Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - initial impressions and casual discussion

[Michael24]

Yeah, he definitely wasn't following the trucks. Whether or not he knew he was taking a short cut, I don't know, but I think it's obvious that's what he did, so he wound up ahead of them.

I also loved the part where Mutt picks up the Fedora. I was thinking to myself, "Oh, man, the Mutt haters are really gonna hate him now." Then Indy snatches the hat away from him, puts it on, and gives that smirk as he walks off, and I was like .

 

[nitzsche]

No kidding - Indy should have shot Short Round for pickpocketing him - not take him along for the adventure.

 

[Grailseeker]

I thought Shia's acting was very good and true to the time period, but the vine swinging thing made me laugh inside.

I didn't cringe, I just laughed to myself pretty hard.

Dialogue of that scene after Mutt lands:

Mutt: "Whoa..."
Indy: "Whoa....Whoa!" Grins at Mutt
Me: "Wh...WTF?"

lol

 

[NearlyNormalAnd]

Do those pants have a degree? They sure look smart!

And right on! How dare he not be a loner! That'd be like if he was always traveling with Satipo, Marion or Sallah in Raiders of the lost Ark. Or if, even worse, in Temple of Doom he was stuck with Short Round or that annoying Willie Scott. And THANK goodness in last Crusade his dad, Sallah, Marcus, or Elsa never joined along in his adventures.

Okay, Smartypants, you clearly missed my point and have an issue with reading things too literally. A loner doesn't always have to mean PHYSICALLY ALONE.

Yes, Indy was always accompanied by someone. But he was always looking out for himself or his interests primarily.

Indy DOES NOT strike me as the kind of guy to take orders from others, especially on a consistent basis from the military at that point in his career. Do you disagree with that?

It didn't feel right for Indy to continue being a tool for the US government, especially when we know what a free spirit (not the hippie kind) he is.

 

[nitzsche]

This script took into account the character's entire history - including Young Indy Adventures.

He was a soldier and spy in WWI. These guys would have automatically been called to duty for WWII.

 

[Attila the Professor]

This script took into account the character's entire history - including Young Indy Adventures.

He was a soldier and spy in WWI. These guys would have automatically been called to duty for WWII.

It's far more complicated than that, especially since we know Indy's pattern of development moved farther away from enjoying dealing with authority and responsibility as he got older - that's partially the story of the trilogy. Now, maybe by the end of them, once he fixed things with his father, he might have been moved to help the war effort, especially considering his many run-ins with the Nazis. He also might have been shanghaied into it <I>because</I> of his associations with the Nazis.

 

[NearlyNormalAnd]

This script took into account the character's entire history - including Young Indy Adventures.

He was a soldier and spy in WWI. These guys would have automatically been called to duty for WWII.

Automatically? A forty-some-year-old Archaeology professor called into duty? Bit of a stretch, but I guess possible. I just don't like that turn of events, or Indy accepting them.

And as far as the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles are concerned, I never really considered them part of the Indy movie canon. They always seemed just mildly entertaining forms of history repackaged as edu-tainment. For TV. But then again, KotCS smacked of sitcom appeal.

 

[nitzsche]

Help the war effort? They were drafting the neighborhood milkman in WWII. Indy had military and espionage experience from the Great War. He hated the Nazis, of course, but it is pretty easy to envision Indy being one of the first called to duty for WWII.

 

[NearlyNormalAnd]

It's far more complicated than that, especially since we know Indy's pattern of development moved farther away from enjoying dealing with authority and responsibility as he got older - that's partially the story of the trilogy. Now, maybe by the end of them, once he fixed things with his father, he might have been moved to help the war effort, especially considering his many run-ins with the Nazis. He also might have been shanghaied into it <I>because</I> of his associations with the Nazis.

Good point. That's a pretty plausible scenario. Having been such a fan of the novels and films, I find that I would much rather prefer to have Indy the Individualist as opposed to Indy the Order-Taker. It would have been much more tantalizing to me to have a great deal of adventures we've never seen or heard of taking place in those missing years being mentioned as opposed to recycling YIJC stories and war tales.

 

[Vendetta08]

No kidding - Indy should have shot Short Round for pickpocketing him - not take him along for the adventure.

That's another thing!

Indy didn't shoot anyone in this film.

Nor was there a classic blood splatter.

Spielberg went SOFT.

