Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Shia LaBeouf. Written by David Koepp. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Older and slower, our intrepid hero is now on a quest to find a mythical ornament that may contain mystical powers. Of course, there are always others seeking what Indy seeks. Thus begins another Saturday morning action adventure, with some old faces and some new adding to the excitement.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Recently I screened an Indiana Jones-like film coming out later this summer. I gave it a positive review, all the while knowing it didn’t have the same panache as a Spielberg/Lucas treasure exploring adventure. And the reason is not just that Mr. Spielberg’s company has more money or more know-how. That goes without saying. But there’s an added ingredient – a love of film. Oh, I suspect most filmmakers love their work, but George Lucas (here, producing) and Steven Spielberg have an all-consuming love affair with cinematic storytelling. Here’s how they display that affection. Both look at each aspect of the job and fine-tune it. Then they stand back and ask, “Now, how can we make it even better?” Then they do.

There is one small problem with their most recent action love fest. There’s nothing new in it. Indy (Harrison Ford) is now a sexagenarian, so except for the sequences dominated by Mr. Ford’s body double/stunt man, the action is just the teensiest bit slower. He uses that whip a lot and each derring-do feat seems a replay of those already done time and time again.

I’m grateful that the filmmakers have allowed older actors such as Mr. Ford and Ms. Allen to play central characters in a summer blockbuster. But they don’t do anything or say anything they didn’t 25 years ago. That said, the attending audience didn’t seem to mind that it was a mere retread of exploits past. Nor did they object to the convoluted, somewhat silly premise, or the film’s Titanic-like length. They were nostalgic and delighted with the humor and the magic as if seeing it for the first time.

Best scene: Indy finds himself in the middle of an atomic bomb testing site – with seemingly no place to hide before the blast.

Best death-defying stunt: Indy and his young charge are on a motorcycle, having to defend themselves against a carload of Russian spies. The sequence has Indy pulled off the back of the bike into the car, then escaping by exiting the opposite window back onto the fleeting cycle. It drew applause.

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

1 comments:

I didn't like this movie and disagree with you. I didn't find nothing in this movie and have felt that its a bad option as I wasted my time on this sucking movie.
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March 3, 2011 at 5:56:00 AM PST  

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