Indiana Jones Rides Again in THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

The question that begs to be asked is if the latest installment of Indiana Jones is any good? The answer is yes, and one needn’t fret over another letdown like The Phantom Menace, which undermined the original Star Wars trilogy. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, far from perfect, gets the job done and carries on its tradition of high adventure in satisfying fashion.

In 1957 Nevada, mysterious soldiers persuade Dr. Henry ‘Indiana’ Jones Jr. (Harrison Ford) to locate an important crate amidst a large warehouse of X-Files type of treasures. A ruthless Russian, Irinia Spalko (Cate Blanchett), leads her troops in an obsessive search for a mythic, crystal skull of unknown origin that may have potential psychic powers if it is joined with other skulls hidden in a lost city in the South American jungle. Meanwhile at his college, Professor Jones meets young ‘Mutt’ Williams (Shia LaBeouf) who needs Indy’s help to rescue his mentor, Dr. Oxley, and his mom, Marion. It seems they, too, have been hunting for the skull. Pursued by Russian agents, Indiana and Mutt attempt to rescue their comrades while discovering clues about the crystal skull. During the journey, certain truths emerge, and Indy must confront his past and a former love. As Irina closes in, who will survive when the enigmatic skulls are reunited and unleash their hidden, unworldly power?

The screenplay by David Koepp cobbles previous stories and ideas from a battery of writers. While it has more heart than any Lara Croft film by far, one wishes that original writer, Lawrence Kasdan, had a final rewrite to punch up the emotional content to compliment the action. I do like, however, that they tease you with the possibility that Mutt may or may not be Indy’s son and if Indy will ‘get the girl’. Bravo to the filmmakers for confronting these issues head on by story’s end.

Harrison Ford may be 65 years of age, but he looks great and does most of his own stunts! (To put things in perspective, John Wayne was 62 in True Grit and Cary Grant was 59 in Charade.) Shia LaBeouf is more than able as his new sidekick with a greased comb and an attitude, and Karen Allen is most welcome as Marion, able to take charge and hold her own. Cate Blanchett is appropriately sinister and alluring as the deadly Irina. Unfortunately other talents are not well developed, leaving in its lurch, John Hurt as Oxley, Jim Broadbent as a college dean, and Ray Winstone as an older sidekick with his own agenda.

While Raiders of the Lost Ark had countless, memorable action scenes, this film has a few of its own. There are the usual barrage of bloodless shootouts, fistfights, and bits of customary nastiness with bugs, snakes and skeletons not to mention the exciting climax where you just know the greedy, evil commies will get theirs. Naturally, some of the scenes strain credibility in being quite implausible and unrealistic (as in plunging from a waterfall or two or three), but it is all in good fun. The hair raising escapes are like a well oiled machine particularly in an exhilarating but impossible chase in the jungle as major characters leap among three, count ‘em three moving vehicles! And if it feels like parts of the story seem familiar, keep in mind that the filmmakers are paying homage to the Saturday morning serials of their youth. Other referenced movies come to mind like Forbidden Planet and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Production values are top notch. Veteran composer John Williams rekindles the musical cues, and Michael Kahn’s editing pushes the limits of nail biting suspense. A couple scenes look a little sloppy and don’t come off as well as they should, and although there are some slow spots with confusing dialogue and murky exposition, there is always a marvelously choreographed action scene waiting around the corner. For example, the opening sequence is vintage Indiana Jones as Spielberg builds up a grand entrance for his star and puts him in immediate peril. Later, there is an anxious moment when Jones is about to be caught in an atomic blast and must use his wits to survive. What has always made the character so likeable is that he is fallible. Even Indy’s mistakes and hiccups can be humorous and exciting, as evidenced in a sinking pit where he must come to grips with a childhood fear.

Lucas and Spielberg proved that lightning could strike three times in a row in the 1980’s (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade), and now they have done it a fourth time. I put this film on par with the later chapters. Viewers who keep in mind how the 1950’s timeline lends itself to more science fiction elements, will understand that, while every Indy saga ends with a supernatural event, this one is grounded in the ‘watch the skies’ frame of mind. It is this conceit that may throw off a few fans of the older films.

