Into the Fire

(A Review of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” by Mark Harbeson)

A regular guest here at Into the Fire, Mark is a film buff and a good movie reviewer. So in my absence . . . heeerrre’s Mark!

Indiana Jones Rides Again

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” was a seminal moment in my childhood. I was 7 years old at the time it was released, and I had no idea what the movie was about when my parents took me to the theater to see it in the summer of 1981. For two hours or so, I was enthralled by the action, suspense, humor, adventure, and Biblical underpinnings of the classic film—27 years later, it remains my all-time favorite movie. Indiana Jones was my childhood hero. The sequels didn’t quite recapture that magic, although I have a great deal of affection for “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and even the darker, more horrific “Temple of Doom” has its moments.

So, when I heard that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg had finally embarked on making a fourth Indiana Jones movie, my reaction was mixed: thrilled to be able to see my hero on the big screen again but worried that somehow it wouldn’t work. After all, the main players had drifted in various directions since Crusade was released in 1993. Spielberg had moved on to more adult, serious dramas and hadn’t tried to make blockbuster entertainment in years. Lucas had toiled on the largely panned and inferior “Star Wars” prequels. Even Harrison Ford, whose presence virtually guaranteed a terrific movie in the 1980’s, had become mired in mediocre-to-lousy films through the latter 90’s and the 2000’s, looking increasingly bored in each new role. It would have been easy for them to misplace the magic in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.

It pleases me to report that my fears were mostly unfounded. This fourth entry in the series is largely an entertaining diversion that delivers 2 hours of summer fun in a movie theater. It has its flaws, and I don’t think it’s as good as Crusade, let alone Raiders, but I enjoyed it more than Temple of Doom and was glad to have seen it.

The story involves Indy battling Russians in 1957 as they search for a (surprise!) crystal skull that may lead to a lost city in the Amazon jungle. The Russians appear to think that the city contains superior technology that they can use to Take Over The World (in the grand tradition of B-movie plots that the Indiana Jones series has always lovingly embraced). A professor friend of Indy’s has disappeared (or may have been kidnapped by the Russians) and a young friend of the missing professor named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) asks Indy to help him in his search. There are other surprise revelations and characters that pop up throughout, which I’ll leave for you to discover if you’re one of the three people who hasn’t seen the movie yet (I was the fourth until this weekend—babysitter issues).

There are several things we want from an Indiana Jones movie. We want Harrison Ford in Cocky Hero mode. We want dusty, far-flung exotic locations. We want old crypts and secret chambers with cobwebs hanging everywhere. We need a scene with creepy, dangerous animals/insects. And we want fun rousing action. Crystal Skull delivers on all these counts. I enjoyed the visit to the warehouse that concluded Raiders and the subsequent cameo by the Ark of the Covenant. Action scenes set in a college campus and on a dirt jungle road are fun and rousing. LaBeouf gives Indy a nice sidekick, and an appearance by an old favorite character is welcome. But I’m most grateful for Harrison Ford’s note-perfect performance. It’s nice to see him back in the role–one of the best matches of an actor and a character in movie history–and he doesn’t miss a beat. Welcome back, Mr. Ford. We missed you.

If it steps wrong, it’s in a tendency to embrace over-the-top silliness more frequently than in the previous films. I found myself rolling my eyes at several moments that were just too far-fetched even for an Indiana Jones movie. There is humor present, but it’s mostly of the type that gets chuckles rather than belly laughs. Great character actors Ray Winstone and John Hurt are wasted in their one-note roles. And I’m still not really sure what happened in the climax, other than a lot of bright, loud special effects. The crystal skull and mythology surrounding it provide a plot of sorts, but I like Indy best when he’s chasing Biblical artifiacts, like the Ark or the Holy Grail. They add a certain weight to the story that is lacking here.

These are mostly minor quibbles, however. I was reasonably hoping for an entertaining film that reminded me of the reasons why I loved Indiana Jones in the first place. And that’s what I got. I defy you to leave the theater without humming John Williams’ memorable Raiders March.

(I so confess to being one of the three people who hasn’t seen this pic yet. Shame on me. Well done as usual, Mark. Thanks for filling in for me.)

Father, Mark and his wife Julie will be traveling to Arizona to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary, sans their three children. Protect them, give them all kinds of pleasure as they celebrate their love for each other and for your creation in the beautiful hot state of Arizona. Go with them in power and love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

*Please continue to pray for Kristy Dykes.*

(I’ll return, God willing, on Monday, June 23rd. Pray for us.)