| Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 8/10 or ****/***** stars Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is certainly not another Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade (I wasn't expecting a film of the same caliber as those films, which is the reason why I'm not greatly disappointed), but it's a great, outlandish, nostalgia-heavy adventure, and Steven Spielberg's most entertaining picture in years. Although Harrison Ford hasn't played the titular character in nearly two decades, he's just as charismatic, dashing, and witty as he was in the previous installments; it's truly an effortless performance. Shia LaBeouf and Karen Allen, returning as Indiana Jones' old flame Marion Ravenwood, are quite good here, and their chemistry with Ford is terrific. The story is pure mumbo-jumbo, but it's compelling and in keeping with the Indiana Jones universe. After a nineteen year hiatus, Indiana Jones, one of cinema's greatest characters, has finally returned to the silver screen, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a more than worthy addition to the series from the team of Spielberg, George Lucas, and Ford. Strider |