In honor of Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls and my intense nostalgia for a series that influenced my childhood in many ways, this week's blog is all about the amazing archaeologist. Don't worry, there are absolutely no spoilers for the last film!
Raiders of the Lost Ark
No film will ever be better than Raiders. Now that this fact has been established, we can move on. I can watch this film over and over again. It established Dr. Indiana Jones as the coolest professor on the planet, even though no one but Marcus Brody and Sallah know he is cool. It's been said before, but let me reiterate: this movie changed the action/adventure genre forever. Every film wants to be Raiders and none ever will. The McGuffin at the beginning is classic, as is Indy's escape from a large boulder. Indy's vulnerability comes through loud and clear when he comments that it's not the years but the mileage. This is a hero with cuts and bruises. The romance with Marion is brilliant and the on-screen chemistry utterly believable. Marion is a strong woman who falls in love with a strong man. Will they live happily ever after? It really doesn't matter because they go off into the sunset together at the end and that's all we want. Oh, and the effects rock out! When The Rock, at the Oscars, blamed Spielburg and Lucas for nightmares after watching the head-melting scene, I completely understood. I remember lying in bed after seeing Raiders thinking about that final Nazi scene. It was thanks to this film that I created the mantra that would get me through my early horror-viewing years: "It's only make believe." I would repeat this to myself over and over until I fell asleep. After all these years, Raiders still surprises me with its brilliance and still makes me smile.
Temple of Doom
Most people consider Doom to be their least favorite of the trilogy. I disagree. Tomb is its own film and should be thought of in that way. It's a different genre, one that deals with serious colonialism and child abuse. Once you get past the silly dinner of monkey brains and eyeball soup, you have a interesting comment on the state of the world and how one culture always seeks to dominate another for no good reason at all. I mean, really. Is the world of Mola Ram and his search for the three Sankara stones all that different from Bush's search for WMDs? This film has its flaws: Willie and Indy don't have the Marion/Indy mojo and Short Round is an odd addition. But in the end, it's Spielburg and Lucas's comment on the world that matters. Life sucks in some places and we need to do what we can to lessen oppression and facism.
Last Crusade
Let's get it out in the open right now. If it weren't for Sean Connery, this film wouldn't be as good as it is. The banter between Indy and Henry is what makes Crusade sparkle. For three films Spielburg and Lucas have set up this daring, brilliant archaeologist who can beat everyone, even Nazis. And then you put him in a film opposite his father - James Bond, no less - and you finally find someone who can beat Indy. The idea of seeking the Holy Grail is interesting. The film is also a nod to the first film: Sallah returns and there's the humorous line in the catacombs when Dr. Schneider asks Indy if he's sure the drawing on the wall is the Ark. But at its heart, this film is about a father and son reuniting as adults in an adventure of their own. It's a grown-up film about grown-up issues and it makes you want to call your parents. Of course, the best moment in the entire film is when we learn Indy's real name.
Crystal Skulls
I will admit that this film is not the film you'll want it to be. It is not Raiders, but then I've already established that no film will ever be Raiders. Instead, Skulls is a nod to Indy's life-long fans. It is a running in-joke of the first three films. It reunites Marion and Indy and their chemistry has not dulled. They pick back up as if they never left off. The introduction of Shia LaBeouf as Mutt is a fun addition that not only will connect to a younger audience but does not burden the film (unlike the aforementioned Short Round). Mutt is not a youth for youth's sake but an important element of the storyline. He propels the action as much as anyone else. The film is tongue-in-cheek and rather silly in places. But then again, so were the 50s pulp comics. The Indy series is based on movie cliffhangers and pulp comics and those changed tone in the 1950s after WWII. It is only right that Skulls would do the same for the Indy saga. That said, the storyline in terms of the crystal skulls is a bit far-fetched and kind of lame. But again, this film is more about creating an end for the fans than giving the fans a deep, brilliant story to follow. Go. Buy some popcorn. Have fun. Laugh a lot. Revel in the fact that Spielburg and Lucas have shown Indy and Marion, warts and all. Then go home and rewatch the original trilogy. It will be a day well spent.
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8 comments:
nice tribute to Indy however I have to disagree on the Temple of Doom movie. I positively HATED that movie. Luv'd the first movie, luv'd the third. HATED the 2nd. It felt akward and forced and every one in the movie felt horribly out of whack to me. Hated Kate Capshaw, hated Short Round and his annoying voice (I also immensely disliked this actor in the Goonies), hated the dinner scene, hated Kate Capshaw's obnoxious character oops! I already said that!) and I hated all those dirty little kids running around.
Reagarding Chrystal Skull, I enjoyed it; Chris was not a big fan. I loved the fact that Indy acted his age in this movie. He didn't play an aging character trying to act like a 20-year old. I enjoyed Shia LeBeouf's character as well (luv'd him in Transformers!). I thought it was well done; a little far fetched at times but well done nonetheless.
People have really strong opinions about Doom, especially coming on the heels of the brilliance of Raiders. Glad you liked Skulls, though! I agree that it was done well.
