Monday, May 19, 2008

reviews for "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"


The movie of the summer opens in just a few days. I plan to see it with some friends, and hopefully talk about it here sometime afterwards. Reviews are already pouring in, and although there are some who didn't like it, I don't think negative critiques will make a difference at the box office. Indy is, and always has been, for the fans. Even Raiders was made for fans of the action/adventure genre; it's just that the film was such a quality work that the critics loved - and still love - it.

Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars (out of 4): "I can say that if you liked the other Indiana Jones movies, you will like this one, and that if you did not, there is no talking to you. And I can also say that a critic trying to place it into a heirarchy with the others would probably keep a straight face while recommending the second pound of sausage." You'll have to read the full review to see why Ebert's talking about sausage.

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B-: "In this revival of the Indiana Jones franchise, everything is new and nothing is new. The movie's legacy may simply be the melee that ensues when Spielberg cracks the whip and moviegoers scurry for tickets."

Jennie Yabroff of Newsweek calls the film's plot "particularly unnecessarily hokey and complex," and "Indy World is a place you can visit again and again, where nothing ever really changes, and, as this latest tour affirms, after two hours you'll be quite ready to go home." Read her full review with care: she reveals the relationship between Indy and new sidekick Mutt, which has been speculated upon for some time.

If Indy IV is a success (and there is no "if", really - it will be successful), Spielberg has said he will probably make more.

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