Indiana Jones and the blah blah Fail *SPOILERS*

I have watched the film again and enjoyed it more this time, I think my expectations we're too high.. the monkey and aliens bit was still poo though.
 
It's worth watching, but if you're expecting the 'magic' of the first 3 then you'll be disappointed.
I agree. A good film but doesn't match the magic of the first three. :)

Roll on number 5 :D
I've read on IMDb that Lucas and Spielberg signed a deal to make five Indy films. ;)

We then went off and starting trying to find the some rope for a whip to swing from the NCP car park in exeter. :D
:D

When that crappy Radio1 advert came on which seemed to last longer than an elephants lifetime I seriously considered walking out on the whole thing.
Oh good god yes! I remember wondering what on earth it was. Went on for ages. The last ad like that I saw at the cinema was that Romeo and Juliet ad for some jeans company or was it perfume? :confused:

Did anyone see the Ark in the box towards the end of the warehouse scene? :) After the truck smashed through the boxes. If you can remember, at the end of the raiders of the lost ark you see the guy pushing the boxed up ark into that warehouse.
I did. Don't think my mate did. :) Hope its a hint of the fifth film.
 
Could be a hint of another film, I just took it as a nod to the first film by acknowledging that they were in the same warehouse we see the ark being stored in at the end of Raiders.
Were we actually told that the ark was being stored at what I presume was Area 51? That is where this film started off yes?
 
Did a quick run down of why it was not as good as the others.

1) There were no moments from Indy where he was in a seriously bad situation where it could get no worse, and then it would..... and use that quirky nervous smile at that moment. He didn't do that in this, that magic was missing.
2) He was just plain old. I mean this in the plausible sense, for the 'simple' stuff. Like when he is running from 30 russian guys in a warehouse and he is climbing the boxes being shot at, he just LOOKS soooo slow, and you can't help but think... wtf... no way. And that was just the 'simple' stunts.
3) Shia (Mudd/Mutt?) didn't seem to put forward any of the "oh ****" Indy magic into his scenes like swinging through the trees on vines, or sword fighting. I like him as an actor but I think he played a weak part.
4) IMHO they didn't actually play any real jokes off his age.
5) I managed to glimpse some of a trailer first which always ruins it for me :(
6) Kate Blanchett sounded Ukrainian (spl?) not Russian, and kept slipping out of accent. (a bit like Harrison Ford did in 'The Widow Maker' playing a Russian captain). Secondly, as silly and daft as Indy films get, I just couldn't get into her character, she just didn't have that evil streak.
7) Why are there ALWAYS tyre marks left over on the floor when trying to do bike/car stunts from previous attempts at that stunt. You'd think they spend a little extra time and digitally remove them first. (ok, this is in just about every film... but still.. in 2008...get it right! :P)

I thought it was ok, but was left wanting. I would like to see it again I think just to get a second opinion. I really did think it was funny in parts, and laughed at the sand pit with snake bit. Although it was a bit stupid to say "get help", right when your being chased by the Russians. Yeah, right.. cos they'll be some friendly natives around....

Overall I'd like to give it a second chance... just at home.... on rental.

On the plus side, my wife absolutely loved it!

Matthew
p.s. You can tell I haven't seen the whole of raiders in a while as I didn't even realise until my wife told me, that it was the ark of the covenant that got smashed open, lol.
 
6) Kate Blanchett sounded Ukrainian (spl?) not Russian, and kept slipping out of accent. (a bit like Harrison Ford did in 'The Widow Maker' playing a Russian captain). Secondly, as silly and daft as Indy films get, I just couldn't get into her character, she just didn't have that evil streak.

Kate Blanchett's character was Ukrainian in the film.

But thinking back on it there wasn't much suspense parts like in the old film as already mentioned. Also I always thought the ark was stored in a Smithsonian museum warehouse.
 
But thinking back on it there wasn't much suspense parts like in the old film as already mentioned.

Yeh. Silly scenes aside, it was the complete lack of suspense that put the final nail in the coffin for me. I was either bored during Crystal Skull, or staring at the screen in open mouthed disbelief at how comically poor some of the scenes and dialogue were.

Just to make sure i'm not just getting to old and grumpy for movies like this, I watched the original 3 again over the weekend and feel doubly reasurred in my opinion. Tension, mystery, comedy - they all have it. Crystal Skull fails on all 3 counts.
 
