Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special Edition) | 
| Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia Labeouf, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $22.99
You Save: $17.00 (43%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  299 reviews
Sales Rank: 5
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Ntsc, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), German (Original Language), Russian (Original Language)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 122
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
UPC: 097361390246
EAN: 0097361390246
ASIN: B00005JPO1
Theatrical Release Date: May 22, 2008
Release Date: October 14, 2008 (In 1 Day)
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Availability: Not yet released
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Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. --Ellen A. Kim
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| Customer Reviews: Read 294 more reviews...
 Long-awaited fourth Indiana Jones installment October 13, 2008
After "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), the second sequel in the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" franchise, there was talk among producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, and star Harrison Ford about making yet another chapter in the exciting exploits of the archaeologist/adventurer. Ideas were bandied about, various writers were hired to pen treatments, casting was discussed, schedules had to be considered, and ultimately the project was postponed -- indefinitely, it seemed. Apparently, it took 18 years before the three principal filmmakers could agree on a story and get it made.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," a title that would have given heart attacks to the guys who put titles on marquees in the days when every movie theatre had one, offers plenty of action, a reunion with a character from the first film, a brand new sidekick, and enough exposition to fill a doctoral thesis.
It is 1957, the height of the Cold War, so the Russians are trotted out after a long rest on the shelf of handy movie villains. Indiana is kidnapped by a team of Soviets headed by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) so he can lead them to an ancient artifact -- a crystal skull believed to possess supernatural powers, just the thing to give Russia the edge over the capitalist West. Essentially, the movie is a football match -- sometimes quite literally -- as chases, fights, derring-do, aggressive soldier ants, monkeys, and an agent who keeps changing his loyalty conspire to keep possession of the treasured skull in a state of uncertainty.
Director Alfred Hitchcock always used what he called a McGuffin in his movies -- a device that exists just to set the dramatic forces in motion: the stolen $40,000 in "Psycho," government secrets on microfilm in "North By Northwest," the chance meeting of a tennis star and a mild-mannered looney in "Strangers on a Train." In "Crystal Skull," director Spielberg ladles out loads of chatter about the McGuffin -- the skull's history, its mystical associations, its power over mortal man. Meanwhile, the audience is impatient and eager to get on with the story -- how is Indie going to retrieve the skull and extricate himself from one perilous situation after another?
It's great to see Harrison Ford back in fine form in one of his two signature screen roles (the other, Han Solo in the "Star Wars" films). The script has some self-deprecating bits of humor revolving around Ford's age (he's 66), but they're clever and not overdone. Assisted by countless stunt teams, Ford makes his way graciously through the action scenes, particularly a wonderful motorcycle chase across a college campus. John Williams' terrific Indiana theme is present throughout, making the action stuff all the more thrilling and bringing back memories of the first film.
Indiana is approached by a Marlon Brando/greaser wannabe named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf, "Disturbia," "Transformers") who wants help in locating his mother. She turns out to be Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) from the first Indiana Jones movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and she's as feisty and spunky as ever. Mutt has a chip on his shoulder the size of a telephone pole, a short fuse, and a pocket comb he likes to moisten in other people's Cokes and run through his 50's pompadour. There's some good chemistry between Ford and LaBeouf, who share many scenes in the film. There's also a neat bit of repartee going on, even when the going gets tough.
Ms. Allen appears about halfway through the film and perks things up considerably, especially in a scene in which -- as captives of the bad guys -- Marion and Indie bicker, recriminate, and blame even as their lives appear in serious danger.
Ms. Blanchett has fun with her role as the humorless but agile Russian comrade, as efficient with a 50-millimeter machine gun as she is with a sword. There is a lot of comic-book villainess in her Spalko, but that is OK considering the tone of the movie. She certainly adds stature to the picture, mostly from her body of work. Here, after all, is Elizabeth I chasing Indiana and an elongated skull in an armored truck through the jungle.
For all its fun, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" lacks the overall impact of the earlier films. Spielberg is known for creating wonderfully visual scenes in his films. Think of "Jaws," Jurassic Park," and "E.T." These are movies in which the story is told largely through a series of carefully crafted images with a minimum of dialogue: the shark attacking a lone swimmer; the Tyrannosaurus Rex stamping the car into the mud; Elliott and friends escaping the police roadblock on their bicycles by soaring into the sky. In "Crystal Skull," the director plunks in too many static sequences of characters standing around spouting exposition we don't really care about. Spielberg has set a high standard for himself and other directors. I'm just sorry this is not Spielberg at the top of his form.
Rated PG-13 for a few scary images, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" has family appeal, is geared to attract a wide age range, and offers a neat roller coaster ride. Only don't expect the Cyclone.
 OK, but... October 13, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The kids are going to love it. They won't get the Brando hat. Shia doesn't cut it here. Each new movie doesn't have to be bigger to be better. But put on the popcorn. Line the kids up and enjoy.
