Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last night. I thought it was pretty good, say B- or C+ grade-wise. I enjoyed it, and don’t feel as if it was a waste of money, which is good considering how much it costs to go to a movie nowadays. There were some hokey parts, especially where it was seriously tough to suspend disbelief. Anyway, from here on out, expect spoilers. Continue at your own risk…

The Good:

• Good action scenes, although Ford IS getting too old for it
• Cate Blanchett is hilariously over the top as the Russian bad girl
• Beautiful visuals
• Karen Allen back as Marion Ravenwood (She is cute! If I had first seen Raiders of the Lost Ark when I was a bit older, I might’ve had a bit of a crush on her)

The Bad:

• ‘Mutt’ Williams – I actually was okay with Indy having a son, and said son being played by Shia LeBeouf, but a greaser? His first scene (on the motorcycle, with the military-style hat cocked to one side) made him seem cool, but the rest of that characterization seemed to be there just to make jokes (and the only funny one was him dipping his comb in the jock’s drink).
• ‘Mac’ – got tired of trying to figure out who he was working for.
• As mentioned, there are…a few parts where it’s hard to suspend your disbelief. Stepping out of the ‘lead-lined’ fridge that saved his life from a massive nuclear blast. Going over 3 waterfalls (one very obviously Niagara Falls) in an open-air metal amphibious vehicle and everyone survives with no injuries. But I live with it, as it’s really no different than the previous movies.
• The aliens. I would’ve been happier had it just been the skeletons and a focus for the ‘psychic powers’ or what not. Again, though, there’s been plenty of supernatural stuff in the previous movies so I was not surprised. I mean, we had the Ark of the Covenant zapping Nazis and a guy pulling your heart out of your chest with his bare hand.

I’m not going to see it again in the theater (unlike Iron Man) but I had a good time. I don’t see another must-see movie coming out until The Incredible Hulk though I may end up taking my son to see Kung Fu Panda.