Indytastic!!!

Indiana Jones 4 has the odds stacked against it. It needs to, all at once, satisfy a rabid fanbase that’s been waiting for this film for nineteen years, introduce a character to a new generation that wasn’t born when the last film came out, and move the franchise’s timeline to a new status quo that takes into account the age of its primary actor. That’s a tall order for any film, and in many ways, this film didn’t stand the chance. Having said all that, however, this film is loads of fun, and while it doesn’t really live up to the rest of the franchise, it’s a rollicking good time.

It’s 1957, nineteen years after the events of The Last Crusade. America is in the middle of the Cold War. A greaser named Mutt Williams asks a recently fired Indiana Jones to help him decipher a letter sent to him by a mutual friend. The letter reveals the location of the Crystal Skull, which according to legend will grant great power to whomever returns it to its rightful place. Indy and Mutt travel to Peru to figure out the puzzle, only to find that the Russians are after the same prize, and that there is more to the legend than meets the eye.

On the surface, there’s a lot to like about this film. It has all the elements of an Indiana Jones picture: big fights, crazy stunts, treasure, a villain with an accent, deathtraps, and a pretty big mystery. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go much deeper than that. The script is problematic, relying hard on big action-y moments to distract us from the lack of structure and character development. Throughout the entire film, you get a sense that you’re somehow missing something, like there’s a missing scene or a piece of dialogue that would help explain why we should care about certain characters or events. The film is littered with brief asides and disposable moments that only hint at the bigger picture that the film needed to paint.

But honestly, for the most part, you won’t be thinking about the script deficiencies. It’s Indiana Jones! He’s back! It’s hard to think about the weaknesses of the plot when Indy is jumping from one truck to another, punching out Communists. If there’s one thing this film got right, it’s the action. It’s all very exciting and very well done, capturing the high adventure feel of the earlier films. Spielberg definitely knows his stuff, and combined with the classic John Williams score, the charm is undeniable. It’s also worth noting that Spielberg brought Janusz Kaminski along to shoot this film, making this the prettiest film in the series.

Harrison Ford is still a great leading man, providing a charisma and a physicality that seems to be lacking in today’s stars. His Indiana Jones, while older, is still every bit the same action hero, and Ford seems to be having a great time playing him. Shia LeBeouf does a pretty decent job against Ford, but his character, Mutt Williams, isn’t really fleshed out enough to be a showcase for his skills. By far, Cate Blanchett is the best thing about this film. She makes a truly engaging villain, and you end up wanting to see more of her. It’s also a joy to see Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood again, and she seems to feel that joy, too. The cast also features stalwarts like Jim Broadbent and John Hurt, though their involvement is pretty minimal.

At times, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull feels like it started a punch line without giving us the joke. The film seems content to just get by on the strength of its property, without really giving us the meat that say, Raiders of the Lost Ark did. It’s a good thing, then, that the property really is that strong, and that Indiana Jones is still one of the best characters to ever grace the silver screen. And for all the script weaknesses, there’s enough skill behind the camera to distract you from all of it. My advice: turn off for a bit, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride. Just don’t expect it to be Raiders.