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

4/5

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an enjoyable and entertaining thrill ride. It's a worthy successor to a historic lineage of awesome adventure movies. The plot weaves and wanders amidst side stories, double crosses, and misdirections, but at its core it tells the story of an aged Indy fighting Commies to restore a Peruvian artifact (the titular crystal skull) to its rightful place within the mythical city of El Dorado. Spielberg references and reunites old friends, which goes much appreciated by me. He is very much aware of the movie's roots, and this latest Indiana Jones sits firmly within its elders both in style and mood. Though some have complained of the "preposterous and outrageous" ending, of what we are expected to believe as audience-members, I believe it is no more preposterous or outrageous than the first three.

Perhaps my favorite part about this movie was the cinematography. The shot compositions and camera movements were unbelievable. Spielberg truly understands the medium of film and uses all his tricks here. I thought the editing and CGI could have used a little more work, but most of this is hard to notice because you're so entranced by the adventure. Which is simply astounding and breathtaking. The characters were believable and the acting made them come alive (although Cate Blanchett's character was a bit of a stretch). The music was fantastic: a perfect blend of nostalgia and reinvention. However, since it is a relatively simple adventure movie, there's not much to take home. Still, it's a must-see and one of the best movies of the year so far. Watch it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367882/

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

4/5

Despite all my jocular poopooing of the film, Star Wars is a great movie. I really enjoyed watching it. For the first time, I understand the devotion its fans give it. I saw it slightly inebriated, but quite in command of my faculties, and I saw it when about five people not watching it were in the apartment cooking and talking such that I couldn't hear the dialogue a lot of the time. (This may have actually improved its rating as it forced me to focus on the better aspects of the movie, such as cinematography and overall sound design, and less on the worse aspects, like the dialogue.) Now, onto the review.

Without a doubt, the best part about this movie is its unparalleled sound design. It was also extremely well-shot, with crisp and evocative cinematography. The set design and costumes were really well-done too. The plot progressed and blossomed very fluidly. There were many thrilling action scenes that put you on the edge of your seat, all within an imaginative and all-encompassing new world. But I found the characters to be two-dimensional and emotionless, spewing horrendously corny dialogue. Even when their foster parents get brutally murdered and their home planet gets destroyed, not a single tear is shed (although the uninspired requisite visual of a man sitting alone before the setting sun(s) did find its way into the piece). I cringed at the acting by whiny Mark Hamill and annoying Carrie Fisher, but most offensive of all were the ubiquitous scene wipes. How much cheesier can you get? Also, there was one major cut I really didn't appreciate, during the fight scene between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. Lucas cut to Luke/Leia/Han in the middle of one of the most climactic and iconic battles in all of science fiction history, and in so doing completely deflated the tension. It absolutely destroyed the entire scene for me. (Michael Bay does this in the Optimus Prime/Megatron fight in Transformers, so maybe he is paying homage to this?) Review over.

Now for my own ranting. I understand the need for directors to come out with "Director's Cuts" if the theatrical vision was not what they intended and had been changed from their original vision by the studio, but seriously what is Lucas doing? Leave this movie alone.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0076759/

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

4/5

This movie is an unforgettable icon and the peak of the adventure genre: traveling around the world solving ancient puzzles and just barely avoiding death, all while having the time of your life. Every scene is unforgettable and stays with you years and years after you first watch the movie. Watching it once again, a certain electricity spread throughout my body that allowed me to relive the adventure once more and ignore everything going on around me. Repeat viewings do not diminish the experience, but enhance it. The pacing is splendid, the musical score memorable, and the fun ubiquitous.

Technically, the editing and camerawork was only slightly above average and not very noteworthy. The plot is predictable and the action, while flashy and exciting, isn't very tense due to the comic flair they add to every scene. Also, it really isn't anything more than an adventure movie; there is no message or theme or emotion in this movie. But that just adds to the fun of it all! This movie is pure joy.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0097576/