Indiana Jones 4 discussion (Spoilers!)

[Planet-man]

This was great. It doesn't beat Raiders or the best of the bunch, IMO, Crusade, but it's still a damn great film and a damn great Indy film, about on par with Temple of Doom(which I love, for the record), although beating in the fact that it has so much more variety.

The only real things are that Spalko should've had a much more iconic comeuppance, and that Sallah and Short Round, without question, should've been at the wedding. Definitely. That would've upped the movie by at least a quarter or even half a point. And it's still a 9/10 from me.

Also, I had no problem with the monkeys. They were CHASING Mutt. They followed him to the cars and then landed on and started attacked the Soviets. And their CGI wasn't bad. The gopher's CGI was more obvious, but I liked the gophers.8)

Aliens? The way they handled it? Worked for me. It's a part of American history, and that was definitely appropriate to deal with here. Indy as a relic in the shiny 50s was just grand, as was his entire relationship with Mutt. The parts where Mutt would grin and marvel at some crazy happening during an action sequence and Indy would quash him with a deadpan, straight out of Crusade.... it worked so well. Adding Shia to the mix is such a surprising and yet such a fitting and perfect choice, just like bringing Connery in on Crusade. I really applaud them for that.

Referencing the Poncho Villa stuff from The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones was wonderful, I'm really glad they put at least one solid nod to the series in.

What I'd really like to say, though, is that during the opening scene, after the Paramount logo fades into the hill, when those first credits came onto the screen and they were in the same font from all those years ago from Raiders and Temple and Crusade, which my family and I watched again over the past three nights for the first time in a couple years...... it was like suddenly seeing an old, close friend for the first time in ages and I literally started to breathe really fast and then cry, just a few tears, and then go on. Most magical moment I've had at the movies since.... must be Return of the King.

Are you kidding? When is the last time you saw Temple of Doom?

Temple of Doom is not only the worst Indy film, its a horrrrible movie. The acting is ****, the writing is ****, half of the action sequences are boring, and the plot is awful.

This movie beats it by sooooo much.

Temple Of Doom is the weakest of the original trilogy.

Temple Of Doom is also a fantastic, fantasic movie, with some of the best scenes and sequences ever made. It's a wonderful film with BRILLIANT direction and great characters and I've never, ever understood the hate. I'd tie the new one with it.

 

[Ice]

I liked all the previous Indy movies.

 

[moonmaster]

Also, I had no problem with the monkeys. They were CHASING Mutt. They followed him to the cars and then landed on and started attacked the Soviets. And their CGI wasn't bad. The gopher's CGI was more obvious, but I liked the gophers.8)

Y'know I had no problem with the fact that the monkeys and the gophers were CGI and - honest to god - (And maybe this is because of my crappy eyesight) I wouldn't have been able to tell that either were CGI unless somebody told me. They didn't look bad at all. I just didn't like the whole set-up behind the monkey bit, and Shia swinging all over the place was just cringe-inducing. They could've fixed it if they just made him look a bit more awkward doing it.

(It's getting to the point where this monkey thing deserves its own thread.)

 

[Jaggyd]

Wow, apparently not everyone hates the movie, with a $125 million opening 4 day.

 

[Planet-man]

My family loved it, as did everything I overheard from people coming out of the theatre around me.

Edit: I forgot to mention, not only was the Army Ants scene one of the best and coolest in the movie, but it was made more enjoyable for me after reading that thing on Cracked a few months ago and knowing when they bunch up and make a tower out of their own numbers that they actually do that in real life!

 

[ultimatedjf]

Aliens? The way they handled it? Worked for me. It's a part of American history, and that was definitely appropriate to deal with here. Indy as a relic in the shiny 50s was just grand, as was his entire relationship with Mutt.

What I'd really like to say, though, is that during the opening scene, after the Paramount logo fades into the hill, when those first credits came onto the screen and they were in the same font from all those years ago from Raiders and Temple and Crusade...... it was like suddenly seeing an old, close friend for the first time in ages.

I feel like I could have written everything I just quoted, P-m. It really is eerie how most of the time, we are on the same wavelength.



