Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers (WGA):

David Koepp (screenplay)
George Lucas (story) ...

Release Date:

22 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

In May, the adventure continues.

Plot:

Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

Plot Keywords:

Skull | Soviet | Professor | Supernatural | Artifact

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 5 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Indiana Jones
Cate Blanchett	...	Irina Spalko
Karen Allen	...	Marion Ravenwood
Shia LaBeouf	...	Mutt Williams
Ray Winstone	...	'Mac' George Michale
John Hurt	...	Professor Oxley
Jim Broadbent	...	Dean Charles Stanforth
Igor Jijikine	...	Dovchenko
Dimitri Diatchenko	...	Russian Suit
Ilia Volok	...	Russian Suit
Emmanuel Todorov	...	Russian Soldier
Pavel Lychnikoff	...	Russian Soldier (as Pasha D. Lychnikoff)
Andrew Divoff	...	Russian Soldier
Venya Manzyuk	...	Russian Soldier (as Veniamin Manzyuk)
Alan Dale	...	General Ross

Also Known As:

Fourth Installment of the Indiana Jones Adventures (USA) (working title)
Indiana Jones 4 (USA) (working title)
Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods (USA) (working title)
Raiders of the Lost Ark Sequel (USA) (working title)
The Untitled Genre Project (USA) (working title)
Indiana Jones y el reino de la calavera de cristal (Argentina) (Bolivia) (Chile) (Colombia) (Costa Rica) (Dominican Republic) (Ecuador) (Guatemala) (Mexico) (Panama) (Paraguay: Spanish title) (Peru) (Puerto Rico) (Spain) (Spain: Castilian title) (Uruguay) (Venezuela) [es]
Indiana Jones e o Reino da Caveira de Cristal (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Indiana Jones et le royaume du crâne de cristal (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Indiana Jones és a kristálykoponya királysága (Hungary) [hu]
Indiana Jones - Regatul craniului de cristal (Romania) [ro]
Indiana Jones Ka Aakhri Karnama (Pakistan: Urdu title) (alternative transliteration) [ur]
Indiana Jones e il regno del teschio di cristallo (Italy) [it]
Indiana Jones i el regne de la calavera de cristall (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Indiana Jones i kraljevstvo kristalne lubanje (Croatia) [hr]
Indiana Jones in kraljestvo kristalne lobanje (Slovenia) [sl]
Indiana Jones ja kristallikallon valtakunta (Finland) [fi]
Indiana Jones ja kristallpealuu kuningriik (Estonia) [et]
Indiana Jones kai to vasileiou tou Krystallinou Kraniou (Greece) [el]
Indiana Jones och Kristalldödskallens rike (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Indiana Jones och kristalldödskallens rike (Sweden) [sv]
Indiana Jones og krystalkraniets kongerige (Denmark) [da]
Indiana Jones og krystallhodeskallens rike (Norway) [no]
Indiana Jones und das Königreich des Kristallschädels (Germany) [de]
Indiana Jones ve Kristal Kafatasi Kralligi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Indijana Dzouns i kraljevstvo kristalne lobanje (Serbia) [sr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Ireland:12A | UK:12A | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG | Denmark:11 | Norway:11 | Finland:K-13 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | Spain:T | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44295) | Malaysia:U | Taiwan:PG-12 | Peru:PT | Germany:12 | Austria:10 | New Zealand:M | South Africa:13V | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The pictures of Marcus (Denholm Elliott) and Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery) shown prominently on Indy's desk are both from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) More difficult to spot is a photograph of Indy and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) on the fireplace mantel in Indy's home. A picture of Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) can be seen in the background on a cupboard when Indy is talking to Mutt. She is wearing her red stage dress from Club Obi Wan. A doctored photograph of a young Sean Connery and River Phoenix briefly seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) is also visible on a small table as Dean Stanforth (Jim Broadbent) enters the room.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the jungle chase scene Indy, Mutt and Marion are tied up in the truck and they knock the guard out and escape. Indy is seen many times after they escape and Indy has no weapons. When he gets behind the wheel of one of the vehicles his whip is on his left hip.

Quotes:

Mutt Williams: [as Indy sinks in a quicksand-esque substance, he is passed a long snake] Grab on. It's a rat snake!
Indiana Jones: Rat snakes aren't that big.
Mutt Williams: Well, this one is, all right? It's not even poisonous. Now grab on!
Indiana Jones: Go get something else.
Mutt Williams: Like what?
Indiana Jones: Like a rope or something.
Mutt Williams: There's no Sears and Roebuck here! Grab the snake!
Indiana Jones: Maybe I can touch the bottom.
Marion Ravenwood: There's no bottom. Now grab it.
Indiana Jones: I think I can feel it with my feet
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Paths of Glory (1957)

Soundtrack:

Wake Up Little Susie

Overstuffed action dominates incredible story and Indy's lame one-liners...

Contrary to what Mr. Spielberg thinks, there is no real McGuffin, and that's just one of the many drawbacks of this new Indy film. Furthermore, it's marred by overstuffed action sequences and Indy's lame one-liners, which becomes obvious after the first ten minutes.

When even HARRISON FORD's witty one-liners come across as lame and lifeless (as well as too few and far between), when John Williams' music over the end credits is the only thrilling moment you've really had, you know you're expectations have not been met. This Indy movie tries hard to approximate what went before--and even brings KAREN ALLEN back for a few laughs--but the story is a dismal thing about the desperate search for a Crystal Skull that gives the possessor all the knowledge he'll ever need. Somehow, it fails the McGuffin test that Steven Spielberg thinks he solved.

And yet, the world has such a hunger for another Indiana Jones movie that it's cleaning up at the box-office no matter how negative any of the reviews are. I wanted to like it because I miss a good Indiana Jones story as much as anyone--but this isn't it.

CATE BLANCHETT remains one-dimensional throughout, although her make-up is good and she looks the part of a Russian adventuress. SHIA LaBEOUF, in his black leather jacket, looks like he stepped out of a James Dean movie but never quite fits into this one. He and Ford have some good byplay but it's all so pat. And then we have JOHN HURT wearing a wild-eyed stare and the year's messiest male hairdo in what might have been an interesting role if we could figure out what he's all about.

HARRISON FORD is still afraid of snakes and there's a bonus scene where he has to hang onto one if he wants to get out of quicksand, but other than a few reminders of the Indy of past films, he looks a bit hardened and tired, lacking the zestful playfulness that characterized his earlier way with the part. The script makes concessions to his age, especially from him, to make sure we get the point.

Of course, he's not entirely to blame. It's an impossible comic book sort of story that needed a lot of re-working before they decided to go ahead and film it as is. All the story really does is serve as a sort of map on which to plant all the familiar action clichés--explosives, rapid machine-gunning, wild chases through the jungle, man-eating ants, waterfalls that fill the screen from one end to another, and comic book villains that survive every punch with little more than a flinch as Indy swings at them from every direction while he remains relatively unscathed even without using his whip. Despite the strongly realistic sound those punches make, nobody suffers a broken jaw--just minor bruises.

The chase scene at the end is almost numbing in its wildly overdone mishaps. There's no satisfaction to be had at the end except for the wind-up that has him tying the knot with Marian Ravenwood after all these years. That and the brilliant but familiar John Williams score that sounds wonderful over the end credits without all the explosive action drowning it out.

Better luck next time, Mr. Spielberg. And a better McGuffin. You can cry all the way to the box-office gold.