Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

After 19 long years, Indiana Jones is back and better than ever. Well, maybe not. But he’s in a much better shape than pretty much everyone expected in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL. Creative forces George Lucas and Steven Spielberg reunite with star Harrison Ford and other familiar faces and images to bring Indy into the Cold War years and the 21st century world of filmmaking. While the adjustment is not an easy one to make, all the old-fashioned action and humor that made the old films so enduring is still mostly intact.

The year is 1957, and Indy finds himself caught up with the Soviets. They are led by ruthless Communist Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), who demands that Indiana help them locate an artifact known as a crystal skull- a mythic object that holds unknown powers. To say more about the plot would ruin the film’s many twist and turns. Suffice it to say has enough moments of humor, action and suspense to appease all of Indy’s loyal followers with a decidedly 1950s and early Spielberg mixed into the proceedings.

Thanks to the change in setting, the film contains quite a bit more apparent CGI work than the earlier films. It examines multiple forms of American culture in the 1950s, most notably the Red Scare and the weapons being developed to fight it. But Spielberg wisely balances the fake stuff with exhilaratingly real action that reminds us of what good movies used to be. A chase sequence featuring Ford and co-star Shia LaBoeuf on motorcycle outrunning a car of KGB agents is a particular standout, as is a fencing match between LaBoeuf and Blanchett across two speeding cars in the jungle. Spielberg once again proves that he is the master of action set pieces, eschewing modern trends and returning to what worked so well for him in the 1970s and 80s. And surprise, surprise- it’s just as exciting now as it was back then. As expected, every inch of the film is expertly constructed. This is Spielberg’s brightest and purely exhilarating film in at least ten years. The final moments of the climax are particularly stunning – it’s an ending only Spielberg could pull off. It’s his entire career come full circle.

Returning as the titular hero, Harrison Ford gives a more invigorated performance than he has in years. It’s peculiar that Ford’s freshest performance this decade comes from a character he created over 25 years ago, but here he proves once again why he is who he is. Balancing the heroic action with a surprisingly sharp sense of humor and some good-natured ribbing at his age, Ford is just as capable if not more so than he was in the first film. Karen Allen makes a delightful return as Marion after a four-year absence from the screen, even if she is a bit more wishy-washy than we remember. The supporting cast, including John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent, are all in fine form as well.

As with the technology, the film is just as much about the new as the old. This is most clearly shown with the presence of Shia LaBoeuf. From the moment he rolls on screen (literally) LaBoeuf’s infectiously likable performance as the greaser Mutt further solidifies his position as Hollywood’s new it actor. He proves himself as an able action star, pulling off the film’s most complex stunts and action sequences with charismatic goofiness. Spielberg and Lucas clearly wanted to shape Mutt into the next Indiana Jones – heroic but flawed. And they mostly succeeded.

There are only a few setbacks in the film; remarkable, considering how wrong things could have gone after nearly two decades of waiting. And aside from a CGI overload in the film’s finale, it superbly reconstructs the realistic, B-movie serial feeling that the original three films excelled at. In some cases, it even surpasses the other two sequels in its ability to create suspense through action and humor. In INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, Spielberg, Lucas and Ford prove they haven’t lost any of their magic and could easily continue the series without ruining a thing. Let’s just hope is doesn’t take 19 years next time.

***1/2/****