Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I wanna begin by saying I am a bit of an Indiana Jones fan. I have never anticipated a film opening like I did this one. I was only 7 when the Last Crusade came out, so this would be my first opportunity to see Indy crack the whip on the big screen. I love that Spielberg still shoots his films in 35mm, even though we are in a time when digital is king. Digital film is being shoved down our throats, and until Indy came out, we didn't have a choice. When I was eagerly standing in line, the Ticket seller kept pushing for people to wait an additional 15 minutes so they could watch it in digital. I opted for the brilliance of the 35mm print. When the movie started Me and my wife were the only two people in there. That blew my mind. The ticket seller successfully moved 100% of the movie goers into a theater with a sub standard print. What sucked was whoever put the film together didn't know what they were doing, and they left out an entire reel. (A reel consists of 20 minutes of footage). The reel that was missing was the climax of the film, so the film skipped the entire last sequence and headed right into the credits. This error caused me to have to switch theaters and finish the film in a gaudy digital display. It solidified that I was right, and my wife, who "didn't care either way" changed her mind as well. 35mm is king!!! Sitting there on the edge of my seat when the opening credits began I may have peed a little. I was that stoked about what was about to transpire. I was not even 1% disappointed in what I had seen. The film was awesome, and as the weeks went on, I was involved in several arguments trying to convince people how good it was. The majority hated it, and I didn't know why. Then after thinking about a while I got it. We all grew up on the original 3 films when we were young, and in this time and age of CG and Big sound, this film was very reminiscent of its 1980's predecessors. I think that's what I liked about, but everyone else lost their inner child and were not happy with how it turned out. It had everything Indy stands for. The whip, the action, the brief camp. It is awesome. Many people were upset about the alien/crystal skull aspect of the plot. Why? Probably because it sounds ridiculous. These people obviously didn't watch the History, Discovery, or TLC channels the entire month before it's release. These shows gave an actual history behind the crystal skulls. That's right, They do exist. 13 of them to be exact, and no two are alike. Spielberg did a great job of writing an original script with a bit of history behind it. The re-introduction of Marian Ravenwood and her son Mutt was a great addition to this film. Marian was such a badass in Raiders, so it made sense to bring her back. I liked John Hurt's character and Ray Winstone did a great job as Indy's right hand man. The comedy was good and not overdone, and I was glad someone, Mutt, finally questioned Indy as a teacher. I always found it funny no one ever asked that until now, and the answer Indy gives was delivered to perfection. I often watch the Crystal Skull and my wife asks why I watch it so much? I reply, "I've had 20 years to watch the other 3, and this one needs to catch up. Plus I find it entertaining, so get off my ass". It also did not disappoint on the re-delivery of an old favorite, "The Wilhelm Scream" (hit the link to hear). There was not a single second of this film I would want changed. It delivered for me personally 18 years after the 3rd film was released. The opening scene when we first see Indy, all we see is a silhouette shadow of him wearing his trusty fedora, and it was a genius way to deliver him back to the big screen. Not to mention, the Ark showed back up. Awesome!!! From beginning to end, it did exactly what it should've. It made me smile that day and every day I watch it. If you didn't enjoy it, I urge you to watch it again, and this time, while you are watching it, think back and remember why you love the Indiana Jones series and your perspective may be turned around. At least I hope so. Indy 5 is on the docket and it is going to revolve around the Bermuda triangle. LaBeuof, Ford, and Spielberg are all signed back on, and I hope they don't make us wait too long. As long as Harrison will dawn the fedora and crack the whip, I will be there, ready to pee my pants, and I will sit there in my dirty pee pants for the duration. 

NBM rates Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Phenomenal

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