My Grade:
A-

 

[moonmaster]

You two are the same person.

Just like Ourchair and Compound.

Or Grant Morrison and all existence.

 

[marvelman]

just saw it again for the second time-

WAY better this time around. it just felt better, more Indy-ish, but with a 50's sci-fi feel instead of a 30's pulp adventure feel. and mutt rocked the movie hard. SO hard.

 

[Volunteer Fire Detective]

I loved it. Easily the second best in the series, although it still of course pales in comparison to Raiders.

Some scenes were awkward, but they were individual scenes out of many great, great moments. I could have done without the refrigerator business (I barely understand why that whole atom bomb testing bit was in the movie to begin with), and the monkey scene was a little ridiculous.

But I thoroughly enjoyed everything else. Nods to Raiders (it was so cool to see the Ark), and the series (the whole Poncho Villa bit was great) made it even better. Harrison Ford looked like he was having the time of his life; this was the role he was born to play.

And then there's Karen Allen. Everything with Marion was amazing. The look on Indy's face when he first saw her, the wedding at the end ... it was just so perfect. She always was the best love interest of the series, and it's great to see that Spielberg and co. had the sense to make it her.

All in all, a great movie, and a great Indiana Jones movie, to boot. I loved it. Was it perfect? No. But honestly, what movie is?

 

[DARKKNIGHT]

When it comes down to it at least the movie was fun. It wasn't a masterpiece but it entertained me for two hours.

Though one thing that did bug me was how easy it was for the Russians to get into Area 51. There were maybe 3 or 4 inept guards. You would think that the US would have a whole bunch of troops guarding a warehouse filled with some of its most important goods, like the Ark of the Covenant and the Alien from Rosewell. Anyone agree? It was just a little aggravating. All in all the movie was good enough though.

 

[DIrishB]

Apparently, Indy IV killed Langta's father and raped his mother. So much hatred...

...And gave herpes to his grandmother AND girlfriend.

Jeez.

Anywhos:

I read in Entertainment Weekly that George Lucas has mentioned that he already has plans for Indy 5 where Shia would be the lead actor and Ford would be the tag-along. But, as he said, he "hasn't said anything yet to For or Spielberg."

Yeah, this is being discussed ad nauseam. And despite what he says there, I'm sure he's mentioned it to both Speilberg and Harrison. Hell, this fourth Indy film is the biggest movie for both Harrison and Steven in a long time. I think with the big numbers it pulls in, a fifth Indy film is almost guaranteed. Don't think we'll be waiting too long on it, either (no 19 years between films).

Referencing the Poncho Villa stuff from The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones was wonderful, I'm really glad they put at least one solid nod to the series in.

They also referenced some of the events of the novels that were released in the early 90's (right before or after the reference to Pancho Villa...can't remember). I guess that answers the question of canonicity.

Some scenes were awkward, but they were individual scenes out of many great, great moments. I could have done without the refrigerator business (I barely understand why that whole atom bomb testing bit was in the movie to begin with), and the monkey scene was a little ridiculous.

The atom bomb test scene was merely a way to introduce and remind the audience of the fact that this Indy adventure isn't set in the 1930's, but in the atomic age of the 1950's. It makes perfect sense, though its execution I'll admit was a little shaky (a refrigerator?).

 

[Planet-man]

I thought the refridgerator scene played pretty well.

Honestly, my only real gripe with the movie(other than the missing Sallah and SHort-Round) was the weak send-offs for Mac and especially Ilina. Also, they should've done an animatronic alien at the end instead of a CGI one.

Somebody also made a good point a while back about how there should've been a climactic "choice" for Indy(don't look at the Ark, don't reach for the Grail, etc). If these things had been fixed, I would probably give it a ten.

 

[DIrishB]

Somebody also made a good point a while back about how there should've been a climactic "choice" for Indy(don't look at the Ark, don't reach for the Grail, etc). If these things had been fixed, I would probably give it a ten.

Thats a good point. Still, if this missing piece detracted from Crystal Skull any, it was minor. Loved the film.

