(Warning: this is more of a rant than a review and it contains some pseudo-spoilers.)
I know it's been a week since the new Indiana Jones movie was released, but it has me still scratching my head. Mainly because I like it and I don't like it at the same time.
I just don't know what to think about it.
Ultimately, the movie has some good aspects. It was nostalgic for the original trilogy; that was good.
It still has the anti-hero common man that we all love to root for (even though we know he will win in the end; really, we ought to root for the villains since they don't stand a chance against Indy); that was good.
There was plenty of smart-ass humor and comedic elements in the action scenes (snake-rope anyone?); that was also good.
Also good: the film stayed true to Indy's character as it was in the first three installments. It was even interesting to find out what Indy had been up to over the last 20 years (international espionage, anyone?; somewhat gratuitous, but it makes sense considering Indy's character and his being so well-traveled).
All this was good. But . . .
Did it seem to anyone else that Spielberg & Lucas relied too heavily on BIG SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER themes and devices (see: aliens and extremely unlikely action scenes)? Did anyone else cringe and/or groan during the "swinging-from-the-vines scene" or the "incredibly-huge-series-of-waterfalls scene" or the "bushes-to-the-balls-while- straddling-two-jeeps-while-moving-at-high-speed-and-sword-fighting scene"?
Maybe all that was in lieu of having to actually write a really good movie?
Did anyone think that maybe the movie's title should have been "Indiana Jones and the Big Adventure You've Seen Before Along With Hints That We Will Try To Recreate The Franchise With a Young Actor Who We Hope Will Fill Harrison Ford's Shoes!"?
I don't know why I was expecting something better. I'm not even sure it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Hell, I might have even liked it . . .
. . . I just don't know.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2008.