Well having recently rewatched the original Indy trilogy, I decided it was finally time to give the 4th one another chance (having not watched it all the way through since since seeing it in theaters 6 years ago).
And it's still just as bad as ever.
I tried to approach it with as open a mind as possible, and I admit the first 30 minutes are actually pretty good (fridge scene included). But after that it just goes completely off the rails. The movie has a whole host of problems (the aimless storytelling, the cartoonish action, etc), but for me the two absolute BIGGEST are:
-- The central premise. Whether supernatural or no, I can at least buy the Ark of the Covenant, Sankara Stones, and Holy Grail as being real historical artifacts that might be buried deep under the desert or hidden away somewhere... but a crystal alien skull? Not for a second. And the fact Spielberg makes the movie such a cheesy, lighthearted romp, and barely even tries to ground the idea like he did with the other objects, certainly doesn't help. Every time Indy holds the skull next to him, it still looks just as ridiculous to me now as it did 6 years ago.
-- Indy himself. He starts out feeling somewhat recognizable in the first 30 minutes, but after that he suddenly becomes this... incredibly dull and boring fuddy duddy. Who's all about telling kids to pursue their dreams and stay in school, and who bickers with Marion like just another boring, put-upon husband. I mean, seriously?
I get that he's older, but by no means does this feel even remotely like how you imagine the gritty, hard-edged Indy of Raiders and TOD to be in their later years (or even the somewhat softer Indy of Crusade). And Marion is even less recognizable, doing nothing but grin like an idiot or gaze longingly at Indy for the entire movie.
I realize Spielberg didn't have much choice when it came to the crystal skull, but you'd think he'd at least try harder to get Indy and Marion right.
Ok, sorry, just had to get all that off my chest.
And it's still just as bad as ever.
I tried to approach it with as open a mind as possible, and I admit the first 30 minutes are actually pretty good (fridge scene included). But after that it just goes completely off the rails. The movie has a whole host of problems (the aimless storytelling, the cartoonish action, etc), but for me the two absolute BIGGEST are:
-- The central premise. Whether supernatural or no, I can at least buy the Ark of the Covenant, Sankara Stones, and Holy Grail as being real historical artifacts that might be buried deep under the desert or hidden away somewhere... but a crystal alien skull? Not for a second. And the fact Spielberg makes the movie such a cheesy, lighthearted romp, and barely even tries to ground the idea like he did with the other objects, certainly doesn't help. Every time Indy holds the skull next to him, it still looks just as ridiculous to me now as it did 6 years ago.
-- Indy himself. He starts out feeling somewhat recognizable in the first 30 minutes, but after that he suddenly becomes this... incredibly dull and boring fuddy duddy. Who's all about telling kids to pursue their dreams and stay in school, and who bickers with Marion like just another boring, put-upon husband. I mean, seriously?
I get that he's older, but by no means does this feel even remotely like how you imagine the gritty, hard-edged Indy of Raiders and TOD to be in their later years (or even the somewhat softer Indy of Crusade). And Marion is even less recognizable, doing nothing but grin like an idiot or gaze longingly at Indy for the entire movie.
I realize Spielberg didn't have much choice when it came to the crystal skull, but you'd think he'd at least try harder to get Indy and Marion right.
Ok, sorry, just had to get all that off my chest.
