Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

We went to the mall theater to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull after church and a quick burger this afternoon. I had read such scathing reviews from disappointed viewers that I went in with low expectations. The few positive reviews I had seen were an encouragement to me, but still... I dreaded another Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, second in the series and the one I never forgave them for.

I liked this one. I think it's not as good as the original film but every bit as good and probably better than the third one. It is fun and action-packed, but the best thing about this installment is the return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood. She's wonderful, with that beautiful smile, and I can believe in her full and happy life as Marion Ravenwood Wilson between movies 1 and 4.

There are some really cool scenes, including fencing scenes that The Younger Son says are about the best he's seen in modern movies. I'm not impressed by the monkey scene. That's the one scene I'd cut if I were given the choice, but then, what do I know. Some seem to like that scene.

I'm glad I went and will buy the DVD when it's available.

trailer:


Reviews:

Roger Ebert
Cinematical has a review and bunches of links.
/Film has links to early reviews.
NYTimes
Rolling Stone
Salon.com
CSMonitor
Variety
wired.com
Slate
scifi.com
Slant Magazine

Locus:

... there's still enough of the old magic, and heart, left in to leave no doubt that this was a film that everyone involved really wanted to make for the characters and story, not just for the paycheck. That, among many other virtues, is what elevates Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull above the vast majority of would-be blockbusters this and any other summer.

6/3/2008:
SFSignal has a review. He doesn't mention the return of Karen Allen.