‘Crystal Skull’: Not really
worth the wait

At the Movies
By Senitra Horbrook

Bruce Willis did it last year in Live Free or Die Hard. Sylvester Stallone did it in 2006 in Rocky Balboa, and earlier this year in Rambo.
Now it’s Harrison Ford’s turn.
All three of these gentlemen have reached into their acting closets to regain their former glory as legendary characters they first played decades ago.
For 65-year-old Ford, it’s been 19 years since the last Indiana Jones film, and some of the magic is definitely gone. Contrary to when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull doesn’t feel like anything new or innovative, just a rehashing of the other Indy films with some elements of the National Treasure movies.
So, while Raiders of the Lost Ark may live on in the minds of moviegoers, Crystal Skull will probably be just another forgettable summer action flick.
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr., the fedora-wearing archaeologist, is back on the big screen, and not only is he older and wiser, but he’s also not afraid to make a few jokes about it.
The previous three films were set in the 1930s, and, thankfully, director Steven Spielberg and writer/executive producer George Lucas saw fit to age this one 19 years later, making it 1957. It would have been more than odd if it were still the 1930s and yet gray-haired and wrinkled — I mean fine-lined — Indiana was still cracking the same whip.
This time around the villains are the Russian Communists, rather than the Nazis in previous films. Their leader is Irina Spalko (the talented Cate Blanchett is almost unrecognizable here in a wig and Russian accent). Irina and her cronies are in search of a crystal skull with some supernatural powers (Spielberg and his sci-fi fascination are on full display here). They need Indiana’s help to find it, but he’s not so willing to jump on board.
So they capture him, along with his former flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen, the leading lady from Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Also along for the ride is Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), who has a surprising connection to Indy. Well, OK, it’s only surprising if you’re one of the few who haven’t heard anything about the film, but I won’t spill the beans, just in case.
The actual plot of Crystal Skull seems to have been on the back burner, with the focus on cramming as many ridiculous action scenes as possible into a two-hour movie. The most absurd involves three death-defying waterfall drops. Another scene with monkeys comes pretty close.
I understand all the reasons Crystal Skull was made and why fans were looking forward to it. Ford wanted to show at age 65 that he’s still agile and that there’s a market for the older action hero. For fans, it’s a little piece of nostalgia for a time long ago.
Crystal Skull was a little crazy, but not completely terrible, and it’s worth seeing if you’re a diehard fan. I do think it’s time for Ford to retire the fedora and whip. That doesn’t mean it should be passed on to LeBeouf, either.
I will say this: Should Spielberg and Lucas feel the need to make a fifth Indy film, I implore them to choose a shorter title. ••
Movie Grade: B-