This film is mainly on the list because I feel like it gets nothing but a bad rapt. When Indy 4 came out it broke a nearly 13 year long tension in me that had been brewing ever since I'd heard the possibility of a sequel to one of my favorite films of all time. For me, I was an Indiana Jones kid, I saw Star Wars later in my childhood. Indiana Jones was there from the beginning. I mean I was there back in the days when we thought this movie was going to be about Indiana Jones searching for the lost city of Atlantis or fighting the Chinese in San Fransisco trying to solve a mystery involving Chinese workers who built the American Rail system. I saw this film at a midnight release with many of my friends. I was so excited I could barely contain myself. It felt like I was on the edge of the biggest unknown of my younger days. Finally, I reached the end and asked my friends what they thought.
Really the plot for this film is one that I love. I have always had a thing for the stories of extra terrestrials and their involvement in shaping ancient history. Those were my bed time stories if I were to quote Indy, so I never really felt lost in this film as it seemed others were. The story takes place during the Cold War era, 1957 (just a year before my mother was born). the Soviets are hunting down the famous oblong Crystal Skull that is said to be part of a set of thirteen that once belong to a race of beings that inspired the Mayans. Indy is trying to stop them, but the Red Scare cause him to lose his job as a professor, so now he needs to stop the Russians to regain his position.
The Scene that truly reflects my feelings on this film is in the very first moments of this movie. Indy and his colleague are captured in Mexico and brought back to the states by a "rag-tag" team of Russian soldiers. They break into Area 51 where the leader of the "group," Irina Spalko, forces him to find a box that contains the remains of a creature who crashed his ship just outside of Roswell, New Mexico. Indy helps them find it, but escapes and so ensues a wonderful/classic Indiana Jones chase through the warehouse. Indy menages to escape but not after a mixture of "whip-swings," double crossing, a car chase and an interesting fist fight around a rocket sled.
I love this scene for many reason. Right off the bat it was god damn Indiana Jones through and through. Several years had been leading to this and the opener did not disappoint. Second, by combining Roswell Mythos and Indiana Jones in a clear cut manner was nothing more than pure nerd-gasm for me. Thirdly, it is just an all around wonderful scene. It is daring, intriguing, mysterious and above all else incredibly fun. Now, I'm not saying this film is perfect or that it is the best Indiana Jones film, but I still call it a highly underrated film.
I do have many issues with this film as well, anything that I could tell George Lucas's hands on (Monkey's on vines, "I've got a bad feeling about this," many of the CGI sequences) I had a real issue with. Also, I feel like Spielberg should have made this film in the 90s. However, Harrison Ford comes back in prime fashion, John Williams creates a wonderful score and there are some impressive scenes that feel like an Indiana Jones film instead of just acting like it. I have this movie along with the other Indiana Jones films on my iPod. If I'm in a bad mood, I'll watch this film and instantly feel better, because sometimes waiting really does pay off. I really enjoyed this movie and overall I'm happy I live in a world where it exists.
I swear my next film will have nothing to do with aliens.
No comments:
Post a Comment