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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Big disappointment.
Spoilers ahead.
I was waiting for this film since the first time I heard It was going to be made, about four years ago. Then came the problems with the script. Spielberg likes this one, but Lucas not, etc. Then they said they had difficulties to match their agendas. Finally the movie was made; almost twenty years later I had my tickets and watched Harrison Ford as Indy again at last...
People, what took you so long?, after all the wait you come up with this? Despite the digital animal that opens the film and seeing Indy survive an atomic explosion (?!!) by using a fridge, the first part of the movie still remind the audience to the original Indy, but once they travel to Peru the film is completely lost (BTW is using a CGI really THAT necessary for that simple opening scene?, don't they remember we've seen thousands of snakes, bugs, bats and rats in the same franchise, all of them for real?).
Once the travel to South America (what's the point on showing us they take the motorbike with them?, just to say "oh I left it at the cemetery"?) it turns into a "mummy" movie, with all the abuse of CGIs that is common these days in almost every Hollywood movie, but it's really painful to find all those cheap cheesy cartoonish digital effects in a Spielberg movie.
The script is so easy that all the characters do is running straight till the end of the movie. They escape from the Russians, they escape from the ants, they escape from the indians just running straight and using this multi purpose skull. No real troubles for our hero, not any sub-plot, not any emotion, nor romance, nor thrilling adventure. Laaame.
It is really hard to believe this movie was directed by Spielberg. At least not that mythical 80's Spielberg. Crystall Skull is a lot more like Spielberg's Hook or Amistad.
When he was shooting, Spielberg said with a big smile that he was making this movie for all the fans, and I believed him. Now I see this movie is nothing but a practical joke for all of them. I feel sort of betrayed.
The only good thing about this nonsense is seeing Ford again as Indy. He does his best, and he is REALLY Indiana. It's a shame the rest weren't able to meet the challenge.
Steven, George: what happened to you? I just don't understand.
Shichinin no samurai (1954)
Fun, fun.
I don´t know if this film is the best ever made, I don´t even think you should take a film on consideration only because everybody says "it´s a classic". I almost fell asleep watching "Citizen Kane", and the same with the most part of the films by Ingmar Bergman, whose most of the film-lovers call "a master" that make "masterpieces". None of this happened to me watching "the seven Samurais"; all I can say is that this is a very enjoyable adventure and action movie.
To young viewers not familiarized with classic movies I would say: don´t fear the black and white photography, don´t fear the length, don´t fear subtitles, this film has nothing to do with what you (maybe) expect from a Japanese 1954 movie. It really worth watching, you will not regret. Very entertaining and amusing.