Those few words, heard in most of the trailers and very early in the film seem to be a motto not only for Indiana Jones, but Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas as well. The original trilogy, even the inferior 'Temple of Doom', were all excellent popcorn entertainment. Even at its darkest the franchise was always fun. The latest movie, however, struggles to escape its silly moments.
The first problem is the script, it clangs and clatters with overly nostalgic sentiment and tons of references to other movies. This is all very well if it doesn't infringe on the action, but, in this latest film it feels like watching a Spielberg/Lucas memoir rather than an actual movie. Did George Lucas invent Star Wars? Well, really well done George but I already knew that and I didn't need Harrison FOrd to turn into Han Solo halfway through the movie and sigh, 'I have a bad feeling about this'. The same film also references 'The Untouchables', 'The Wild One', the obligatory references to the past Indiana 'best bits' and most of the fifties parts feel like we've walked into Lucas's American Graffiti.
The film is so self-congratulating it was hard to concentrate on the actual narrative. Which was ludicrous, going in directions Indie would never have dreamt of going in the past. The acting is all up to scratch although most of them are misused or pointless...ahem, Karen Allen. It also features an ending no true Indie fan could ever be happy with, collating all those negative feelings as the credits roll.
Spielberg is a talented director but he cannot keep making these kinds of movies. He has matured, as all directors do, and his 'serious' films seem to get more and more assured. But he is not a movie brat anymore, he has not been able to deliver with a blockbuster of this kind since Jurassic Park and he should stick to what he is now best at, serious movies for mature audiences. Leave the blockbusters to the new brats.
The first problem is the script, it clangs and clatters with overly nostalgic sentiment and tons of references to other movies. This is all very well if it doesn't infringe on the action, but, in this latest film it feels like watching a Spielberg/Lucas memoir rather than an actual movie. Did George Lucas invent Star Wars? Well, really well done George but I already knew that and I didn't need Harrison FOrd to turn into Han Solo halfway through the movie and sigh, 'I have a bad feeling about this'. The same film also references 'The Untouchables', 'The Wild One', the obligatory references to the past Indiana 'best bits' and most of the fifties parts feel like we've walked into Lucas's American Graffiti.
The film is so self-congratulating it was hard to concentrate on the actual narrative. Which was ludicrous, going in directions Indie would never have dreamt of going in the past. The acting is all up to scratch although most of them are misused or pointless...ahem, Karen Allen. It also features an ending no true Indie fan could ever be happy with, collating all those negative feelings as the credits roll.
Spielberg is a talented director but he cannot keep making these kinds of movies. He has matured, as all directors do, and his 'serious' films seem to get more and more assured. But he is not a movie brat anymore, he has not been able to deliver with a blockbuster of this kind since Jurassic Park and he should stick to what he is now best at, serious movies for mature audiences. Leave the blockbusters to the new brats.