(2008)
"In May, the adventure continues."
First off: ponderous title, weak tagline.
I have to agree with many of the reviews I've read...too much CGI, not enough human interest/interactions. The warmth was lacking, and the script too. It seemed forever before Karen Allen came into it (I loved her in the first installment of the series), and she provided the *spark* here, she's still a sassy woman!
And, although Harrison Ford still looks pretty good, and I know he did a lot of his own stunts, he seemed overly grumpy and somewhat humorless this time around. Shia LaBeouf was okay, but his character seemed obviously just thrown in the film to either (1) attract a younger audience or (2) to hint at sequels with him in the title role - let's hope not! I think the series needs to give it up for good now.
There were some great scenes (loved the fight scene in the diner!) and many that seemed to really drag on - the dialogue-driven scenes just weren't written very well, they were...boring. And ALIENS? What a dopey plot twist. I was waiting for someone to say "ET! Phone home!" towards the end.
Actually, my first thought when I saw the plastic uhhhh "crystal skull" was that it looked like it could have been the skull from the monster in "Alien."
A lot of depth in the film was lost in what seemed to be a big push for show-offy CGI. That being said, I really had hoped to see Cate Blanchett's character go out in a more sensational manner, like the guy whose face melted in the first one. She just sort of went *poof* after a lot of buildup. That wouldn't have required any CGI, just a wax melting head like they used in the first one. And it certainly would have been more interesting.
Oh, and Blanchett's accent! I know it's been said but I have to reiterate it, I kept waiting for her to say "MOOSE AND SQUIRREL! MOOSE AND SQUIRREL!" I had trouble keeping from laughing every time she spoke.
As for the installments overall, the original Raiders Of The Lost Ark is still the best, although I do love The Last Crusade. Temple of Doom was truly awful, and not helped by Kate Capshaw's annoying character....a weak, stupid, shallow, whining bimbo. I liked the strong female characters in these films; Capshaw's was an insult to the series. And I won't go into a diatribe about the screechy kid.
Anyway, entertaining enough, but a big letdown I think for most Indy fans.
