Indiana Jones the Redux

It's hard to believe that it has been NINETEEN whole years since the last Indiana Jones film. I just watched the new movie in a packed house in a theatre on Michigan Avenue and although I was fundamentally underwhelmed, I was still quite satisfied after the two hour joyride.

The Indiana Jones films are a great homage to old treasure-hunting epics from yesteryear. They're cartoonish at their core, but it doesn't seem to matter with all the kinetics onscreen. Be forewarned, "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" is a movie you leave your brain at the door for. I can barely tell you what this movie was about, except that a crystal skull, aliens, and the Soviets somehow combined to make a barely coherent plot. Does it matter?

No in fact, because the frenetic action distracts from the ridiculous plot. In this regard, the motorcycle scene and the jungle chase scene were excellently done, but the latter suffered from overuse of CGI. However, given that this was produced by George Lucas, I can't say I'm surprised by this. Regardless, accepting that Shia Labeuf can swing on vines a la Tarzan, land miraculously back in Indy's vehicle, and ostensibly command an army of CG monkeys to attack Cate Blanchett's character is an arduous task indeed. In fact, now that I think about it, I believe that one's enjoyment of this film is directly proportional to how easily one can stomach the droll scenes and deus ex machina moments in the plot.

Another niggling problem I had with this film was its tendency to be too self-referential. I think this is a common problem with movies that go beyond the conventional trilogy and then 20 years later are resurrected (eg-Rambo, Rocky). The directors and producers try to strike a balance between breaking new ground and hearkening back to the roots of the franchise. In my view, this movie erred by hewing too close to that latter, nostalgic route. Other than Shia's inclusion, everything is just too familiar for my taste.

The acting is over-the-top, but appropriate for a movie like this. Harrison Ford remains one of my favorite actors. All I need is some combination of sardonic grins and grumpy frowns from Harrison and I'm set for the rest of the movie. Cate Blanchett was a great villain and I must commend her on the excellent Ukrainian accent. Thumbs up for that, but thumbs down for that strange bob haircut. Shia Lawhatever consistently impresses me and will certainly be a blockbuster star in the near future.

Although this Indiana Jones falls well short of the original threesome of films, I was reasonably entertained and left wondering if there would be another Indiana Jones film. Perhaps the franchise will be further rejiggered with Shia as the successor to Indy? At 66 years old, Harrison Ford is only five years younger than John McCain, so one would hope if they had another film on the way that they would do it fast. I suppose then the next movie should be entitled "Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth"