What you liked and disliked about Crystal Skull

I liked that most of us have already probably stated everything we like in other threads that have come up since May.

I disliked that most of us have already probably stated everything we like in other threads that have come up since May... and are doing it again in this one.

You all know I don't like the damn ants!

The Man said:

I enjoyed the hype...

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LOL!

I must admit that was hilarious.

But c'mon The Man. You didn't at least love the new Drew Struzan art?

Now that I've seen it again, I think I sorta like the aliens now. But the Tarzan scene still sucks.

This tread is still open??? Wouldn't the: "What's your favorite scene in KOTCS?", or "Indy 4 Haters thread." / "Indy 4 lovers thread." or any of the other 30 about this same thing would suffice!

GEEZ!

Liked:

Indy's Hat in this movie. Second best after the Raiders Hat.

Lambonius said:

One is the cemetary warrior battle, right after Indy backfires the dart into the warrior's throat, and then another warrior jumps out at Mutt and is scared off by Indy's pistol. In the comic (and novel as well, I believe,) Indy uses his whip to fight off the cemetary warriors. It seems as though this was part was shot, since we have seen the clips of Harrison using the whip in the cemetary locale, but for some reason it was inexpicably cut from the film. Every time I watch that scene, I can't help but feel like something is missing, like the scene would have been so much better if they had left in some kind of more complex choreographed whip fight. Would have been so awesome.

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Yea, after he yells "those darts are poison!", something was cut out - obviously whip usage, because it cuts back to a shot with Indy in and he has his whip out. All I can assume is Indy whipped the blowpipe from the warriors hand, hence why it jumps down the hole empty handed right after.

What I love, is the retracting staircase scene. What I hate - is it lasts literally 12 seconds.

I also like Doomtown and the waterfall drops - but think they could have been cut down in favour of some character development.

I just bought KOTCS on DVD, haven't seen it since May....
And I have to say, so many cheesy moments, even in the beginning. Like when the Russians drop their guns, only to raise them a second later. No tension. Jokes all around. It also somehow feels (and looks) way too modern. I can't explain it. I liked the intro to Darabont's script a lot better. We're supposed to care about Mac, when after only five minutes, he's revealed as a traitor? We're supposed to care about the betrayal of a character we've just met?

I wouldn't say it fails as an Indy film because there are some really good moments but I'd give it a C compared to the B, A and A+ marks of the previous films. I do hope they make an Indy 5, though, as I imagine that would be good.

Pros: Awesome first two thirds; The ''tomb'' scenes reminded me of ToD, the action scenes (especially the beginning), the Nuke scene, Jungle fight and chase. The more emotional scenes, Harrison's portrayal of Indy is awesome; He definately pulled it off. Shia does a good job. Great 50's feel, music and costuming. I love the return of the gray fedora. Really, the first two thirds of the film (with some awkwardness) would make for a classic film if that sense of quality kept up toward the end.

Cons: A great deal of awkwardness and weakness in the script, looks and at times feels too modern, too many stupid jokes and not ''epic'' enough (For example, LC feels very epic--even with it's humor) and not emotional or personal enough. No suspense or tension. The last third or so of the film is very weak and feels like a Disney-esque parody. Marion's performance as Marion. John Hurt.

i've come to think Spielberg just gave in to the aliens, just toget them out of the way so they could do something else for 5. to please Lucas.

caats said:

i've come to think Spielberg just gave in to the aliens, just toget them out of the way so they could do something else for 5. to please Lucas.

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That's what it seemed like from one of the DVD interviews. He was not on-board for aliens at all but then finally threw up his hands and said "Alright, fine! I don't care anymore!"

Bvance said:

That's what it seemed like from one of the DVD interviews. He was not on-board for aliens at all but then finally threw up his hands and said "Alright, fine! I don't care anymore!"

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yah definitely.

Bvance said:

That's what it seemed like from one of the DVD interviews. He was not on-board for aliens at all but then finally threw up his hands and said "Alright, fine! I don't care anymore!"

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It was interesting how open he was about his apathy towards the alien idea.

I have to say, the tomb segment of the movie was CLASSIC. If the whole movie was like that it'd easily get an A+. There was plenty of suspense, darkness and a classic Indy feel. It took me right back to 1984, in the Temple of Doom with Short Round.

Likes

- The drag race with the song "Hound Dog" playing

- Indy versus Mac & the Russians in the warehouse

- When Mutt causes a Diner brawl to distract the FBI agents

- The car and motorcycle chase

- The cemetery scene

- The 50s' setting

- The character Mutt and his biker gimmick

- The return of the father and son duo (Indy & Mutt)



Dislikes

- The Paramount logo fading into a prairie dog climbing out of the ground, I think there could have been something better for the Paramount logo to fade into.

- The prairie dogs and monkeys.

- Indy, Marion and Mutt as a family on an adventure was too campy and felt like the old Disney movie "Swiss Family Robinson."

- I liked the character Mac but I thought the double (or triple) agent thing was stupid, he should've just stayed a villian after he betrayed Indy

- How it was kept a secret from Indy that Mutt was his son.

- The CGI, need I say more?

- I know the reason why aliens were in this story because it was based on 50s' B-movies but it looked unoriginal and predictable after all the sci-fi work both Spielberg & Lucas did.



Even though this is my least favorite of the series, I still like this movie a lot and it was my first experience of Indiana Jones on the big screen. Harrison Ford STILL has it, he's still the same Indy he was in the 80s, I say bring on Indy V.

