FILMandMOVIEmaking.com

2 stars**

It’s unfortunate when you read and hear so many reviews of a film before you see it and gain a dissatisfied opinion before even reaching the drive-in. However, I do prefer my own opinion and the chance to view the delivery with my own my eyes. So I paid my dollars and settled in to at least give it a chance that so many appeared to failed to have done, looking around the half empty location.

My good lady and I exchanged a few ‘well it appears okay to me’ views during the initial fifteen minutes, so it looked like we were set to stay. Others had different ideas and unless it wasn’t other ideas taking people home, several cars left before the end so they’ll never know what happened, unless of course, they guessed, which was perfectly easy. There was just the one twist which almost twisted back, but stayed where it was. Otherwise, it was pretty much as we’d expected from an Indy film.

For those not in the know: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a new adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. Now there are two names to ensure people park their rears in the cinema. Set in 1957, the fourth film in the Indiana Jones film series pits an older Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in opposition to the KGB of the Soviet Union, led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), in the search for a crystal skull. Indy is helped by his former lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the greaser “Mutt” Williams (Shia LaBeouf), and fellow adventurer Mac (Ray Winstone). John Hurt and Jim Broadbent also play fellow academics.

Harrison Ford plays the role just as we’d all expect, no more, no less; a highly competent delivery. A few jokes, but not so many about his age as other reviewers had stated. Those same reviewers also reflected upon Cate Blanchett’s performance, but I thought she again played it exactly as expected; if she’d been in an older Bond film, people would have said the girl had prepared and played it well.

A special word for Ray Winstone; he’s reached the select category now that if he’s in a film, you must get to see it, it’ll probably be good. Here he continues his fine acting performances with yet another on target role, most suited for him.

Here’s the rub; the film is okay, just okay. The action scenes don’t have you out of your seat. The long intervals between action scenes (commonly known as the dialogue that links one set of action to the next) are too long and leave you waiting. The script is okay, but the story lacks any real bite, but that’s okay; it’s an Indy film and we know what to expect.

If they make a Lethal Weapon 5, I won’t bother after almost falling asleep through 4, but if the Indy team go for number 5, I’ll give it a try, but it might be my last one.

It lacks the punch of the first three and maybe they’ve made one too many.