I guess the best recommendation I can ultimately offer is this: As I write this review two days after the screening, I'm still humming the theme song.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:248
Fresh:190
Rotten:58
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Though the plot elements are certainly familiar, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still delivers the thrills and Harrison Ford's return in the title role is more than welcome.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for adventure violence and scary images.
Runtime: 2 hrs 42 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:22-05-2008
Synopsis: When we last saw Indiana Jones on screen, it was 1938, and the world stood on the brink of war as Dr. Jones chased down evildoers to find the Holy Grail. Nineteen years later, he’s cracking his... When we last saw Indiana Jones on screen, it was 1938, and the world stood on the brink of war as Dr. Jones chased down evildoers to find the Holy Grail. Nineteen years later, he’s cracking his whip again, and many things have changed ... but some have remained the same. Again, the world is at a precipice, this time caused by the specter of nuclear annihilation, and Indy’s struggle is once again to ensure that a precious, mysterious object remains safe from those bent on destroying humanity. --© Paramount Pictures [More]
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ray Winstone, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ray Winstone, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent
Director: Steven Spielberg
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: David Koepp
Story: George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson
Producer: Frank Marshall
Composer: John Williams
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Both the good and bad remind us that the most special thing about Skull is the man wearing the fedora and the rakish grin. He has never worn out his welcome, and this valedictory -- it can be nothing else -- is a fitting one.
The action sequences are staged and edited sloppily, a far cry from the death-defying stuntman extravaganzas of yore.
Grab your popcorn and cue the theme music, this is gonna be a fun ride.
When Kingdom rears back and delivers the goods, the result will reduce the average Indy fan to pudding. The film should offer a new pair of pants with every ticket.
There’s plenty of frantic energy in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, lots of noise and money too, but what’s absent is any sense of rediscovery.
Crystal Skull is hit-and-miss like the clunky 1984 sequel, Temple of Doom. And instead of the elegiac tone that lifted 1989's presumptive valedictory, The Last Crusade, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas have gotten sillier.
Ford simply is Indiana Jones, and as this movie proves, he always will be.
Spielberg proves once again that no one can direct an old-fashioned rollicking ride like he can.
It is the summer blockbuster's mother ship, built for speed but riding on fumes.
Is the whole thing preposterous? Yes. Is it a bit familiar and predictable? Possibly. Is it corny? OK, yes, a little bit. But again, it's fun and doesn't require too much thought.
An entertaining and inventive ride tailor-made for the summer movie season.
Offering fun, excitement, familiar things, new elements and roller coaster-ride adventure, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is all it promises to be.
Even after so much time away, this new film is easily the equivalent of its predecessors and perhaps the second best of the series. I loved watching it, and I can't wait to see it again.
As a continuation of a series that's captured the hearts of two generations over the last twenty-five odd years, it rocks.
You can't believe how badly I was waiting for this movie. You can't possibly imagine how badly I wish I'd never seen it.
Despite its many flaws, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an enjoyable romp that does no harm to the character's legacy.
Latest News for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the...
September 15, 2009:
Harrison Ford Waiting on Indy 5 Script ![]()
Waiting for another Indiana Jones movie? Well, cross your fingers -- Harrison Ford says he's ready and waiting for the script for a fifth installment. More...
June 16, 2009:
Has Spielberg 'cracked' the story for Indy 5? ![]()
Talking with the BBC for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Shia LaBeouf -- aka Mutt Williams, heir to the Indy franchise -- said that director Steven Spielberg has "cracked"... More...
June 10, 2009:
Harrison Ford Tops Forbes' Highest Earning Actors ![]()
Thanks to the deal he shared with producers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Harrison Ford emerged from the wilderness to... More...
January 21, 2009:
Razzies Name 2008's Worst Movie Nominees
No awards season would be complete without the Golden Raspberry Awards (AKA The Razzies), awarded each year to the very worst movies to hit Hollywood. This year's winners will... More...
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