 

[nitzsche]

Indy shot that guy in the foot. He also shot the nun when Mutt wasn't looking.

 

[ForbiddenEye]

Okay, Smartypants, you clearly missed my point and have an issue with reading things too literally. A loner doesn't always have to mean PHYSICALLY ALONE.

Yes, Indy was always accompanied by someone. But he was always looking out for himself or his interests primarily.

Indy DOES NOT strike me as the kind of guy to take orders from others, especially on a consistent basis from the military at that point in his career. Do you disagree with that?

It didn't feel right for Indy to continue being a tool for the US government, especially when we know what a free spirit (not the hippie kind) he is.

Sorry, but I totally can see Indy doing a little spying on the reds for America, whilst on his world adventures during that time frame.

 

[NearlyNormalAnd]

It's not that I can't see him spying. I think Indy would, and has, excelled at that. It's just the motives behind it that don't feel right. Unless there was some artifact or mystery of the past to guide him, I don't see him putting archaeology on pause to be a spy for several years.

 

[NearlyNormalAnd]

Indy didn't shoot anyone in this film.

Nor was there a classic blood splatter.

Does it count if part of my soul died after watching it?

 

[Vendetta08]

Indy shot that guy in the foot. He also shot the nun when Mutt wasn't looking.

That's all Georgie and Stevie could come up with? A shot to the foot?

(Notice the blood on the roller from when Indy killed that mother******)

Why'd Steven hold back...I can't be the only one who missed the bad ass Indy who wouldn't hesitate to kill a son of a ***** and in a nasty way that would leave blood everywhere. That always made me squeal like a schoolgirl when I was a kid.

 

[nitzsche]

It's not that I can't see him spying. I think Indy would, and has, excelled at that. It's just the motives behind it that don't feel right. Unless there was some artifact or mystery of the past to guide him, I don't see him putting archaeology on pause to be a spy for several years.

It was not a volunteer army - people were drafted. Ordinary people. And at the same time, Americans wanted to fight this war. Men felt it was their duty and were proud to contribute to the war effort. You think Indy hated the Nazis simply because they wanted to steal artifacts? No way.

In the full context of the character including all the films and the show, it makes perfect sense why he would be a military leader and spy.

Disregarding the YIJC (even though KotCS didn't) I would hope Indiana Jones wouldn't have turned his back on his country at a time of war. I mean - he loved killing Nazis.

 

[MolaRam2]

That's another thing!

Indy didn't shoot anyone in this film.

Nor was there a classic blood splatter.

Spielberg went SOFT.

This movie was way too soft, it was like the Little Golden Book version of Indiana Jones. This movie made the original trilogy look like Sin City and the unrated cut of Ichi the Killer.

 

[ForbiddenEye]

It's not that I can't see him spying. I think Indy would, and has, excelled at that. It's just the motives behind it that don't feel right. Unless there was some artifact or mystery of the past to guide him, I don't see him putting archaeology on pause to be a spy for several years.

Who says he put them on pause? Archaelogists made great spies because they were famous and had great reputation. And they had reason to travel around the world.

They talked about that in this History Channel show called "Real Tomb Hunters" It was interesting.

 

[nitzsche]

Who says he put them on pause? Archaelogists made great spies because they were famous and had great reputation. And they had reason to travel around the world.

They talked about that in this History Channel show called "Real Tomb Hunters" It was interesting.

That is awesome! I never thought of it like that at all - I like the sound of it.

 

[NearlyNormalAnd]

Disregarding the YIJC (even though KotCS didn't) I would hope Indiana Jones wouldn't have turned his back on his country at a time of war. I mean - he loved killing Nazis.

I see your reasoning and you have very good points. And yes, Indy loved killing Nazis. But I LOVED INDY killing Nazis ON HIS OWN TERMS. Just a matter of preference, I suppose. I really don't like that this movie felt the need to turn Indy not just into a hero, but a Real American Hero, who served faithfully in two wars, always at the beck and call of his country. If I want a Real American Hero in that sense, I'll watch G.I. Joe.

For me, Indy is not a toadie for the U.S. government or for any government, for that matter. He is a universal hero. I don't understand, nor do I appreciate, the need filmmakers seem to have lately to turn movie heroes into distinctly American heroes.

I like Indy better as the guy, who is American nonetheless, but is a hero not because of his country or service to it, but because he fights evil (in whatever guise) on his OWN terms.

I know people will disagree. Just my preference. That's all.