"Indiana Jones" review

I love Indiana Jones. The treasure hunt, the action, the bugs and snakes and gross-out effects...the movies are chock-filled with the kind of stuff that a little boy like me loves. I was four when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released, and though I don't remember when I first saw the movie, I do remember watching the creepy ark-opening scene with terrified delight as the ethereal floating angels transformed into horrific ghouls, right before the army of Nazis had rays of light shoved through their chests and fake-looking heads melted and exploded.

I remember buying the VHS of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom from Penee Arnett at a summertime garage sale when I was probably eight or nine. It was only the second VHS our family owned at that point (the other was Cinderella), and we watched it over and over. Austin Arnett, Johnny Anderson and I envisioned filming our own version of the movie's climactic cliff-side escape on our local church pavilion's fireplace ledge (a dream which faded when we realized we wouldn't be able to find an effective rope bridge...).

In 1989, I pleaded with my dad relentlessly to take the family to the Pioneer Twin Drive-in to see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. As our game father so often did, he caved and packed us all into the suburban to go watch Indy cross the globe with his own estranged father. The movie itself was a near-perfect mix of humor and adventure. Coupled with my very favorite people in the world (my family), it was probably the most fun I can remember having at the movies.

Obviously I brought a great deal of nostalgia with me today as I sat in a crowded theater to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I don't know if I really even cared whether or not the movie was particularly good; what I was looking for was the chance to reconnect with the spirit of summers past. The chance to escape to a world where good and evil are black and white, and where the good guys always win. The chance to see exotic places and impossible sights. The chance to forget about all the adventures I haven't taken by living vicariously through someone else's. In those regards, KOTCS doesn't disappoint.

The latest Indiana Jones adventure is far from a perfect movie. There is more CG than I was expecting from this "old-fashioned" adventure. There are a few too many "oh come on!" moments (Shia = Tarzan?). And the central plot is never really very clear, and concludes with a corny and somewhat unsatisfying climax.

Having said that, there is much to recommend. First and foremost, we haven't seen Harrison Ford on screen with this much charisma or charm for 10+ years. His performance here makes you remember why he's a movie-star in the first place. (Here's hoping he follows this movie with some more memorable roles.) And though his 60-something age is acknowledged (and mocked), he still kicks bad-guy butt like the best of them.

The rest of the cast is great as well. It's especially fun to see Karen Allen again, reprising her role as Marion from Raiders (and kudos to the actress for allowing herself to age gracefully). Shockingly, the one weak link to the cast is Cate Blanchett (an actress I really like), whose character is never given any personality beyond a hokey black wig and affected Russian accent.

There are two or three action sequences that rank with the franchise's best; the extended Amazonian action scenes are especially fun (minus Shia's aforementioned vine-swinging). John Williams triumphant score fits right in with the adventure, and the costumes and sets are all first-rate. And while I was really bummed not to see Sean Connery on-screen again, I loved the reverence that the film shows his character (as well as that of Marcus Brody).

As the lights in the theater went up, Wendy leaned over to me and said, "I just have the biggest crush on Indiana Jones!" (Sorry Edward the Vampire, you're out!) Like Wendy, there were a few times during the movie where I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. I love Indiana Jones' attitude, his clumsy arrogance, and his impossible invincibility. The movie itself is decidedly silly, and far from perfect, but our affection for the character allows us to be forgiving of the film's defects.

So grab your loved ones, buy lots of popcorn, and check your adult-self at the theater entrance: it's been far too long since we've had Indiana Jones around to save the summer. (*** out of four)