Indiana Jones IV: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull




Posted by maian

A lot of my friends absolutely hated it, and I'm sure those of you who see it soon will know why.

But me? It was everything I expected it to be. I wasn't expecting stunning brilliance, nor stinky crap. I expected a fun, entertaining Indiana Jones adventure, and honestly, it's what I got. I'm not let down. It was good to me.

And looking back, the ending was just as ridiculous as the other Jones movies, for those about to rag on it.

Anyway, THIS THREAD IS FOR INDY 4 DISCUSSION AFTER YOU NON-PREMIERE PEOPLE HAVE SEEN IT




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X

Man, I hate how everyone is saying 'Hey, it's mediocre, but that's what I expected!'

I was gonna go see it tonight, but everyone I'm buddies with have high school or college exams this week. **** it. At least that gives me time to rewatch Temple of Doom and Last Crusade.




Posted by maian

I don't think it was mediocre at all. I loved it. Many people, however, are going in with expectations that it will be like, better than the last ones. In reality, it's everything the other Indiana Jones films are. But, to others, the nostalgia factor and classicness of the old ones cloud their vision of what the new one will be like. No matter how hard it tries, it's not going to make you "feel" what you did with the other ones. But it has all the same plot elements, amounts of action, storytelling, quips, etc as the old ones. But, people are just expecting it to be another instant, beautiful classic. It's not going to make you feel that way, methinks.

At least, that's what I think. I really enjoyed the film, and yes, it's everything I expected it to be. I would've changed the last 10 minutes I think, but, y'know, what will be will be.




Posted by WillisGreeny

It can't be any worse than Temple of Doom. Willy was annoying.




Posted by Linko_16

I found it to be both good and bad in different places. The action was great, Shia LaBeouf worked into the film better than I expected, and they were very respectful to the character of Indiana himself, but the plot was so unbearably bland and stupid. I've read enough generic webcomics about college kids to know that when a writer breaks their own genre and resorts to [spo[color=indigo]iler][spoiler]ALIENS LOL[/spoiler][/spoiler], then they're completely ****ing out of any original ideas.[/color]




Posted by maian

Actually, apparently Lucas has been wanting to do an Indy film about [spoiler]ALIENS LOL[/spoiler] ever since Last Crusade, as it would tie into the UFO phenomena of the 50s. However, Spielberg thought it was too far fetched.

I was a little disappointed in that regard as well, but think about this: Would you have been let down if [spoiler]it didn't turn into a live alien and flying saucer? I think I would've been fine if it was just the alien skeleton that stared down Spalko, but the whole coming to life/saucer thing was a little overboard. [/spoiler] HOWEVER, I just told myself it's on par with the ridiculousness of Last Crusade's ending, so I'm pretty much fine with it.




Posted by WillisGreeny

I just realized Karen Allen is in this... Where the **** have I been?!?! I must have overlooked this in the other threads, or didn't realize who she was for some reason. Do they explain the relationship stuff between the movies? I remember watching the 2nd movie, confused as to what happened between Miss Ravenwood and Indie since there was a new love interest.




Posted by maian

I'll explain it in spoiler tags. :cookie:

And, if you really don't want to know some details about all the characters in the movie, you may not want to read.

[spoiler]Basically, she appears about halfway through the film. To make a long story short, after Raiders, Indy and Marion hooked up. A couple weeks before the wedding, they flaked out or something, and went their seperate ways. Marion ended up marrying some guy named Jeremy Williams or something, I don't really remember, shortly after having Mutt Williams, AKA, Shia Labeouf. This was her and Indy's lovechild, although he thought the whole time the other guy was his dad. Ironically, Mutt's real name is Henry Jones 3. Indiana didn't even know Mutt was his child until Marion tells him.[/spoiler]




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X

[quote=WillisGreeny;848524]I remember watching the 2nd movie, confused as to what happened between Miss Ravenwood and Indie since there was a new love interest.
Temple of Doom happens in 1935. Raiders of the Lost Ark happens in 1936.

