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Movie review: Indy still has the moves

By Amanda Brooks/Staff Writer

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Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf and Karen Allen, from left, in a scene from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." / Paramount Pictures

I remember my dad taking my brother and me to see the first “Indiana Jones” movie: I’ll never forget the gross and shocking end as the faces of the bad guys melted away, nor how excited I was to tell my mom all about it when I got home.

The latest installment, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” doesn’t quite live up to that first experience, but it is filled with fun and excitement and the rough charm of Indy that make you understand why there has been so much anticipation for this sequel, despite a nearly 20-year absence.

In this go-round, it is the 1950s at the height of the “red scare.” Enter Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko, a high level Soviet operative who is searching for unconventional weapons. She seeks objects of power, such as the legendary crystal skull, and tries through coercion and trickery to get Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to help her.

A nice thing about the film is that it

doesn’t ignore the intervening time. Indiana Jones is older, but age doesn’t slow Indy — or Ford — down very much. New character Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) may be younger and arguably more agile, but Indy is still the one with all the moves.

The character Mac (Ray Winstone) tries to tell the Soviet baddies trying to catch Indy, “You don’t know him!” as Indiana leads them on a wild chase through a warehouse. A combination of smarts and daring still make Indiana Jones a hard man to keep hold of.

Despite a somewhat awkward start — the opening scenes have the feeling of trying to shake off the stiffness that comes from resting for too long — the dialogue soon has an easy rhythm that accentuates Ford’s roguish charisma.

There is a scene near the end of the film that almost gives a sense of passing the torch from one generation to the next, but I think it would be a mistake to try to make more Indiana Jones movies with someone else in the lead.

LaBeouf is a strong actor who made a nice foil for Ford. He was the innocent who learns through experience. But he doesn’t have Ford’s easy swagger, his ability to be both irresistibly charming and aggravatingly smug at the same time, nor his crooked smile.

As usual, Blanchett is superb. Her Irina has a black cat quality: She is sleek and elegant, even in her plain Soviet uniform, but slightly sinister in her movements (completely sinister in her motives).

It is great to see Karen Allen on screen again as Marion Ravenwood — Indy’s love interest in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Her wide, infectious smile still charms and the banter between her and Ford has lost little of its zing.

Though the special effects are great (this is a Steven Spielberg and George Lucas production), the most exciting scenes are the ones done the old-fashioned way — with actors and stunt performers. With all the slick computer imagery we see these days, sometimes it’s nice to real people creating the thrills.

It was good to see that Lucas’ penchant for lunch-box tie-ins was kept to a minimum here. This film is refreshingly free of any Jar Jar Binks, Ewoks or Short Rounds (the little boy in “Temple of Doom”), so perhaps we can forgive the inexplicably recurring groundhogs.

This film, like its predecessors, blends action and humor well, though at least one joke seemed to go on a bit too long. Whether visual or verbal, the times to laugh are good breaks for the sometimes tense action.

I won’t give away the end, but an old interest (obsession, perhaps) of Spielberg’s finds its way into the film. Not that this is bad or works against the plot, but it is interesting. And knowing Spielberg’s film history can give away the end just a bit, if you’re a good guesser.

Overall, this is a welcome addition to the Indiana Jones catalogue. It may not be as good as “Raiders,” but it is much better than “Temple of Doom.” And a good time is sure to be had by all.

(3 1/2 stars out of 5)

Amanda Brooks can be reached at 737-1057 or at abrooks@lompocrecord.com.