Welcome back Indy!
But!
Shia LaBeouf? I do not like the guy. At all.
I can't say I loathe him. But he's just not the right guy to be the next Indy. Or Indy's son. He looks nothing like Indy or Marion. I walked out of Disturbia probably in part because of his lame ass.
But the new Indy movie? I liked. But it was the weakest of all the Indy films. It just was not as badass action wise as the other ones. The others came at you fast and furious. Where it was action, chases, fights, humor, ridiculous stunts. And it worked. Spielberg has lost his edge. Which surprises me after seeing his amazing work in Munich.
And Indy in a lead lined fridge surviving a nuclear explosion? Sorry, even that's just plain lame for an Indy film. The fall down to the ground would have killed him.
Now something like that in a Hong Kong cinema film? Sure, I could buy that in one of those films. But not an Indy film. They are over the top but not THAT over the top.
And why didn't they have a gross out scene like snakes in the first one and bugs in the second one and rats in the third one?
What? CGI ants are gonna make us squirm in Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull? Hell no! CGI sucks!!!
Plus the camera set ups were on the lame side. Too many static master shots with not enough coverage. And the action scenes just were not up to the first trilogy.
Plus? Too much George Lucas inspired green screen! Some shots felt like they were digitally inserting actors into scenes where they had not filmed the two or more actors together!
In the first set of films? They shot on location when they did the action scenes. This had too many craptastic green screen CGI sequences!
If you are doing a chase by a cliff. Shoot by a real cliff! Use stunt people, make it real. Not a bunch of cringe worthy CGI.
And do NOT get me started on that AWFUL sequence where Mutt swings with the CGI monkeys on vines like Tarzan! UGH!
Man! I hate (excessive) green screen!
And Harrison looked good but here and there too old and slow. And Karen Allen just looked WAAAAAAAAAAAY too old in some scenes. Why didn't they dye Harrison's hair like they did Karen's?
Or just use some digital fixes like the did in the beginning of X-Men: The Last Stand to make the actors look a few years younger? That is the one place in the new Indy film where they SHOULD have used a touch of CGI!
Kate Blanchett was sexy and tough and evil as hell as the bad girl in this movie. She does the best she can with this material and still gives a great performance. And I liked plot elements of the Area 51 inspired aliens.
And does Indy get a chance to use his bull whip? Almost never other than a few (once again) crap CGI bull whip scenes! CGI bull whip stuff in an Indy movie. Does anyone remember the live action scenes of Harrison using his whip in the first trilogy of Indy films? Is he too old to use a bull whip now? Heaven help us all.
They should have made the film five or ten years ago. And I wished Sallah was in this as well.
Overall? It worked and I liked it. Despite the mucho ass flaws and sometimes douchealicious screenplay and dialog. The other films had memorable lines galore! And chemistry between the actors! This lacked a WHOLE lotta both!
HOO-AH!
But!
Shia LaBeouf? I do not like the guy. At all.
I can't say I loathe him. But he's just not the right guy to be the next Indy. Or Indy's son. He looks nothing like Indy or Marion. I walked out of Disturbia probably in part because of his lame ass.
But the new Indy movie? I liked. But it was the weakest of all the Indy films. It just was not as badass action wise as the other ones. The others came at you fast and furious. Where it was action, chases, fights, humor, ridiculous stunts. And it worked. Spielberg has lost his edge. Which surprises me after seeing his amazing work in Munich.
And Indy in a lead lined fridge surviving a nuclear explosion? Sorry, even that's just plain lame for an Indy film. The fall down to the ground would have killed him.
Now something like that in a Hong Kong cinema film? Sure, I could buy that in one of those films. But not an Indy film. They are over the top but not THAT over the top.
And why didn't they have a gross out scene like snakes in the first one and bugs in the second one and rats in the third one?
What? CGI ants are gonna make us squirm in Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull? Hell no! CGI sucks!!!
Plus the camera set ups were on the lame side. Too many static master shots with not enough coverage. And the action scenes just were not up to the first trilogy.
Plus? Too much George Lucas inspired green screen! Some shots felt like they were digitally inserting actors into scenes where they had not filmed the two or more actors together!
In the first set of films? They shot on location when they did the action scenes. This had too many craptastic green screen CGI sequences!
If you are doing a chase by a cliff. Shoot by a real cliff! Use stunt people, make it real. Not a bunch of cringe worthy CGI.
And do NOT get me started on that AWFUL sequence where Mutt swings with the CGI monkeys on vines like Tarzan! UGH!
Man! I hate (excessive) green screen!
And Harrison looked good but here and there too old and slow. And Karen Allen just looked WAAAAAAAAAAAY too old in some scenes. Why didn't they dye Harrison's hair like they did Karen's?
Or just use some digital fixes like the did in the beginning of X-Men: The Last Stand to make the actors look a few years younger? That is the one place in the new Indy film where they SHOULD have used a touch of CGI!
Kate Blanchett was sexy and tough and evil as hell as the bad girl in this movie. She does the best she can with this material and still gives a great performance. And I liked plot elements of the Area 51 inspired aliens.
And does Indy get a chance to use his bull whip? Almost never other than a few (once again) crap CGI bull whip scenes! CGI bull whip stuff in an Indy movie. Does anyone remember the live action scenes of Harrison using his whip in the first trilogy of Indy films? Is he too old to use a bull whip now? Heaven help us all.
They should have made the film five or ten years ago. And I wished Sallah was in this as well.
Overall? It worked and I liked it. Despite the mucho ass flaws and sometimes douchealicious screenplay and dialog. The other films had memorable lines galore! And chemistry between the actors! This lacked a WHOLE lotta both!
HOO-AH!