 

[Goodwill]

I thought this was a very strong movie. It fit with the other Indy movies to a point up until the end, when the saucer shower showed up and all that George Lucas lives for came and ruined what was a solid movie up until that point.

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

He wasn't skeptical at all... That was one of my big problems here... Indy's skepticism is one of the things that makes him who he is. He doesn't look for artifacts for their power, he wants to uncover them for museums, for them to be seen and understood. And here, it takes NO time for him to accept that there are Aliens. And I mean, after seeing what he's seen, he has to accept that there is a God, but Aliens are the one thing he still can be skeptical about and he isn't. He just accepts it... And that's just... not right.

I still think this was a pretty good movie, i'd give it a 7-7.5/10, and I really did enjoy it. But It could have been sooooo much better.

Also: I think everyone else is watching some different version of Temple of Doom, because the one that goes into my DVD player has a screaming uninteresting bimbo, a bumbling indy, and horrible racist charactures of a native people. Also the plot is stupid. The other two movies have him dealing with The Ark of the Covenent, and The Grail... Temple deals with GLOWING ROCKS THAT ARE NEVER PROPERLY EXPLAINED. There is no wonder, no real archaeology. Its just half-assed fight sequences over a half-assed story.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

I liked the monkeys and Mutt swinging on the vines. It was a nod to Tarzan and all the other jungle heroes from the pulps that Indy is inspired by.

And I really liked how happy Indy was to find out Mutt was his son.

 

[Planet-man]

(Feel free to post any of this on UC. I'm really missing that place.)

Loved it, in spite of the rather spectacular flaws. The typical Lucasfilm overuse of CGI meant that there were times when the movie was as painfully ridiculous as Die Another Day, but the majority of the movie had me hopping up and down with delight. Plus, even though anyone with a brain could see the ending with the hat and the wind coming ten miles away, it was still the awesomest thing in cinema since the Autobots first transformed.

I'll go right ahead and say that even though Iron Man was a better film, I enjoyed Indiana Jones a heck of a lot more. It had FAR more heart and you cared about every single character. That and the brilliant, classic Indy-action made the ridiculous elements that bit more bearable.

What the hell, 9/10

 

[Lynx]

He wasn't skeptical at all... That was one of my big problems here... Indy's skepticism is one of the things that makes him who he is. He doesn't look for artifacts for their power, he wants to uncover them for museums, for them to be seen and understood. And here, it takes NO time for him to accept that there are Aliens. And I mean, after seeing what he's seen, he has to accept that there is a God, but Aliens are the one thing he still can be skeptical about and he isn't. He just accepts it... And that's just... not right.

I still think this was a pretty good movie, i'd give it a 7-7.5/10, and I really did enjoy it. But It could have been sooooo much better.

I dunno, he was pretty skeptical when Spalko inferred the skulls were alien. Indy: ". . .come on."

Otherwise, I'd agree. It's definitely better on a second viewing. Obviously, you're not going to change your mind if you hate it, but those that are conflicted should do themselves the favor of rewatching it.

Also: I think everyone else is watching some different version of Temple of Doom, because the one that goes into my DVD player has a screaming uninteresting bimbo, a bumbling indy, and horrible racist charactures of a native people. Also the plot is stupid. The other two movies have him dealing with The Ark of the Covenent, and The Grail... Temple deals with GLOWING ROCKS THAT ARE NEVER PROPERLY EXPLAINED. There is no wonder, no real archaeology. Its just half-assed fight sequences over a half-assed story.

I put Temple in the same category as this movie. Spalko is a ridiculous over-the-top Russian just as much as the Indians are in ToD. The Stones. . .well, their powers aren't really explained, but their origins are as are their abilities to protect the village. And Indy is just badass in ToD, I dunno how you think he's bumbling.

I'll give you Willie, though. Easily the most annoying character in the entire series.

 

[Void.M]

Funny that no one has mentioned that the Janitor from Scrubs is an FBI agent.

 

[Planet-man]

Ice did a while back. Neil Flynn! It's funny because he was also in The Fugitive, which they reference on Scrubs.