Although I haven't seen the film yet, I'm well aware of the [spoiler]ALIENS![/spoiler]. Apparently Ford and Spielberg were against the idea right from the film's original draft in the early 90s. You have Lucas to blame for them. Entirely. I think it's ridiculous that they'd rely on [spoiler]ALIENS![/spoiler], when there's a myriad of ancient mythology to run with.




Posted by Tyler Durden

Up until the end sequence, I was into it..

Did anyone notice the Lost Ark prop cameo?




Posted by nintendope

i burned a copy last night. didnt watch it through. passed out on pain killers. i'll probably watch it at some point today. have alot of time on my (hand). just had shoulder surgery so i only have one arm lol. what i saw so far wasnt all that exciting tho.




Posted by Tyler Durden

So.

What you're trying to tell us, is-

You were fapping to Indy, and did so until the drugs knocked you out?




Posted by nintendope


Quoting Tyler Durden: So.

What you're trying to tell us, is-

You were fapping to Indy, and did so until the drugs knocked you out?


i wish, i lost my good hand. cant fap it to anything really. i use my left as the starter and my right as the finisher. dont feel like giving myself blue balls. =P



Posted by maian

Haha yeah, I saw the Ark. That was a funny little touch. I also liked references to the past Indiana Jones films, such as Marcus' statue's head coming off.




Posted by Tyler Durden

[quote=maian;848865]Haha yeah, I saw the Ark. That was a funny little touch. I also liked references to the past Indiana Jones films, such as Marcus' statue's head coming off.


Yeah, I noticed that too-
What set it off for me was Indy's expression upon seeing Marcus' bronzed head landing in that KGB agents lap.

I guess the subtle mood for IJ4 was a passing of the torch-like plot. Indy feeling as though he had no one to lend off his legacy to, as Henry Sr had done with him. [spoiler]Which became apparent that he had an heir to the Jones legacy all along. When Marion Ravenwood revealed to him that 'Mutt' was actually his son, and he then went on to scold Mutt for dropping out of school-

I just hope Lucas doesn't plan on passing off any direct sequels, with Shia LaBeof as the intial focus for "archaeological adventurer". It needs steps, I'm just not ready to see Harrison Ford leave his spot as Indy.[/spoiler]




Posted by omegga

o *** why did they use this story!! look back at the other films:

firstly it was about the 10 commandments
then a satanic group of maniacs
then the holy grail

(they all kinda have an underlying theme of religion)

and now THIS!!? i have honestly never been so dissapointed by a film, the cast, performances and sets were great, but its just an absolute cop out of a story.. a clear example of an oversized budget...

George Lucas has lost it, thats two great film franchises he's ruined.. wonder whats next??




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X

The [spoiler]ALIENS![/spoiler], aren't really an issue in my opinion. At this point, Indy's witnessed an entire Nazi sect having their faces melted off by the wrath of ***, a guy who can pull living hearts out of people, and a 500 year old knight. Not to mention all the other freaky stuff from the adventure games and comic books. [spoiler]ALIENS![/spoiler] are, at this point, a minor phenomenon. It's in keeping with the 50s B-movie feel, anyway.




Posted by Tyler Durden

[quote=The X;849131]The [spoiler]ALIENS![/spoiler], aren't really an issue in my opinion. At this point, Indy's witnessed an entire Nazi sect having their faces melted off by the wrath of ***, a guy who can pull living hearts out of people, and a 500 year old knight. Not to mention all the other freaky stuff from the adventure games and comic books. [spoiler]ALIENS![/spoiler] are, at this point, a minor phenomenon. It's in keeping with the 50s B-movie feel, anyway.