The door is left open for more adventures, but the film does wrap things in a neat bow. You wish that they would just leave well enough alone and gracefully end on a high note. Indeed, the last, parting shots are terrific for fans. As with the previous chapters, this film is likely to improve with repeated viewings. I seem to recall liking the first one and then savoring it considerably more over time. Indiana Jones ages like fine wine. Drink up.

*** of **** stars

Downey Triumphant as the Invincible IRON MAN

Although not as well known as other Marvel Comic icons as Spiderman or X Men, this film adaptation of Iron Man works due to the sure hand of director Jon Favreau (Swingers, Elf) who cleverly mixes action, drama, humor, and a totally winning performance by comeback actor, Robert Downey Jr. In terms of a first film showing a superhero’s origin, it is the one of the best to date.

Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is a weapons manufacturer whose cavalier attitude and playboy appetite are matched only by his sheer genius in technology. On a tour of his weaponry in Afghanistan, he is wounded in the heart by shrapnel and captured by rebels who order him to build a super weapon of mass destruction. With the help of another civilian, Stark changes up and instead builds a powerful suit of high tech armor that sustains his weak heart and enables his escape but not without a price. Guilt ridden and traumatized by his experiences, Stark has a literal change of heart and alters the militaristic direction of his company much to the chagrin of his elder partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). A couple of friends, his assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and military liaison, Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard), stick loyally by Stark’s side despite his earlier predilections. Intent on improving and perfecting his Iron Man suit, Stark experiments with its design and takes dangerous risks. His mission is to utilize his Iron Man technology to fight the evil in the world, starting first in Afghanistan. When the truth comes out about what Stark Industries is really doing with weapons sales, it leads to a deeper conspiracy and a battle of titans as Iron Man meets an old foe.

Buffed and in terrific physical condition, Downey is quite convincing as the prodigy whose initial devil-may-care attitude must undergo a transformation. (It is not without irony that the role and the person should merge in light of Downey’s real life, personal setbacks.) The movie rests on his shoulders, and he makes the most of his role. Bridges is great at playing a businessman with a sinister agenda. Paltrow strikes sparks with Downey and you yearn for more scenes with the two of them. The same goes for Howard as Stark’s best friend. What is a little hard to swallow is how Pepper and Rhodes could put up with such a pompous persona in the early goings.

Favreau has an amusing bit part as an assistant to Stark. Further, the robotic voice that assists Stark in his technological work is actor Paul Bettany! And yes, Stan (the man) Lee, one of the comic book creators, has a fleeting cameo.

The scenes, which show Stark developing his updated Iron Man suit and test-driving it, are realistic and at times amusing. The Iron Man suit 2.0 is a marvel of construction and is the coolest thing imaginable. There is no way that this concept of a hero could have been rendered as convincingly even a few years ago. My how movie magic has caught up with these stories finally and done them justice. It is clever how the film incorporates the original Iron Man design (which brings to mind a sort of poor man’s version of Robocop) and progresses through its more modernized version. Pure fans of the original comic (including myself) are thrilled at the reverence paid to the classic beginnings.

There is an aerial battle between American fighter jets and Iron Man that is a lot of fun. The special effects, while being among the most realistic and cleverly used in any action film, are well integrated with the strong narrative. Despite the eye candy, you get the feeling that the filmmakers never lose sight of what the story is about and how to stay focused on the characters. The pacing is excellent.

In terms of subplots, the Afghan conflict hits close to home with the current war in Iraq. Also, the secret government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. gets an introduction as support for Stark and figures to have a bigger role in future Marvel movies; don’t forget to stay until the credits are done for a bonus. The film has an edge about it in dialogue and theme, and is better for it especially in the final scene, which is surprising and has implications for future adventures.

I would put this film on par with Batman Begins and Spiderman, not bad company. While not as emotionally stirring as the best moments of X Men United or Spiderman 2, this is only the first of what likely will be a long running franchise. If the sequel can maintain the same quality as this effort, we could be in for the best superhero movie yet! And lest there be any doubt about Favreau’s ability to take on comic heroes, don’t worry; he understands what they mean and how to do them justice. He ‘get’s it’!

***1/2 of **** stars