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Indiana Jones whips up box office success in "Kingdom"
The whip-cracking university professor seen on screen in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" proved that Harrison Ford, who plays Dr. Jones, still has the brio to reprise his famous role, doing many of his own stunts for the 124 minute film. The plot elements are familiar, but what can you expect when you lock Director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas in a room and ask them to make a movie? Even if the visionary's names were left out of the film's credits, any moviegoer would be able to guess who was behind making the newest Indiana Jones. It's good to see Ford back. In fact, it's where he belongs. The mysterious ancient artifacts, smooth chase scenes and airplanes superimposed over continental maps... it all fits in the latest adventure. The film takes place in 1957, a time when Russians are the sum of all fears, pursuing the use of psychic powers to rule the world. Their leader, Irina Spalko, played by Cate Blanchett, wants to take advantage of Indiana's rough genius to locate a hidden crystal skull. Throughout the journey Indy picks up Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) as a sidekick, runs into trouble with an old partner (Ray Winstone) and reunites with his lost love Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). Yes, parts of the story can easily be tagged as maladroit, but the nostalgia adds a sense of credibility and trust to the plot. It's definitely not perfect, but it's Indiana Jones. The movie has its share of not-so-nice critters and too big a share of way-too-nice kid-friendly critters. The thrill is there, and so is the ride, for one last time. Indiana Jones remains as unpredictable as it is predictable, and as funny as it is serious. The PG-13 film is nonetheless entertaining as it's all the more fun to don a fedora and dig for clues.
E-mail Harrison at hkeely@ smokymountainsentinel.com.
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