Set during the Cold War, the Soviets—led by sword-wielding Irina Spalko—are in search of a crystal skull which has supernatural powers related to a mystical Lost City of Gold. Indy is coerced t...
Harrison Ford gives a strong performance in this film, far better than his old Han Solo in The Force Awakens. It's a shame this material isn't stronger, if for no other reason than Ford is up to the task and could have done something great with a better script. Crystal Skull also looks and feels like an Indiana Jones film; after such a long layoff between installments that's never a guarantee. The combination of Spielberg, Ford, and a greatest-hits style score from John Williams makes Crystal Skull aesthetically match its predecessors.
Now for the bad news; this movie is about as silly and pointless as its reputation suggests. The script is a jumble of diluted science fiction cliches and Temple of Doom rehashes. Additionally, most of the action in this film is so ludicrous and/or CGI heavy that I'm yawning when I should be getting energized. Shia swinging on jungle vines like Tarzan? CGI killer ants? I can't believe this stuff made it into the film.
I also have issues with the cast, beginning with John Hurt and Karen Allen, who have no reason to be here. As for Shia LaBeouf, listen, you can dress him up as Brando from The Wild One and give him all the combs you want, no one is buying this guy as a greaser. The characterization is bad, and LaBeouf's performance isn't much better. Admittedly, he does improve as the film goes on, but not before giving some fabulously awful line readings. A favorite example, (angrily knocks condiment bottle over) "That's my mother you're talking about!" I'm still laughing.
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's ultimate failure is not that it contains a number of hilariously absurd moments, it's that there aren't more of them. If this film were two hours of CGI animals, bad Shia LaBeouf, and refrigerator escapes then I would proudly place it between to The Happening and The Mangler in my collection. As it is, there are only enough miscues to make this film a thudding, eye-rolling bore.
