Grab your whips, archeology fans!

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I'm going tonight, God willing, and I'm pumped! I'll let you all know my thoughts after I see Indy once again kick some Evil butt!

Anyone else going tonight?

 

Definitely going to see this in the theater soon, if not today already. Cate Blanchett as an evil commie-vixen!

 

Went to see it yesterday, and oh my God, it sucked.

It was made even worse by the fact that I'm a huge Indy fan, and had spent the last three months watching the Young Indy series and the old movies in preparation for this one.



SPOILERS!!!

Spoiler

What was up with the aliens? This is Indiana Jones, not the X-files! On top of that I thought Spalko was a very weak villain, Mac was just annoying, and Ox served no purpose in the movie. Had they just gone with Indy, Mutt and Marion, I think it would have been a lot better.


I have to admit, though, I really liked the first part of the movie (aside from the aliens), but after being captured by the russkies in the jungle the movie got pretty bad. (Mutt in the vines, with his monkey army comes to mind, not to mention the freaking UFO in the end)


The last scene in the church with Indy snatching his hat back from Mutt was pure gold, though.


All in all, I was very disappointed in this movie. It could have been worse, but it could (and should) have been a lot better.

 

Not that bad, it is ok. The a-point you made is correct. The hat is just perfect.

 

About that A point, I think it's interesting when you consider Spielberg's filmography.

Truth be told, it suits the time period perfectly and you have to take into consideration that after the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail they would eventually hit on that one.

It's a thoroughly enjoyable adventure movie and that is what I expected. If you wanted a masterpiece or an Indiana Jones movie that would be better than Raiders of the Lost Ark you're bound to be disappointed.

Did anyone notice the Marlon Brando reference?

 

I enjoyed the film but did not feel that it compared with the first 3.

Spoiler

Each film dealth with religion in some way -- Judaic in the first, Hindu in the second, and Christianity in the third. I have heard some people say (and to be honest, I haven't followed their logic all the way on this one) that in an age that has seen religious institutions fall from social prominence, UFOS have filled that gap in society's imagination. I always thought that if there were a fourth Indiana Jones movie it would deal with Islam (very dangerous!), Buddhism, or Native Spirituality. I guess that in a sense this one touched on South American religion, but not very much.

The action sequences were good, but I was left confused about severl points. Not the good kind of confused, like a sense of wonder, but the bad kind, as in "what the hell was that?"

 

crap, saw the first 3 words in the thread name & thought we had a S&M thread starting


dang, i gotta go put the whip back up now...........

 

I enjoyed much of the action and the humor. Just a few rants though, some things just reminded me of The Mummy series...

Spoiler

Ray Winston reminds of Benny from the first Mummy... betraying weasel, got back, betrays again, greedy to the end and poetic justice. Swinging Mutt reminds of those monkey-like things in the jungle of the 2nd Mummy, and the dissappearing Aztec Pyramid, you guessed it, like the dissappearing Aztec Pyramid from the 2nd Mummy. One thing I was relief to see, when Mutt was about to wear Indy's hat, for a moment there, I thought the whip was going to be passed on.

 

I'm pretty pissed.

Spoiler

Seriously, what the hell is up with the aliens?! That was ridiculous. And the ending where they all fly off in a giant spaceship? WTF? This is Indiana freakin' Jones, not Star Wars or ET. Has Spielberg confused his movies? Yeah, I know the UFO-Mayan thing is a theory, but it's a STUPID theory.

The first half of the movie was very good, and that jungle car chase/fight scene was extremly virtuous and awesome. But yeah, monkey army. What the @#$%. That was just stupid.

Also, what the hell's up with Indy toting four sidekicks along? That's just annoying and drags them down. That crazy guy with the skull was pretty much pointless. And it just meant less development for other characters. The return of Marion Ravenwood was cool, but ultimately pointless.

There were like no deathtraps, either. None whatsoever. That little scene where they first find the skull? Pathetic. Little use of whips either. It's like they just threw in tiny bits of reference to the Indiana-Jones-ness to maintain the name.

I did enjoy the little references, like Marcus' painting in the background, the statue, the Ark of the Covenant, "I've got a bad feeling about this", etc. Humour weren't bad either, esp. the library scene with the student.

Didn't find Blanchett that bad. Yes, she was very cheesy "Ve vill do zis...how do you say...old fashioned way.", but the whole thing was cheesyish.

Atomic bomb was cool, but how the hell could Indy survive being tossed that far in a refrigerator or indeed not get radiation and die? It doesn't make sense.

So help me, if they're going to come out with new sequels staring Mutt Williams as the new Indy Jones, I'm going to freaking kill someone.

It ain't Last Crusade, boys.

 

I liked it, but it wasn`t better than 1 and 3. It was pretty much on par with Temple of Doom though. Both movies had some anoying stuff in it, that keeps them from being up there with the others, but the new one did give me that old "Indy" feeling, I must admit.

 

I just saw this with my family and my wife's family. As a huge Indy fan from when I was little (I seriously considered the Indy trilogy on the same level as Star Wars), I have to say it fits perfectly!