Word, yo-

Indy even had to fend off Nazis from invading Atlantis once. I remember that game, came out in 92-

Fate of Atlantis. Which is a clear example of how strung out Jones' quest SHOULD get. IJ4 did bother me somewhat, with it being on a large budget, and all we get handed is this knock-off [spoiler]alien[/spoiler]. Way to go Lucas, your cg/fx and design crew are still very good at sucking with the imagination department.

I understanded with the explanation they hand us of the binding of infant skulls and the manifestation of certain technological advances enough to know before hand where the plot was heading. And at first, I embraced it. I still don't mind how it worked out, but **** the ending events.




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X

The treasure was KNOWLEDGE. DON'T YOU SEE?




Posted by maian

Gawd, I hate the people who bag on the look of the alien. (Sorry, I don't think it's much of a spoiler at this point)

Why did he do aliens in the first place? Lucas was trying to capture the feel of the 50s era. More specifically? Like The X said, a 50s B-Alien movie. If it was anything besides a "gray", it wouldn't have quite done that. In the 50s, the only image of an alien anybody ever knew was the most generic kind. That's how it BECAME so generic, and that's why it's the kind seen in this movie.

And yeah, I still just don't...understand the people who say it's too over the top. Honestly, like someone has pointed out, The Last Crusade ends with Indiana Jones crossing an invisible bridge, to find a 400 year old knight that's been guarding Jesus' Holy Grail, which is indeed magic, as he watches a Nazi leader's face age to death in three seconds and then explode.

And in this one, I guess I'll put it in spoilers,

[spoiler]There's thirteen Alien skeletons, that combine to create one, who explodes a Communist's face, and then they fly out to space.[/spoiler]

It's just as over the top as Last Crusade or even Raiders, if not less.




Posted by Tyler Durden

Okay, so the alien looked bad-
But Maian, should we settle for the traditional humanoid structure?

[quote]
[COLOR=dimgray]There's thirteen Alien skeletons, that combine to create one, who explodes a Communist's face, and then they fly out to space.[/COLOR]


Jesus' Christo, I hate quoting spoilers-
counter spoiler!

[spoiler]They didn't just fly out into space, they crossed dimensions. If you don't recall, Proffessor Ox' refered to them as "Inter-dimensional travelers". And Irina Spalko's face wasn't exploded off, she gained so much knowledge that her human mental faculties couldn't withstand that much information, causing her to spontaneously combust and vaporize.[/spoiler]




Posted by WillisGreeny

Way...to...go... ruined the whole fukken movie. New rule, DON'T QUOTE SPOILER TAG COMMENTS.

Actually, I read every single one. Still, The X, Maian, and everyone else tried their best to keep the [spoiler]aliens[/spoiler] a secret, and you go and blow it. Niiice.




Posted by Tyler Durden

[quote=maian;849291]Gawd, I hate the people who bag on the look of the alien. (Sorry, I don't think it's much of a spoiler at this point).

[quote=WillisGreeny;849302]Way...to...go... ruined the whole fukken movie. New rule, DON'T QUOTE SPOILER TAG COMMENTS.

Actually, I read every single one. Still, The X, Maian, and everyone else tried their best to keep the [spoiler]aliens[/spoiler] a secret, and you go and blow it. Niiice.

I'm pretty sure if you back pedal the thread a bit, you'll notice I kept it spoil-free as best I could. It's just these *** ****'d spoiler text colors and quote backgrounds never work out together. Jesse should change the quote fields to match the regular text field of posts. I mean, we know it's a quote from directly reading "QUOTE" before the text field. **** colors and **** themes.

And, WG-
[spoiler]ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS
ALIENS[/spoiler]




Posted by WillisGreeny

[quote=Tyler Durden;849303]
And, WG-
[spoiler]I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay
I'm gay[/spoiler]

K. :horse:




Posted by Tyler Durden

Oh wow, changing my words around-
now where have I seen that before?




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X

Just seen. This film was all kinds of crazy fun, in the same vein as every Indiana Jones film before. It just needed more whips and less accompanying characters. Ox and Mac were unnecessary.




