The man with the whip is back and he can still crack it as well once as he ever did. But he's also tired. Still, as one of the main characters remarks, " "For an old man, you ain't bad in a fight."
I won't tell you anything about the film I saw last night because I assume that, with insignificant exceptions, absolutely everybody in America is going to see this film. Probably this weekend. And they should.
It has all the elements of the Jones films and, at times, has them in spades:
All in all, a great Hollywood movie in the grand tradition and well worth the price of admission. If, however, you are looking for a film whose plot, dialogue, and characters are... well... crisp, you'll want to seek out another chunk of cinema.
Ford does a workmanlike job and, in general, I'd watch him keyboard a blog entry five time as long as this one. At the same time he seems sort of weary of it all. As, by this point, he should be. Still, there are moments when you think the only reason he got out of bed and picked up the whip was the paycheck. Considering the size of it, you would too. Except you couldn't wear the hat. I can but that's only because I've got one that's about as old as the first film. To wit:
Indiana Jones shaped most of my late-teen years, so I'm sorry to see him age - but, as you pointed out, he seems to have aged gracefully.
And I still have my hat, too.
Posted by: Cynyr at May 24, 2008 7:54 AMCongratulations, Gerard. You must be the only one in America who has seen this film who actually liked it!
Posted by: jewel atkins at May 24, 2008 8:31 AMjewel
Not so -- Roger Ebert reviews it quite well.
For the jaded among us, my complaints about the movie -- and there are many -- are here: http://www.bookwormroom.com/2008/05/23/indiana-jones-movie-review/
Posted by: Bookworm at May 24, 2008 12:23 PMDo a little math. Suppose the movie grosses $300 million. At $10 a ticket, that would be 30 million tickets. And some of those ticket sales are repeat viewers. So no, it's far from the case that with "insignificant exceptions," everyone will see it.
Posted by: Steven at May 24, 2008 1:54 PMI saw it Friday and loved it! It's a movie where men are men, tha bad guys are Ruskies, and our exhausted but happy hero exits stage left better than he'd started. Definitely worth the ticket and popcorn.
Posted by: daughter of patriots at May 24, 2008 5:59 PMI liked it, too - Lots of action, spectacular landscapes and effects, and the commies get it!
Posted by: Fausta at May 24, 2008 6:41 PMI believe it is harder and harder to entertain us at the movies. Most all of the reviews I have read are from ordinary people who write what they think, quite well, actually. My opinion of it is reserved til I see it myself. My kids saw it, and the chemistry major among them couldn't get past all the errors. He simply couldn't divorce himself from the pretend world of an Indiana Jones movie. That seems to be the problem. Everyone is a critic, these days. As for me, I spend my time figuring out what food to smuggle in as a way of protesting the outrageous prices of movie eats.
Posted by: Jewel at May 24, 2008 11:36 PMJewel, I spend my time figuring out what food to smuggle in
1 sm bottle Sprite Zero
1 small bag Planter's peanuts.
Fausta, Diet Pepsi, Reeses Pieces, grapes.
Posted by: Jewel at May 25, 2008 1:36 PM"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.