2008 action movie
RatingPlot/: see my original thoughts here
I saw this again for a pair of reasons: 1) Abbey wanted to see it. 2) Cory promised he'd watch the brilliant comedy The Happening if I watched this again. My thoughts are about the same. I really enjoyed the first half, and completely disagree with people's complaints about Harrison Ford being too old to do this sort of thing. I think he does a remarkable job with a character that he hasn't touched in twenty years. And during the first half of the movie, I don't mind Shooby Leboof either. I think he and Ford have a nice rapport, although maybe not quite as good or as funny as Connery and Ford in the third movie. I really like how the franchise is pulled into the issues and fears of the 1950s, and the alien twist, although on the surface seeming completely out of place in an Indiana Jones movie, works as a link to B-movie sensibilities of that era just like the original movies borrowed so heavily from the ebb and flow of the action serials they were based on. One difference in my opinion is that I don't like the overall look of the film as much as I thought I did. There's an onslaught of special effects and computer graphics, at least compared to the earlier films, that just does not fit. The second half of the movie, pretty much from the beginning of the jungle chase scene on, ain't pretty. I'd say that things just keep getting dumber and dumber and dumber, but the Shooby Leboof Tarzan impression happens too early. That's definitely a low point of the franchise. No, Indy 4 is not Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I still think it serves its number one purpose--entertaining dumbasses.
Revised ratings: I should probably go ahead and give Raiders a 20 since it might be my favorite movie of all time. Temple is a 12, but that's being generous. Crusade is a 16. And this one is in the 13/14 range, right in between the other two sequels. Indy 5 needs to have either Short Round or a young Greedo in it or I'll be pissed.
13 comments:
I saw the crappy "The Happening" long ago (though I still have nightmares where Mark Wahlberg and M Night are making another movie togerther). You have honored your end by watching it without being seduced by the theatre experience. Even though realism is not the strength of this series, this installment becomes riduculous, especially the last half. Trying to push my nostalgia buttons just makes me want to watch the far superior original versus cutting this any slack.
They need to lay this series to rest before they have to roll Harrison around in a wheelchair (though I bet he would still be shown beating much younger, military-trained men to the punch). Since you dropped your grade by 1 or 2, I'll move mine to a 9.
This movie is worse than Temple of Doom...a lot worse. I saw it for a second time last month, and was shocked with how bad it really was.
Its the worst movie Spielberg has ever made. EVER. Worse than Hook. (My previous choice for worst Stevie movie.)
Its not bad because Ford is old. I have no problem with that actually because you can write around that....make Indy do a little less physical work, and more intellectual stuff. Its bad because they seem to purposely add really stupid things to lazily further the plot.
They want to find the alien in the warehouse? Just make it so magnetized that it can pull metal shavings in the air from dozens of meters away, but it doesnt affect any other metal until they get next to it. You want to survive a nuclear bomb at near ground zero?...just put yourself in a refrigerator with an inch of lead lining in it. You will be popped out safely miles away. You find yourself in a seemingly abandoned graveyard in the middle of the night, oh its NOT abandoned!! You have guys that apparently live there and wait for someone to come by so they can chase them. The same thing happens in the alien area. There are actually guys LIVING IN THE WALLS OF THIS PLACE....curled up for apparently hundreds of years hoping someone comes by.
Never mind Shia La Boof being a complete waste. Never mind Karen Allen having so much hair dye on that I feared a black hole would form there. Never mind the Russians not only being able to track all of Indys movements, but being able to arrive in various countries with full compliments of military personnel and vehicles (How the holy hell did they have a car with saws and guns on it available in Peru at a moments notice? Why would the Russians BE in Peru???)
The plot is bad, but the desire to suspend belief by Spielberg and Lucas is WAY too much in this movie. Every time it asked me to get involved with this movie it drug me right back out with something incredibly stupid. So putting the skull back on the alien sends it to space? Why were they waiting around until one of those skulls was stolen? Why would they let a conquistador steal a skull? How the hell did the Russians get to the bottom of that waterfall? La Boof uses a SNAKE as a rope to pull out a 200 pound man from quicksand? (And the snake survives no less)
I CANT STOP MYSELF...WHY DID THEY HAVE TO GO STUPID? IS THERE NO ONE WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA MILE AND MAKE THINGS SENSIBLE???
Arrgh....its like Indiana Jones and the Transformers. I kept waiting for Megan Fox to show up in a half shirt.
Now hurry up and review The Happening, so I can at least laugh again.
South Park got this one right. Lucas and Spielberg did a Jodie Foster in The Accused on Indiana Jones.
