| Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull |
| Written by Michael Portantiere | |||
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Directed by Steven Spielberg Screenplay by David Koepp Co-written and co-produced by George Lucas Starring Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf  Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL The action of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull takes place in 1957, so Indy's adversaries are no longer Word War II-era Nazis but, rather, Cold War-era Russians. Their leader, Irina Spalko, is played by Cate Blanchett, whose severe makeup, bobbed wig, and Eastern Bloc accent would probably have rendered her unrecognizable if her face weren't so distinctive. The screenplay sets Indy and the Russkies in search of the legendary lost city of El Dorado. Because both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had a major hand in this movie, as director and co-writer/co-producer, it's not surprising that extra terrestrials play a major role in the goings-on -- and though their presence doesn't do much for the plot, it leads to some truly amazing special effects at the end of the flick. (This is the kind of movie in which CGI might just as well stand for “Cool! Great! Incredible!”) One of the best things about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is that it brings back Karen Allen, who played our hero's love interest in the very first Indy film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. (As it turns out, they were apparently much more deeply involved that we realized.) Also along for the ride are John Hurt as Professor “Ox” Oxley and Ray Winstone as George “Mac” McHale, who may or may not be a double -- or triple? -- agent. An interesting addition to the franchise is Shia LaBeouf as a cocky kid named Mutt who, for some reason, emulates Brando in The Wild One. LaBeouf's name may be the most difficult to spell and pronounce in all of show business, but the good news is that he has considerable screen presence and great chemistry with Ford in the role of his new sidekick. The movie definitely has its groaners -- and, like most blockbusters, it's a little longer than it needs to be. Still, overall, this is a tremendously enjoyable pre-summer adventure. The huge Ziegfeld Theater was sold out for the screening I attended, and early box office reports have Indy on track to be one of the biggest Memorial Day openings in film history. So join the crowd; you'll have a great time.
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