Posted by Tyler Durden

[quote=The X;850279]Just seen. This film was all kinds of crazy fun, in the same vein as every Indiana Jones film before. It just needed more whips and less accompanying characters. Ox and Mac were unnecessary.

I felt the same way-
They just didn't seem to do much for the whole plot, other than get in the way and botch **** up for Indy.




Posted by Bebop

Barely mediocre. I never understood why people were getting high expectations when it was announced, even after the trailers, but I'm glad I come out not as disappointed as the majority.

The film was turd. Acting was wooden. Dialouge shocking and CGI was wank. It can't be a good thing if the opening shot is of a badly CGIed gopher. Or that only 4 people guard Area 51 it would seem.

I'm aware it's a silly family film but there are some things that were not family friendly (poison dart in mouth, genocide of the natives) and too silly (soviet hating monkeys. Seriously, what?).

The alien thing worked pretty well. It didn't really ruin the film and the design on them and the spaceship kept with the 1950s feel.

Shame the sets didnt. I'm not sure whether it was the colouring or the production design but they didn't seem beleiveable. The ones in the earlier films felt less like plywood.

Ray Winestone. What was the point in his character?

Action. Bland. No part of this film got my heart racing.

Refrences to older Indy films was cool, except for YTMNDs odd photo. For some reason it made me laugh.

I'm glad they didn't go overboard on the "lol hes old" stuff and I'm happy Indy remained very much the main character. Shia didnt ruin it too much either.

But problem is that for a film placed, filmed, made and starring people years older than the original trilogy it seemed so desperate in reclaiming it's youth rather than enjoying it's golden years. It came 20 years too late. In the 80s it would have been fine as this is very much a film of that decade, but the filmmakers couldnt seem to let go.

The exterrestial twist was a needed change but unfortunately for this old relic it needed it's heart jumped a few more times before it died miserably on the operating table.




Posted by BLUNTMASTER X

[quote=Bebop;850295](soviet hating monkeys. Seriously, what?).
Raiders of the Lost Ark had a Nazi monkey spy. C'mon, a lot of your logic could be applied to the other films too.

I think the one thing they failed to do when attempting to recapture the feel of the old movies was use the same type of camera. A slightly grainy filter would have helped it fit better with the other films.




Posted by WillisGreeny

[quote=Bebop;850295]
But problem is that for a film placed, filmed, made and starring people years older than the original trilogy it seemed so desperate in reclaiming it's youth rather than enjoying it's golden years. It came 20 years too late. In the 80s it would have been fine as this is very much a film of that decade, but the filmmakers couldnt seem to let go.

But it was 89 after the third movie, which probably explains why there wasn't a big rush to make a 4th one since the 80s were almost done.

If my calculations are correct, 1996 would have been the best year.
The first movie was released in 81, followed by Temple of Doom 3 years later. Last Crusade came out 5 years after temple of doom, and by that time it was 89. So, 8 years after Crusade, we get 96! :horse:




Posted by misogenie

If the story added extra unexpected shockers like ancient monsters from Jurassic Park and King Kong thanks to the alien technology inter-dimensional time travel then it would definitely raise the frightening scream thermometer level to the max. I think Steven Spielberg is trying to be humble and does not want to be known as the biggest show off for winning more Oscars than any movie director in Hollywood history.

:canada2:




Posted by Bebop


Quoting The X: Raiders of the Lost Ark had a Nazi monkey spy. C'mon, a lot of your logic could be applied to the other films too.

I think the one thing they failed to do when attempting to recapture the feel of the old movies was use the same type of camera. A slightly grainy filter would have helped it fit better with the other films.


Earlier films had Chinky boy sidekicks and lacked fridges of safety. At times it went further than it's field of disbelief.

Camera might have helped but I think it's mostly production desgin. Everything look far too clean.