INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

US, 2008, 123 minutes, Colour.
Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia La Beouf, John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Once upon a time (well, 1981 to be precise), the world discovered a new hero who indulged in jaw-dropping adventures but always with a genial tone and the advantage of being the embodiment of good against evil. Steven Spielberg, working from characters invented by Star Wars creator, George Lucas, created an icon. Harrison Ford wowed everyone as Indiana Jones. Two sequels later, everyone knew Indiana Jones with his characteristic hat and whip and John Williams’ rousing score.

It does seem odd that it took Spielberg and co twenty years to come up with another sequel, especially since Harrison Ford had a big disadvantage. At the time of filming, he was 65.

One way out of this problem was to place it centre screen, so in this new adventure, there are a lot of references to age (he is called ‘gramps’ and his age is guessed at 80!). There are also lots of references to
the past and he is not as agile as he used to be. Karen Allen turns up again after 27 years and has a surprise for him in the form of young Shia La Boeuf, though his identity will surprise no one except Indiana Jones himself.

The new adventures take up the spirit of the old except that we are in the 1950s, nuclear tests are taking place in the American desert and, surprisingly, a group of Russians turns up to take over the base. But, their leader, Irina Spalko from Ukraine, described as Stalin’s favourite scientist though her field is more psychological than physics, is more interested in some relics which came from Roswell and could lead to a close encounter of yet another kind. She is played, broken English accent and all, by Cate Blanchett making a claim to be a mid-20th century Fu Manchu (with some skills in fencing and martial arts as well).

The search for the El Dorado where the crystal skull comes from takes them to the jungles of Peru and a hidden city (which reminds us that there have been several National Treasure movies recently). On the way there is a long and adrenalin-pumping chase with swordplay on the back of speeding vehicles and Mud (La Boeuf) swinging through the trees like Tarzan.

John Hurt is in the cast as a bewildered professor and Ray Winstone as a double (or triple) agent.

Box office suggests that an eager world has been waiting a long time for the new Indiana Jones adventure. It will be interesting to see whether it is more than nostalgia from older audiences or whether he captures the younger moviegoers.

1.The popularity of the Indiana Jones films? The stories, adventures, the exotic nature of the action, the personality of Indiana Jones?

2.The effect of the films in the 1980s? The twenty-year gap for this film? Jokes about age, Indiana Jones as eighty, old man, Gramps? His strength, the near-misses and his miscalculating some of his action …?

3.The American action, to South America? The American deserts and the nuclear tests? The jungle, the trees, the falls, the monkeys, ants?

4.The special effects for chases, fights, explosions, the waterfalls, the ants, the kingdom of the aliens, the crystals, the aliens themselves? The overall impact?

5.John Williams’ rousing score and its familiarity?

6.The setting, the 1950s, the clash with the Russians, the Cold War? Russians in the United States, the communist scare? The nuclear testing? The Russians and the taking over of the American station? The search for the box, Indiana Jones and Mac? The Roswell connections, the aliens? Indiana Jones and his past friendship and working with Mac? The betrayal? Mac and the bet about getting out of the problem, going into action, the fights, the awkwardness? Using the gunpowder as a magnet to find the box?

7.Irina, Cate Blanchett, her look, accent, from the Ukraine? Stalin’s favourite scientist, psychic? In command? Her management of the soldiers, of her henchmen? Her power for reading minds – but Indiana Jones being difficult? Her goal with getting the crystal skull?

8.The university, Indiana Jones and his lectures, the grilling by the FBI and their suspicions, especially because of Mac? Indiana Jones’s academic friend, his being fired, the friend’s resignation?

9.The letter from Marion, Mutt and his bringing it to Indiana Jones, on the bike like Marlon Brando as The Wild One, the train at the station? The FBI shadowing them? The letter from Marion, the document from Ox and the symbols?

10.The trip to South America, showing on the map, going to Peru? Ox and the effect of the skull on him, losing his mind, mesmerised? Milton’s poetry and the quotes? The maps, Ox drawing? Marion and her presence, the truth about her relationship with Indiana Jones, Mudd as his son? Her marriage afterwards, Indiana Jones not keeping contact? The shock for Mudd? The explanations?

11.Irina, going to South America, with her henchmen, trying to get the knowledge from Ox?

12.The expedition, the long sequence of the chases, the quicksand and the help (and Ox getting help from the Russians)? The serial atmosphere and cliff-hangers? The trucks, the fights, the skull and Ox holding it, losing it, getting it back? The rapier fight between Mudd and Irina? The ants, Mudd and his swinging through the trees like Tarzan?

13.Irina, her persistence, following? Her skills, her martial arts skills?

14.Marion, driving over the falls, the three falls to get to the kingdom, their survival?

15.Going into the kingdom, the various keys, the obelisk, the chambers? The series of statues of crystal? Restoring the head?

16.Mac, leaving clues for Irina, being a triple agent, his greed in collecting the gold, his death?

17.The skulls, the aliens from Roswell, close encounters, the statues uniting into one power, Irina and her wanting the knowledge, making the plea, being taken up by the aliens?

18.The escape, the hole, the water, getting to the surface?

19.The happy ending, the wedding, the happiness for Indiana, for Marion? Mudd standing by? Wanting to get Indiana’s hat? Ox and the academic friend happy at the wedding? The possibilities for more sequels …?