When the news came out that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were teaming up again for another Indiana Jones, fans from around the world exploded of excitement knowing that the ultimate action adventure hero was coming back, but at the same time there was sense of worry that the new film would not meet the standards of previous installments of the franchise. I’m just here to tell you that nineteen years after ” The Last Crusade” Indiana Jones is back in “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. Bringing back the mystery, the action, the adventure and comedy that will show movie goers the excitement of a true action adventure film.
Going into the film, like many Indiana Jones fans there were some things that I was looking forward to see in this new chapter of franchise. What would be the feeling watching the film? Would I believe I’m watching an Indiana Jones movie? Those question were answered 20 minutes into the movie. It was very relaxing to see that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg did not try to deviate from what has made Indiana Jones an iconic action adventure hero.
In terms of special effects like it was expected they have evolved. The old stun scenes are gone and the used of CGI is more evident in this new installment, This innovative technology gave Lucas and Spielberg the ability to create more impressive scenes. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to diminished the special effects from the previous films, but it was nice to see an Indiana Jones movie made with use of new computer technology. The signature of Lucas can be easily appreciated in some of the scenes. Like the car chase scene around the cliff of the mountain. So don’t expect to see to many regular stuns like the old days.
The approach taking by Lucas and Spielberg when it came to the character creation and casting for the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was just what the fans were hoping and that we haven’t seeing since “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Bringing back Karen Allen character was something that was missing in “The Last Crusade” and Temple of Doom”. She was part of what gave “Raiders of the Lost Ark” special flavor, But the ice on the cake was Cate Blanchett who played in my opinion the best villain of the franchise. It was amazing to see her transformed into a Russian leader. The only worry that I had with the casting was the idea of having Shia LaBeouf in the film as Indiana sidekick. I didn’t want to see another annoying “Temple of Doom” Short Round, but since the beginning is very clear that he it is not.
This 2 Disc Edition of the film is loaded with special features, with the bests of all being the “Pre-Production” and “Production Diary” featurettes. Some people will be disappointed because of the lack of commentaries.
Release Date: October 14, 2008