raiders of the Lost Ark for a moment.

IF you really want to nit-pick movies and what was bad or over the top, let's examine:

~ Indy whips the gun out of one of his guides hands as he tries to steal the map pieces, and then lets the other guide back him up as he enters the cave!! WTF?

~ He goes into a cave and stays clear of, and then activates a booby-trap triggered by a light beam being broken?? Pretty out there for a tribal booby-trap!

~ He carefully walks to the golden "Idol of Painful Childbirth" on the stone altar, avoiding the trigger stones in the floor which spew poison darts from the walls. Then, when the walls start falling after he takes the idol, he RUNS OUT, hitting every one of the trigger stones! Arrows fly from the walls and NONE hit him. PLEASE!

~ He is chased by a 10-12 foot diameter "boulder" that was cut by South American natives to be PERFECTLY SMOOTH AND ROUND!

~ He swings on a vine and jumps into the river water, escaping from the blowgun darts and arrows shot from the native warriors who stand on the banks, just above him, on the high ground.

~ He just "happens" to have a huge bible with a picture of the Ark of the Covenant in it when the government agents question him.

~ Marion manages to drink a local under the table and still function perfectly.

~ In the marketplace fight, the "man" skewered by a sword (with fruit on the blade behind his back) is clearly a dummy.

~ Marion runs into a doorway with a frying pan mere feet in front of her pursuer wielding a dagger and manages to take him out with the pan. BONK!

~ Marion hides in a basket and is ratted out by the "Nazi Monkey" when the human Nazis miss the fact that she is in there!

~ The truck carrying the explosives and "Marion's Basket" blows up and turns over on its' side. If you look closely at the bottom of the truck just after it turns over, you can see the section of telephone pole that was fired down through the floor to get it to flip in the scene. BAD EDITING

~ Indy holds a stick up in the Well of Souls and the sun makes yet another light beam into a laser or some kind of pointer beam that shows the location of the ark amid a blinding flare.

~ Indy manages to back away from a Cobra or Asp he has fallen face to face with, without being bitten.

~ Marion has a dance with the dead which are clearly fake mummies.

~ Once Indy overtakes the convoy on horseback, he manages to be thrown through the windshield across the hood, slide down under the truck, grab hold of some phantom bar with no automotive function that runs all the way to the back, hooks his whip handle under the truck and survive being dragged behind until he can pull himself up the whip and climb into the back of the truck.

~ Once the Germans seize the boat he and Marion were on, taking her captive, he swims to the German submarine and manages to somehow use mind control or something to conveniently persuade the Captain to make the voyage to the island ON TOP OF THE WATER AT PERISCOPE DEPTH!

~ Indy purposely bumps into Belloq in the submarine bay dressed like a Nazi and Belloq doesn't recognze him.

~ The Nazis just happen to have a desert island nearby that looks amazingly like R2D2 canyon from Star Wars, and also happens to have an altar and stone steps just waiting in case they have a religious ceremony to perform.

~ The Ark kills the Nazis by Exploding one head, Imploding the other, Melting another (but not his glasses), punches light beams out through the bodies of the troops, engulfs the entire altar and surrounding area in flames, and Indiana Jones and Marion are tied up and saved because they shut their eyes. (Rolls Eyes)

Don't get me wrong, I love RAIDERS, and it is still by far the best in the series - never to be rivaled, but if you start looking, "over the top" and "flaws" are all over the place.

[Scootch]

**** that sounds like a normal day for me bro! except for the basket.

[dutchy]

I am very curious about the movie...I have seen enough trailers and read a lot of comments. Definately gotta see in at the cinema..but 1st went to see this man in action..

Also IMHO a great piece of work...

[ED209]

I'm SOOOO conflicted!

....and you guys aren't helping me any.

Hmmmm...pay for the ticket, or wait for the video?...pay for the ticket, or wait for the video...

[ED209]

I am very curious about the movie...I have seen enough trailers and read a lot of comments. Definately gotta see in at the cinema..but 1st went to see this man in action..

Also IMHO a great piece of work...

And YES!...THIS is probably the best Marvel film to date.

[ED209]

OK . . . Let's examine Raiders of the Lost Ark for a moment.

IF you really want to nit-pick movies and what was bad or over the top, let's examine:

~ Indy whips the gun out of one of his guides hands as he tries to steal the map pieces, and then lets the other guide back him up as he enters the cave!! WTF?

~ He goes into a cave and stays clear of, and then activates a booby-trap triggered by a light beam being broken?? Pretty out there for a tribal booby-trap!

~ He carefully walks to the golden "Idol of Painful Childbirth" on the stone altar, avoiding the trigger stones in the floor which spew poison darts from the walls. Then, when the walls start falling after he takes the idol, he RUNS OUT, hitting every one of the trigger stones! Arrows fly from the walls and NONE hit him. PLEASE!

~ He is chased by a 10-12 foot diameter "boulder" that was cut by South American natives to be PERFECTLY SMOOTH AND ROUND!

~ He swings on a vine and jumps into the river water, escaping from the blowgun darts and arrows shot from the native warriors who stand on the banks, just above him, on the high ground.

~ He just "happens" to have a huge bible with a picture of the Ark of the Covenant in it when the government agents question him.