I said earlier I didn't like how it was kept a secret from Indy that Mutt was his son. I think it would've been better instead if Indy already knew and being absent in his son's life because of WWII and his job would explain why Mutt turned out to be a rebellious outcast.

I don't understand why Mac's switching of sides bothers so many people, Elsa did it a lot. And Mac makes it apparent at the end he was kidding Indy at the end and was just with the enemy.

Anyway, I like:

The spiral staircase (however there is a dislike about it)

Spalko is a good character.

The fact this film takes place in a jungle - it makes it different

The jungle chase - the sword fight/Spalko flipped over the car/ Spalko's car landing on Indy's. The only killer scene in the jungle for me is Mutt "picked up" by vines and the tarzan part.

The ant scene I like, I can understand why others may not like it, but the ants on one particular scene do look good - where the camera is on the floor behind them as they run.

I do like the finale segnent when Irina enters the room with the skeletons and gazes in wonder - reminded me of Donovan entering the grail room.

The entire opening part, as much as I do like the movie, even I can't really deny as of the middle of the film onwards, there is just a bit too much slapstick.

The fact they stuck with the Indy tradition of the enemy dying from what they desired.

Dislike:

Tarzan swinging. I don't mind the monkeys landing in the jeep, they aren't all-out attacking if you watch, some just follow Mutt and land on it and look around. But I'd prefered if the monkeys ended up in the jeep because the jeep crashed through a small tree or something with them in it.

Marion driving off a cliff - I do and don't mind this actually. I just wish they'd made it clear she wasn't insane and had found a plan she KNEW would work. I know we see her scout the cliff and see the tree and grin, but I don't think Marion from Raiders would be so trusting of a jungle tree she has never seen.

The fridge/nuke. I don't mind it actually, I like it. But in the same movie as a 3 gigantic waterfall drop I think it is too much. If they were in seperate movies, it wouldn't seem as bad. But too many large occurances like it in one film make Indy seem invincible. Saying that I can watch the fridge scene and waterfall scene and it doesn't ruin my experience, but I'd have probably have done something else if I made it. I didn't though.

I don't like how they didn't let Spalko be a bit more dangerous/or take her serious (Mutt combing his hair in front of her) - at the start of the movie, Indy took her serious following her little psychic game, especially when she put the sword to his neck. Her dossier said she was dangerous. Also not letting her use her ability with the psychic world a bit more.

John William's music for the jeep sword fight section somewhat taints it and makes it seem a bit "Peter Pan" or Pirates of the Carribean, when a more serious part of music would have been better.

How short the spiral stair case bit is. It is about 12 seconds long, I really wish it was longer.

Benraianajones said:

I don't understand why Mac's switching of sides bothers so many people

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I can only speak for me, but I was bothered by it because it turned a potentially interesting character into a thoroughly uninteresting cliche.

Benraianajones said:

Elsa did it a lot.

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"A lot" as in one time? Besides - she was a Nazi. We know she had feelings for Indy, but her main goal was consistent - the Grail which she greedily coveted. We had a clear motive. What was Mac's motive? Well, it's hard to know. Sometimes the movie tells us it's just money, other times it tells us he's really loyal to the Russians, and whatever it's trying to tell us in his last moments is for someone way smarter than I to figure out. Of course, maybe not knowing Mac's intentions was part of the point, but the movie failed to convey even his ambiguity in such a way that gave the impression that the writers behind him even knew what his deal was. He was whatever the movie needed him to be at any given moment.

You do make a point worth bringing out though - that Mac shares a lot of similarities with Elsa. Even if he had made a lick of sense, he still would have been in many ways (especially the "Indy trying to save the traitor who ends up killed by their own avarice" aspect) a ripoff of a character we'd seen in the very previous movie, and I think that's disappointing. There were so many things they could have done with Mac, and they simply did none of them. That's what bothers me.

Udvarnoky said:

"A lot" as in one time? Besides - she was a Nazi. We know she had feelings for Indy, but her main goal was consistent - the Grail which she greedily coveted. We had a clear motive. What was Mac's motive? Well, it's hard to know. Sometimes the movie tells us it's just money, other times it tells us he's really loyal to the Russians, and whatever it's trying to tell us in his last moments is for someone way smarter than I to figure out. Of course, maybe not knowing Mac's intentions was part of the point, but the movie failed to convey even his ambiguity in such a way that gave the impression that the writers behind him even knew what his deal was. He was whatever the movie needed him to be at any given moment.

You do make a point worth bringing out though - that Mac shares a lot of similarities with Elsa. Even if he had made a lick of sense, he still would have been in many ways (especially the "Indy trying to save the traitor who ends up killed by their own avarice" aspect) a ripoff of a character we'd seen in the very previous movie, and I think that's disappointing. There were so many things they could have done with Mac, and they simply did none of them. That's what bothers me.

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As we've discussed before... Mac is almost, but not quite, a great Indy character - let down by a demise without meaning/closure to his story. It's not that Mac's character is underwritten per se or played badly... It's just that we never get the true intent of his flip flopping, and he doesn't get a chance at redemption. "I'll be alright", I think he says... What's more of a shame (IMHO), is that an additional couple of lines of dialogue could have made the difference.

What's interesting for me (as someone who likes the movie), is why Spielberg/the writers undersell Mac right at the very end? Did they believe it worked as is? Did they run out of time? Are there cut scenes that could go some way to resolve his conflict/story? Was it even discussed during production?