The new Indy: thoroughly enjoyable, like reuniting with an old friend. And yet, the skull legend etc. was pretty darn cheesy. I also didn't like how the action was taken into way-too-over-the-top territory like most modern action flicks.
But I loved the beginning parts especially (warehouse, motorcycle chase), and pretty much any dialogue scene with Harrison Ford. Cate Blanchett is great too.
Doom is also my least favorite, but because I was just at the right age when it was released, I still have some nostalgia for it. The nightclub scene is awesome too. mmm . . Indy in tux.
Speaking of indie (cinema that is) we went to see the movie we almost saw when you came to visit. If The Visitors comes to OH go see it. Priceless was very good but The Visitor is the far superior film!
Will do, Matt. I really want to see it in the theaters since it's getting such excellent buzz.
I rented Anthony Hopkins's "Slipstream" and finally got around to watching it last night. I made it through 10 minutes before turning it off. "Day Watch" made more sense to me than "Slipstream." How sad is that?
OK, back to "Indy," not "indie."
I rewatched Raiders and Crusade over the weekend and saw Crystal Skull too. Like Valerie, I never liked Temple of Doom! I want to watch that again too but that was definitely the lowest priority.
Heather, I agree with you that the film "deals with serious colonialism and child abuse"? But here's the problem: This is an Indiana Jones movie, for crying out loud! It is supposed to a fun thrill ride, not a commentary on serious world issues. What heavy world issues are in Raiders/Crusade/Skull? Nazis and hard-core Russian Commies are BAD, yes. But Indy doesn't go into the details of what the Nazis or Russians actually did. They are stock villains who make sense to us because of the impressions we already have of Nazis and Russians. When I watch Indiana Jones, I want to be entertained, period. While you may be right that Spielberg intended Temple to deal with heavy issues, maybe that's why so many people dislike it.
I still don't get why so many people dislike Crusade, though. It's the closest in content and tone to Raiders. Even Donovan is basically a stand-in for Belloq--a greedy non-German whose alliance with the Nazis is his undoing. (Hmm...this character is in Skull too!) The banter between Indy and his father is the best part, definitely, but it's also a change of pace to have the team of Sallah and Marcus Brody as well. I don't think Marcus comes off as the idiot that some critics believe the movie makes him out to be. Marcus is barely IN Raiders to establish that kind of solid persona. Plus, the point of Marcus is to be the anti-Indy. He's intellectual who is OUT of his element once he's off the college campus, unlike Indy.
I liked Crystal Skull. Let's face it, even back in college we always guessed at the general plot that a fourth Indy film would have in terms of his family--so it's nice to see that realized. Shia was a surprisingly good addition. I would have liked to see a little buildup to Marion though. It's like, they run into each other again and boom--it's back on! For example, he could have had a picture of her on his desk, or he could have said to Jim Broadbent, "Well...there was really only one woman for me..." Just something to show that he was still thinking of her after so long. But that's minor.
The plot did get a little thick, particularly the last fifteen minutes or so (minus the very last scene). Without giving too much away, you could have had a link shown between the natives and the "others," without such an overdone scenario. The end was just a little too much.
But given how the new Star Wars trilogy turned out, I'm just glad that Spielberg and Lucas didn't ruin the fourth Indy!
A tip: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles are now out on DVD. Rent them. They are better than you might remember. The cinematography and the money that went into those shows is very impressive. Plus, the DVDs have extensive documentaries that go along with every episode.
I want to start renting the Chronicles. I remember enjoying them but never feeling attached like I do to the films. It will be fun to rewatch them.
Jennica, I really like what you said about Marcus. He is the consummate academic in the ivory tower. But yet he has his own purpose in the narrative, and not just for comic relief. I did miss Sallah, though, not that there was any place for him in this film.
I wonder what Sean Connery's role would have been had he agreed to do the film. It would have been fun for him to arrive at the end but I'm glad he gets a few mentions.
And I really like that there is so much focus on Indy's "real" name in Skulls. It was such a revelation at the end of Crusade but yet he would have used it in his academic life before Indy. To have so many people call him Henry really worked in Skulls. I think it helped demonstrate that this film is about his growing old and being less of an adventurer.
As I rewatched the film last evening, I was enjoying more of the lines this time. Wendi pointed out the excellent line Jim Broadbent says at the beginning about being at the point in their lives when things are taken away rather than given. Spielburg, Lucas, and Ford are all at that stage in their lives yet they choose to make a film where such a sentiment is turned around. Indy gets more than he loses here. I think that says something about the futility of counting years and the enjoyment of living life, which is a great message.
Sean Connery could have come in at the end a la "Robin Hood": "Hold! I speak." (Plus, the same "event" is happening at the end of both movies. Hope that's not too much of a spoiler!)
Actually, it kind of makes sense that Henry Sr. wouldn't have been in the new movie. If you figure that there is about 20 years difference between Crusade and Skull The years show in Indy, so his father would have to be significantly older as well. It makes more sense that his father might have died by this point in time.
Interestingly, Sean Connery is only 13 years older than Harrison Ford!
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