~ Marion manages to drink a local under the table and still function perfectly.

~ In the marketplace fight, the "man" skewered by a sword (with fruit on the blade behind his back) is clearly a dummy.

~ Marion runs into a doorway with a frying pan mere feet in front of her pursuer wielding a dagger and manages to take him out with the pan. BONK!

~ Marion hides in a basket and is ratted out by the "Nazi Monkey" when the human Nazis miss the fact that she is in there!

~ The truck carrying the explosives and "Marion's Basket" blows up and turns over on its' side. If you look closely at the bottom of the truck just after it turns over, you can see the section of telephone pole that was fired down through the floor to get it to flip in the scene. BAD EDITING

~ Indy holds a stick up in the Well of Souls and the sun makes yet another light beam into a laser or some kind of pointer beam that shows the location of the ark amid a blinding flare.

~ Indy manages to back away from a Cobra or Asp he has fallen face to face with, without being bitten.

~ Marion has a dance with the dead which are clearly fake mummies.

~ Once Indy overtakes the convoy on horseback, he manages to be thrown through the windshield across the hood, slide down under the truck, grab hold of some phantom bar with no automotive function that runs all the way to the back, hooks his whip handle under the truck and survive being dragged behind until he can pull himself up the whip and climb into the back of the truck.

~ Once the Germans seize the boat he and Marion were on, taking her captive, he swims to the German submarine and manages to somehow use mind control or something to conveniently persuade the Captain to make the voyage to the island ON TOP OF THE WATER AT PERISCOPE DEPTH!

~ Indy purposely bumps into Belloq in the submarine bay dressed like a Nazi and Belloq doesn't recognze him.

~ The Nazis just happen to have a desert island nearby that looks amazingly like R2D2 canyon from Star Wars, and also happens to have an altar and stone steps just waiting in case they have a religious ceremony to perform.

~ The Ark kills the Nazis by Exploding one head, Imploding the other, Melting another (but not his glasses), punches light beams out through the bodies of the troops, engulfs the entire altar and surrounding area in flames, and Indiana Jones and Marion are tied up and saved because they shut their eyes. (Rolls Eyes)

Don't get me wrong, I love RAIDERS, and it is still by far the best in the series - never to be rivaled, but if you start looking, "over the top" and "flaws" are all over the place.

Thank you Mr. Grinch. Hey, my kids still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny...want to come over and destroy their dreams too?

I feel like I just lost part of my childhood.

[Murphoid]

I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but there are a few explanations to the following:

~ He just "happens" to have a huge bible with a picture of the Ark of the Covenant in it when the government agents question him.

Being a professor of archeology, I would imagine that owning a huge, old Bible wouldn't be too far-fetched, and many older Bibles have illustrations.

~ Marion hides in a basket and is ratted out by the "Nazi Monkey" when the human Nazis miss the fact that she is in there!

Nazi Monkey could have watched her get into the basket. After all, he wasn't with the human Nazis. It is a very convenient plot point, though, so I'll give you that.

~ The truck carrying the explosives and "Marion's Basket" blows up and turns over on its' side. If you look closely at the bottom of the truck just after it turns over, you can see the section of telephone pole that was fired down through the floor to get it to flip in the scene. BAD EDITING

Lots of movies suffer from poor editing. Gladiator had a certain incident where a chariot gets turned over and you can clearly see the Co2 tanks that was used to blow it to one side.

~ Indy manages to back away from a Cobra or Asp he has fallen face to face with, without being bitten.

Good karma?

~ Marion has a dance with the dead which are clearly fake mummies.

Real mummies are a tad fragile.

~ Once Indy overtakes the convoy on horseback, he manages to be thrown through the windshield across the hood, slide down under the truck, grab hold of some phantom bar with no automotive function that runs all the way to the back, hooks his whip handle under the truck and survive being dragged behind until he can pull himself up the whip and climb into the back of the truck.

Said phantom bar was likely part of the truck's grill. There are points underneath a vehicle for Indy to grab hold of, as long as the part wasn't moving, and he wasn't drug behind for that long.

~ Once the Germans seize the boat he and Marion were on, taking her captive, he swims to the German submarine and manages to somehow use mind control or something to conveniently persuade the Captain to make the voyage to the island ON TOP OF THE WATER AT PERISCOPE DEPTH!

This one's easy: Nazi crewman #143 forgot to lock the hatch! Indy just slipped into the sub and stowed away. Would be kinda cramped to stow away in, though.

~ The Ark kills the Nazis by Exploding one head, Imploding the other, Melting another (but not his glasses), punches light beams out through the bodies of the troops, engulfs the entire altar and surrounding area in flames, and Indiana Jones and Marion are tied up and saved because they shut their eyes. (Rolls Eyes)

Power o' God, mate. According to the Bible, Moses had to wear a veil whilst God spoke through him to the Israelites to keep them from seeing the face of God, which would either blind them, or kill them. To be honest, I can't quite remember. Anyhow, I'd imagine that and the Raiders scene are related.

My take on it is this: Despite however fake or impossible the original Indy trilogy was, they were still believable, and somehow still is to me, to this day. Indy 4, while a fun ride, wasn't.