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Padawan Learner
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Last Login: 23/08/2008 00:31:56
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Here's your dedicated discussion for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Make sure you check out James and Mark's Review!
I got back from a midnight screening of Indy about an hour ago, and felt the urge to share some of my thoughts - there will be many more to come, this is a small portion.
I actually can't decide if I liked it or not. If I did, it's a similar liking to that of the Temple of Doom. Some of the small things I found ridiculous (such as the praire dogs, invincible fridge, non-scary waterfalls) I could have lived with had the ending felt more rewarding.
The problems I have with the ending are partly the uncomfortableness of seeing an alien and flying saucer. If I can get past these (after all, it's no more crazy than a knight multiple centuries old), then I can be on board with the film. My other issue with the ending is this inter-dimensional thing. You can't just have a character declare it, it needs explaining!! Or at least explaining how he knew!! And why do inter-dimensional beings need a spaceship!?
Other issue: the wedding!? Ludicrous. You can't end a film with a wedding without a romance plot!! Indy and Marion had almost no screen time together, and then we're supposed to be on board with the wedding?! This was also a bit of a let-down as I'd hoped for something approaching the perfection of the riding-off-into-the-sunset.
This speaks to the larger problem which was Ox and Marion's characters being so woefully under-developed and used. Ray Winstone was great as Mac, who was a relatively well drawn character, and had my funniest moment in the film - "you don't know him, you don't know him, you don't know him...."
Mutt Williams was a great character. The stuff between him and Indy early in the film was pure gold, a shame there was so little later on. This felt like the main real relationship in the film, and why I actually think it would have benefited without Marion's involvement. I wouldn't like to see him replace Indy in a 5th film, I felt the protege role was well suited but couldn't see him as a plausible leading hero. The hat moment was genious, almost having me jumping out of my seat in anger but instead being very amusing.
The humour was all over the place - stuff like the praire dogs annoyed me, Indy films haven't previously been that broad, but the more natural-feeling character humour was excellent, as it was in the Last Crusade.
Also, the stuff at the beginning about a changed world and McCarthyism seemed to have next to no impact on the rest of the movie- very odd.
Overall, a strange experience. Now I know what to expect, I hope I can fully embrace it with another viewing, even if it doesn't match up to Raiders or Crusade. Apologies if this made little sense but it's nearly 4am!!
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Jedi Council
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| Hi Graham... I think once you've had some sleep and stand back without being so tired you'll agree with Mark and I that it was actaully quite good. Yes there were a few implausable bits ...did Indy not suffer any radiation sickness after his 'journey' in the fridge? ...is Mutt really Tarzan is disguise? ...a space ship at the end (this was slightly uncomfortable for me)? I felt Indy and Marion's relationship was quite well defined (based on the time given) - their facial reactions said it all for me and as Indy climbed out of the truck declaring that nobody ever came close to Marion, I think he said "they just weren't you". For me, that was it, they were destined to be together - nobody had ever came close to Marion for Indy or Indy for Marion - they were destined to be together. For me the wedding was as good as them riding off into the sunset beacuse it was the culmination of all Indy's adventures to date. The fact that Mutt tried to take Indy's hat but failed proved to me that Indy has at least one more adventure in him, with Mutt and Marion by his side, before Mutt takes over and Marion and Indy ride off into the sunset to 'retire'. Will Indy ever retire? 'No' - just like his father before him if something comes along that requires his attention he'll be there fighting for the right reasons. The snake scene was superb and one of my favourites of the film - Marion, Indy and Mutt worked so well in this scene. Other things that were great ...the fight in the Diner, the motorcycle chase (with Indy answering a question at the of the chase), the fight in the hangar (with a glimpse of that 'Ark'), parts of the Jungle Chase and more... No other film franchise injects so much humour, action and adventure all at the same time and it's great to have Indy back. When Lucas created Indy he created the ultimate action hero and Raiders is for me is probably my favourite or IDEAL action film in this sort of genre EVER. TKOTCS is no Raiders but for me it comes close. I loved the nod to SW... "I've got a bad feeling about this..." - that was delivered exactly at the right time. I don't know if there was anything else but we'll see upon subsequent showings. I'm looking forward to taking the children at the weekend...
