Sorry fans, the cynics are going to win this one. I did not go into Crystal Skull expecting the second coming. What I did expect was to feel some semblance of that old Hollywood magic we were so accustomed to in the prior trilogy.
Not so with the latest Indiana. There just isn't any drive to this installment. Despite Spielberg and Lucas's blatant formula-following with all of the obligatory giant set-piece action scenes intact, two ingredients which feel sadly missed are heart and soul (despite trying to fulfill those categories late, it only feels more creatively creepy instead).
As soon as the film begins it becomes apparent that a time-warped fondness which possess it's creators will forbid the movie to shine in any current way, playing out more like a musty homage then a genuine sequel (which feels no more apparent then throughout Ford's tired, dispirited scowl-possessed demeanor). If anyone dropped the ball though, it seems to be Lucas, whose storytelling credibility has truly eroded to the core. Thanks to his plot guidance this retread becomes completely unnecessary and empty- an opposite of what the well-crafted prequels offered in escapist fare.
Not so with the latest Indiana. There just isn't any drive to this installment. Despite Spielberg and Lucas's blatant formula-following with all of the obligatory giant set-piece action scenes intact, two ingredients which feel sadly missed are heart and soul (despite trying to fulfill those categories late, it only feels more creatively creepy instead).
As soon as the film begins it becomes apparent that a time-warped fondness which possess it's creators will forbid the movie to shine in any current way, playing out more like a musty homage then a genuine sequel (which feels no more apparent then throughout Ford's tired, dispirited scowl-possessed demeanor). If anyone dropped the ball though, it seems to be Lucas, whose storytelling credibility has truly eroded to the core. Thanks to his plot guidance this retread becomes completely unnecessary and empty- an opposite of what the well-crafted prequels offered in escapist fare.