All the people that are complaining about there being no plot either fell asleep or don't remember the first three. Honestly, this probably had a bit more plot than the first three. All the people complaining about the content (in spoilers) also need to re-watch the first three. Magic water healing bullet wounds, people being turned to dust from drinking from the wrong glass, immortals, people's hearts being pulled out while still beating, and let's not forget the whole Arc of the Covenant thing.

If you really, truely enjoyed the first three Indiana Jones movies, you will love this one.

 

I thought about all that, NOG. Perhaps it's because some of the childish magic is gone from this that I don't like this film, but the previous three had religion as a main theme (okay, Temple of Doom just suckedf), while this just had a stupid, implausible conspiracy theory. I'm not saying the Arc or the Crusades thing is any more plausible, but at least they had a touch of the "Biblical occult" rather than the "freaky occult" that's in the fourth one.

I also enjoyed the third movie's inclusion of so many details. Indy's backstory, Indy's dad, etc, etc. I feel that it's not really topped by the fourth movie, and they didn't use the awesome potential from the Cold War.

Found this on Wiki:
"The film's long gestation meant the filmmakers had to give a new approach and setting. Instead of tributing Republic Pictures's 1930s serials, the film needed to be more like a 1950s B-movie."

If it's intentionally like that, then it's more alright, I guess. But still...Indiana Jones, man! Indy Jones!

 

Chill out Deathmage, it's not what you expected but it's a good movie. We have been waiting so long for a sequel that it's not surprising people are bound to be disappointed.

When the Last Crusade came out I was still a kid and I wasn't as critical about movies as I am today. When I went to see Indie IV I expected entertainment not art, neither did I expect a movie that could compare to Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Exactly, I think you hit the nail on the head.

There are many references to the other movies in the last. For instance, isn't Mutt Williams a cool name when you consider why Henry Jones Jr chose to be called Indiana?

 

I also loved the inclusion and tribute to old characters, like Ox.

Once again, I can just say I think the 'modern occult' focus fit in perfectly with the previous movies. They've always been kind of off the edge of realistic, which is part of their charm. I didn't like Temple of Doom as much mainly because it was obscure.

And how can you mention Indy's backstory as if complaining more of it wasn't here. You got 80% of the backstory of a whole new character, plus his development. And I think Mud's sticking around (and I'm pretty sure it was Mud, not Mutt, but I could be wrong).

 

It was Mutt, no question. That was a common nickname in the 50s, I believe (if anyone remembers Dead Poets Society, when Knox goes to the house party a few of the drunk football players mistake him for the brother of a guy they knew named Mutt. They kept toasting their old friend Mutt ("to mighty Mutt!") It was funny. But I digress . . .

I just didn't feel the plot held together as well as the first ones. This is not to say that things in the first movies were realistic -- far from it! But unless I missed something in the fourth movie there is no explanation even hinted at for some of the occurences. Going back to the first movie . . .

The Evil Nazis dare to tamper with the Ark of the Covenant. They open what they have no right to open. Indiana warns Marion that she must not look upon that which she has no right to look. God comes down (or sends an angel, you pick) and gets medieval on the butts of the Nazis when they look upon sacred things for their own evil / selfish ends. Indy and Marion are not harmed for their obedience and respect to God. That makes sense.

Next film. Hindu based, not many of us are familiar with this sort of thing unless we saw "Gunga Din" as kids -- I didn't, mind you. Anyhow, the fertility lingam is stolen and when the 5 lingams are put together they are supposed to give supreme ultimate power to the evil cultists using them. In the final fight scene, Indy tells the cult leader Mola Ram that by following Kali, Ram has betrayed Shiva. The rock (that was originally given by Shiva to a priest) lights up in response to Indy's accusation, and burns the blasphemer's hand, sending Ram tumbling down the cliff into the maw of some agitated crocodiles. Again Indy's knowledge and respect for religious figures protects him, as he is able to handle the rock right after it burns Mola Ram without damage to himself. This is internally consistent and can be figured out if one is paying attention.

Third film. The Grail too is holy, and those who seek it with impure intentions (thinking of their own glory) die a miserable death. The true purpose of the Grail is to "turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children" (not quoted in the movie but a good Scriptoral summation of the main thrust of the film, wherein Jones Sr. saves Indy and Indy listens to him rather than sacrificing himself like Elsa did. The reconciliation theme is really obvious.

Then the fourth movie.

Spoiler

Are the aliens good or evil? We can't tell. They seem almost True Neutral in terms of their behaviour, as really the only reward Indy gets is staying alive -- there is no lesson learned and Indy displays no superior knowledge or spiritual growth other than being smart enough to leave when the building starts coming down. Certainly the Russian woman asks for the wrong gift and the aliens cheerfully give it to her -- it's too much for her, proving she should have thought before making her wish to the alien crystalline "genie". The alien appears to observe her with interest as the gift it gave her kills her.

Some of the moral / theme can be guessed at but even following all the clues doesn't make for as satisfying a climax as the first three, at least in my humble opinion.

 

Omg, wtf.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356282,00.html
"Lucas 5 a possibility"

God...

 

I've got a bad feeling about this.

 

I loved the film. It was as good as all prevoius films!

 

Is George Lucas going to milk the Indy cow some more like the way he milked Star Wars?