Oh..I give this film a 7....simply for the obvious quality of the sets and special effects. I give Hook a 6. I wont tell you what I give The Happening. I shall save that for the actual review.
I already saw 'The Happening' and now I remember Cory seeing it, too. It's on the blog, and I've edited this Indiana Jones post to include a hyperlink so that you only have to click on the title ("The Happening") to go directly to that post. I didn't think 'The Happening' is worth the time it would take you to find the movie in the blog.
I can sort of understand y'all's issues with 'Kingdom,' but I don't see how you wouldn't have the same exact problems with all three of the other movies. Except for trying to push your nostalgia buttons...that would be a brand new problem, probably borrowed from the Star Wars prequels. But all the Indiana Jones movies are preposterous. They're supposed to be, aren't they?
'Hook' isn't good, but I think 'E.T.' and 'A.I.' are worse, especially 'A.I.' which made me sick to my stomach. 'The Terminal,' 'Minority Report,' 'Temple of Doom'...all bad. I bet 'War of the Worlds' is worse...haven't had the pleasure of seeing that one.
As has been previously established, I love the refrigerator scene. I want a 'refrigerator scene' t-shirt made (probably exists already) so that I could wear it every day.
Snakes are surprisingly strong!
I'm itching to see 'The Happening' again! We should have a shane-movies blog 'The Happening' simul-watching party on M. Night Shymalongadingdong's birthday!
That was my favorite Barry comment so far since he joined us, and "Why would the Russians BE in Peru???" is my favorite line. I might save that for all future movies that contain NO logic. Barry has convinced me to go back to an 8, but he has failed to convince me this is worse than "Temple". NOTHING is worse than "Temple".
Psychic warfare research, guys. That's why they're in Peru. Weren't you paying attention? And why can't the Russians be in Peru?
I don't know how they got the saw cars there though.
I actually liked Temple of Doom a lot more than this drek.
Lets see....lets rank the Indiana Jones films.
Raiders----20
Last Crusade-16
Temple------13
Drek of Skulls-6
And AI is a better movie than you realize, Shane. Minority Report is underrated as well. The first half of War of the Worlds is incredible, but unfortunately it has a second half that is simply awful. I always thought The Terminal was a nice little movie, that if some independent filmmaker had entered at Sundance, would have been considered a work of genius. Instead its just a lesser Spielberg work that is judged on his pictures always being huge. Same thing for Catch Me if you Can.
That said, I do think Steven has pretty much lost it. He used to be the greatest teller of a linear story working in films. He has allowed his personal sensibilities get in the way of telling a good story. Its been 12 years since Saving Private Ryan after all.
I thought for a 20 year period he was the best thing out there. I think he got Coppola disease somewhere in there, and its made him incapable of putting together a great movie anymore. It makes me sad because no one has come along with both his willingness to make a lot of movies, and the quality involved. Too many guys work like they are Stanley Kubrick instead of John Ford.
Yeah, maybe 'The Terminal' isn't that bad a movie...I don't remember it well. I do remember being completely offended by 'A.I.' though...ick. I really liked 'Catch Me' though.
Our Indy movie ratings aren't far off at all!
Yeah I think that I just like Temple better than either you or Cory.
As for AI....I honestly thought it was pretty thought provoking, and an incredibly well filmed movie. I do think that the entire ending was a waste of time, but the thing I always respect about Speilbergs sci fi movies is that the special effects are always the absolute best in movies at that time.
People talk about James Cameron and Avatar being the best special effects, but to me that entire movie was just a cartoon. Ai and War of the Worlds have incredible effects that never take you out of the movie.
I can see why you dont like AI, and in my heart of hearts I dont think its a great movie...its just something that made me think afterwards, about what they were trying and even the real meanings of what life is.
If you ever do watch War of the Worlds, just get past any scene where the kids are talking, and you will have a fantastic movie...unfortunately the kids are talking in about 75% of the film.
I would give "AI" a 15. It was thought-provoking, and touching at certain points, but was a little much.
"War of the Worlds" was a 17 until Tim Robbins appeared. I like Tim just fine, but his scenes were unnecessary and totally derailed this film. Another 15.
Finally, I like "Minority Report" and would give it a 16 or 17.
Thats how I feel about most of this later career Spielberg sci fi stuff. Mid teens rankings. They are all flawed, but there is good stuff there too.
The first 45 minutes of War of the Worlds is absolutely amazing.
And I also agree that Tim Robbins was pretty wasted in WOW.
Post a Comment