 AVOID THIS SICK VOYAGE INTO BLUE-SCREEN HELL! October 13, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Look, we all knew it was unlikely to be better than those that came before it, but my GOD! This film was bad beyond all expectations! We're talking POD-RACE levels of stupidity. It's troubling and sad to see characters we grew up loving and caring about being manipulated and tortured in the hands of their insane creators. Look at the stunts in the recent Batman film. Look good, eh? I don't understand why Lucas & co. insist on not getting their hands dirty and CGI-ing this film beyond all recognition.
I'll be honest. At the start of the movie, CGI aside, it didn't seem THAT bad. I thought maybe there was a chance it was going to work out. Without giving spoilers, I can tell you that as soon as Indy and the gang hit the jungle things went terribly, terribly wrong. We have Shia swinging like tarzan from vines followed by an army of CGI monkeys and Marion defying all her natural maternal instincts by DRIVING THE JEEP CARRYING HERSELF AND HER SON NOT TO MENTION INDY OVER A FRIGGING CLIFF!!!!!!INTENTIONALLY!!!!!!!
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Way out of line. Way out of line. There was no coming back from that for me. My brain turned to jelly as, much like the Star Wars prequels before it, the Indy show looked more like a video game than a film. I suppose there are plenty of gamer types out there who might enjoy this thing. Me? I'm interested in cinema, not all this baggage, so I have now severed my connection to anything with LucasArts seal of approval stamped on it. At least we can watch the old Indy films without a hassle. Try doing that with Star Wars, at least on a big screen tv. I better not go there.
Am I the only one who smells the Indy/Star Wars crossover potential? Was not a giant door kicked open toward the end of this film that will now allow Lucas and his sick imagination to run wild, culminating in the dreaded Han Solo/Indiana Jones handshake?
In summary - new Indy stinks. Terrible film making. Good effort from the actors, but the people behind the camera have apparently lost their sanity. Do what I do, and what I did for the Star Wars prequels - pretend it never happened. Let Indy and his daddy ride off into the sunset at the end of Indy III, a fitting and classy ending to a wonderfully entertaining franchise.
Not good, not bad. So-so. October 12, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
First off, I'm actually giving it a 3 1/2 stars, just to get that out of the way. Also, just in case you haven't seen the film, there a few, tiny spoliers.
Now, the Indiana Jones trilogy is one of my (and many others) favorite series out there. The group of Speilberg, Lucas and Ford is amazing. Each movie brings us something new and kinda out there. So does this new one, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.
Indy 4 takes place about 20 years after The Last Crusade (which is the same time difference between the 2 films in real life). It starts with Indy being captured by Soviets and being forced to find a certain speacial object inside what is now known as Area 51. From there, Indy teams up with Mutt (played by Shia Labeouf)and they rescue Mutt's mother, who just so happens to be Marion Ravenwood (Karren Allen) from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The action is as usual, nothing way out there, but nothing plain and boring either. It's all good fun. The dialouge is a little cheesey at some points, but after 20 years, I fully expected it to be cheesey. The one complaint that I and most everyone else has is the ending. Lemme just say...ALIENS??? WTF? Aliens and Indy DON'T mix. And for that reason, and that reason alone is why I gave a potential 4/5-er, a 3 1/2.
Did you see South Park? October 12, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
What can I say... this movie amounts to the raping of Indiana Jones. It reduced the once beloved character to a money making whore. The plot for those that have not seen the movie takes a turn that is not even based in reality leaving a sour taste. It doesn't take a realistic or even plausible stance on the mission Indiana is on. For those who love the old movies or even the young Indiana Jones Chronicles the charm of those movies/shows were that there was a semblance of reality. You sat there and said: "This could really happen" or "Wow, I wonder if there really was a secret plot like that by the Nazis."
The updated foe, the Russians works fine because the story had to advance 20+ years but you really never get that feeling like they are out for that one piece of lore that will give them that final piece for world domination. It rests on development or lack thereof of the villains.
The introduction of Shia Labeouf is a smart choice but how and who he ends up being is a questionable choice. Not to ruin who he is to everyone involved, it is his back-story that leaves me wondering are they trying to go the route of Bourne or the new Bond films; reducing him to the newbie or raw agent type, who uses his street smarts and fists before he uses his brain. Shia's character is a drop out which takes the sequel options in another direction because the charm of the old movies was that Indy was an academic first and an adventure second. Being an academic drove Indy and I think Shia's character has a long way to go if there are to be sequels.
But even with the negatives which there are many; the movie is fun. The ending is disappointing but the ride there is pure popcorn fun. Suspend your desire for your parents' Indy (old movies) and welcome in Indy 2008: CGI and aliens.
Let's hope that the next one and there will be a next one brings the franchise back to its roots so that Shia can take over an awesome franchise that hasn't forgotten what made it great.
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