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Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of Crystal Skull (2008)

Rate: 1
Viewed: 11/08

IndKing
11/08: I feel like I went blind after seeing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull (sheesh, what a long title with many syllables).

Also, it has helped me make a decision I've been pondering for several years. It's this: I will no longer be interested in movies made after the year of 2000 because the quality of cinema has deteriorated so much that it's not funny anymore. Once in a while is okay, but I'll be very selective going forward. These movies have been turning my brain into mush lately.

That being said, this fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise shouldn't have been made in the first place. It's best to let it die because Harrison Ford is simply too old. Forget about replacing him, either, because there's only one Indiana Jones. In other words, it's time to move on.

Basically, everything in the film is anti-Indiana Jones, and that's the worst part. I'm not sure if it's the DVD that's defective or it's how the producers wanted it to be viewed, but my eyes had been forced to cross due to the ultra sharpness of the picture, giving me a massive splitting headache. Again, because of the CGI crap, the action and everything else feel artificial. While typing this, I now have a strong yearning to rewatch Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

By the way, what's with the fake animals? How hard is it to use the video camera to capture a real animal? All of the characters suck to the nth Kate Capshaw degree. They never make me feel like I'm having fun. Where's the plot? What happened to the good, true old fashioned filmmaking that I love? What happened to the good, true old fashioned stunt work that I love? What happened to the good, true old fashioned explosions that I love? Mad Max and The Road Warrior are good examples of what I'm talking about.

Who cares if the stunts cost money? At least, try to make the movie as realistic as possible. The most important question to ask when it comes to green-lighting the fourth part is: "Why?" Is it about the money? What happened to integrity? What happened to art for the sake of art? Hence, it's disappointing to see quality compromised to satisfy greed. Shame on Steven Spielberg who used to be a reliable director. Now, he's officially a sellout.

All in all, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull has recycled everything from the previous three films which is a strong indication that nobody in Hollywood is capable of coming up with an original idea.