An old wise Jedi once said "Do or do not, there is no try..." 
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Padawan Learner
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Last Login: 27/05/2008 01:54:56
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So, I'm going to see the movie tonight, but I heard that the opening Paramount logo is the 1980's style and if they have stuff like that (homages and such) in the movie, I won't mind it. Going with my family and should be one heck of a time! 
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Jedi Council
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| Like most people, after a wait of 19 years and with initial reports suggesting that the film wasn't all-that-great, I wasn't sure what to expect, but having seen the movie last night, my initial impressions are fairly positive. On the whole, I think that the movie worked really well, and I didn't find there to be that many cringeworthy moments in the movie. The dialogue wasn't too cheesy (you know what I have to say about bad dialogue!), and whilst the indestructible fridge, me Mutt, you Jane and the prairie-dog scenes may have been bordering on the ridiculous, there is still much to enjoy. However, I'm still not sure about the whole alien/flying saucer plot; whilst the previous movies have all contained some rather far-fetched themes, this to me is taking it to the extreme. In the first three movies, I tend to think that there was always an element of reality to everything, whereas the idea of beings from another planet visiting earth for me just doesn't sit right. With the exception of a centuries-old knight and the manner in which the various villains met their death, Indiana Jones for me has always been seated in the tangible, giving you a sense of "that COULD happen". TKOTCS seems to reside more in the realms of fantasy than Raiders, TOD and the Last Crusade ever did. There's so much more that I could say, but at the end of the day, I enjoyed the movie and came away feeling entertained. Further viewings will undoubtedly either reinforce or soften any niggles I have, but I'm hoping that, like TPM, I will have a greater appreciation for TKOTCS over time....
 "People say football is a matter of life and death" , " I believe it is much more important than that"
"Spider Pig, Spider Pig, does whatever a Spider Pig does, Can he swing from a web? No he can't, he's a pig..."
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Jedi
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| We saw Indy 4 this morning. I managed to avoid all spoilers (except the trailer), so I wasn't sure what to expect. Unfortunatly we came away from the movie feeling a little dissappointed. We both enjoyed the movie, but not as much as we hoped. Grahams and Adams comments on aliens / fridge / praire dogs pretty much sum up my feelings of what I didn't like. Having said that if theres a Indy 5, I would still happily go and watch it!
"What you think you're some kinda Jedi, waving your hand around like that?" 
"I'm a Toydarian. Mind tricks don'ta work on me-only money. No money, no parts! No deal!"
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Jedi
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Looks like indy's doing well at the box office so far. ($311 million in 5 days according to the news).Son Of Skywalker (24/05/2008)
So, I'm going to see the movie tonight, but I heard that the opening Paramount logo is the 1980's style and if they have stuff like that (homages and such) in the movie, I won't mind it. Going with my family and should be one heck of a time! Whats your view on the movie SOS? Has anyone seen the movie a second time and have your opinions changed after the second viewing? I feel I should give it a 2nd chance and go and see it again, but I doubt i'll get chance to.
"What you think you're some kinda Jedi, waving your hand around like that?"
"I'm a Toydarian. Mind tricks don'ta work on me-only money. No money, no parts! No deal!"
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Jedi Council
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| Seen it twice now and my opinion of it being a good film still stands... I think it's as good as the 'Last Crusade' which is better than 'Temple of Doom' but not as good as 'Raiders'... My kids loved it and want to see it again! I really think that the hype and 'ant'icipation for this one actually paid off! It's a great way to continue the Indy story 'ark'! Cheers James
An old wise Jedi once said "Do or do not, there is no try..."
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