Yeh. Silly scenes aside, it was the complete lack of suspense that put the final nail in the coffin for me. I was either bored during Crystal Skull, or staring at the screen in open mouthed disbelief at how comically poor some of the scenes and dialogue were.

Just to make sure i'm not just getting to old and grumpy for movies like this, I watched the original 3 again over the weekend and feel doubly reasurred in my opinion. Tension, mystery, comedy - they all have it. Crystal Skull fails on all 3 counts.

Yup, thats sums it up.
 
Did a quick run down of why it was not as good as the others.

1) There were no moments from Indy where he was in a seriously bad situation where it could get no worse, and then it would..... and use that quirky nervous smile at that moment. He didn't do that in this, that magic was missing.
2) He was just plain old. I mean this in the plausible sense, for the 'simple' stuff. Like when he is running from 30 russian guys in a warehouse and he is climbing the boxes being shot at, he just LOOKS soooo slow, and you can't help but think... wtf... no way. And that was just the 'simple' stunts.
3) Shia (Mudd/Mutt?) didn't seem to put forward any of the "oh ****" Indy magic into his scenes like swinging through the trees on vines, or sword fighting. I like him as an actor but I think he played a weak part.
4) IMHO they didn't actually play any real jokes off his age.
5) I managed to glimpse some of a trailer first which always ruins it for me :(
6) Kate Blanchett sounded Ukrainian (spl?) not Russian, and kept slipping out of accent. (a bit like Harrison Ford did in 'The Widow Maker' playing a Russian captain). Secondly, as silly and daft as Indy films get, I just couldn't get into her character, she just didn't have that evil streak.
7) Why are there ALWAYS tyre marks left over on the floor when trying to do bike/car stunts from previous attempts at that stunt. You'd think they spend a little extra time and digitally remove them first. (ok, this is in just about every film... but still.. in 2008...get it right! :P)

Those are pretty terrible reasons, to be honest.
 
An absolutely awful film. Whats happened to Spielberg? Was one of the most outstanding directors and innovator in the last 25+ years and has churned out this rubbish.
 
I'd blame Lucas more than Spielberg for any perceived lack of quality, I honestly think he could well be the luckiest man alive.

It's funny that people who liked it, liked it because they thought it was an Indy film (I'm in this crowd).

Those that didn't, disliked it because they thought it wasn't an Indy film.
 
There were several moments which were just totally unreasonable in what to be expected from the viewer:

- Surviving a nuclear bomb
- Surviving being pelted at +100mph across a desert in a fridge.
- Dueling on the cars
- Swinging with monkeys
- Crazy ants of doom
- Flying a car off a cliff and into a tree
- Surviving the waterfalls

Sure the other Jones films had ridiculous moments, but the above were just... stupid by any account. What made the old Jones films so great was action with a pinch of supernatural... not supernatural action.
 
There were several moments which were just totally unreasonable in what to be expected from the viewer:

- Surviving a nuclear bomb
- Surviving being pelted at +100mph across a desert in a fridge.
- Dueling on the cars
- Swinging with monkeys
- Crazy ants of doom
- Flying a car off a cliff and into a tree
- Surviving the waterfalls

Sure the other Jones films had ridiculous moments, but the above were just... stupid by any account. What made the old Jones films so great was action with a pinch of supernatural... not supernatural action.
All those are basically fact, I don't think anyone could dispute that.

So it really just comes down to whether or not they actually bothered you enough to stop enjoying the film. They didn't for me, but then I have as little control over my taste as anyone else does.
 
So it really just comes down to whether or not they actually bothered you enough to stop enjoying the film. They didn't for me, but then I have as little control over my taste as anyone else does.

It did for me because Indiana Jones isn't supposed to be a superhero.

Aliens was a bit far out, but its far more stupid to change the laws of physics and 'dumb luck' than create something supernatural from scratch.
 
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Aye, can't argue with any of it tbh, they're clearly present. Can only say that I enjoyed the film despite those, can certainly see why they would be too much for some.
 
There's a lot of people who would have given Crystal Skull the thumbs up as long as Harison Ford was in it and wearing a hat.

So it really just comes down to whether or not they actually bothered you enough to stop enjoying the film. They didn't for me, but then I have as little control over my taste as anyone else does.

Fair enough. These scenes wouldn't have made it into the original movies, though, and are what make Crystal Skull appear so removed from the series. It's like a entirely new spin on the Indiana Jones formula - Indy is now invincible and can beat up a truck full of AK weilding Russian soldiers with his bare hands, and in just a matter of seconds!
 
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