I remember first hearing rumours about a new Indiana Jones movie a few years ago and wondering what the point was. I felt they had already managed to squeeze two good movies out of it (Temple of Doom sucks), and that there wasn't anything left to milk.
Now, the filmmakers have proved me right. To watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Interminable Title is to constantly be reminded that there is no reason for it to exist. Millionaires Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford can't possibly have done it for the money, so I assume they were hoping to recreate the spirit of fun of the first movie. And that's the main problem with this film (and with many sequels): if you try to copy an original movie, you're sure to lose something in the process. Indeed, Indiana Jones and the Case of Acute Sequelitis suffers from that "not so fresh" feeling. As a result, there is no suspense. The third film in the series compensated for its sequelness by having a witty script and juicy father-son dynamics (it helped that Sean Connery was perfectly cast as Indy's father). But the script here is sorely lacking in wit. Ford is game, as are Cate Blanchett (cast as the villain) and the still-radiant Karen Allen (returning from the first movie). But none of them are given anything of interest to do. The story is uninvolving, and the plotting muddy.
To its credit, the film is never boring, and contains one moment and one scene worthy of the first film. Best moment: the magnetized lamps in the warehouse tilting in unison. Best scene: those creepy red ants.
Now, the filmmakers have proved me right. To watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Interminable Title is to constantly be reminded that there is no reason for it to exist. Millionaires Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford can't possibly have done it for the money, so I assume they were hoping to recreate the spirit of fun of the first movie. And that's the main problem with this film (and with many sequels): if you try to copy an original movie, you're sure to lose something in the process. Indeed, Indiana Jones and the Case of Acute Sequelitis suffers from that "not so fresh" feeling. As a result, there is no suspense. The third film in the series compensated for its sequelness by having a witty script and juicy father-son dynamics (it helped that Sean Connery was perfectly cast as Indy's father). But the script here is sorely lacking in wit. Ford is game, as are Cate Blanchett (cast as the villain) and the still-radiant Karen Allen (returning from the first movie). But none of them are given anything of interest to do. The story is uninvolving, and the plotting muddy.
To its credit, the film is never boring, and contains one moment and one scene worthy of the first film. Best moment: the magnetized lamps in the warehouse tilting in unison. Best scene: those creepy red ants.