After 19 Years, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ Exhumes Venerated Roots

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:00:20 -0700

CHICAGO – After such a long respite from the beloved film progression, I was initially just as skittish about seeing Harrison Ford back in the Indy saddle as I was watching Sylvester Stallone back in the ring in “Rocky Balboa” in his 2006 comeback and then again in 2008 in his “Rambo” return.

Ultimately, though, I had faith in director Steven Spielberg not to royally torpedo the monolithically anticipated “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” which resurrects the Chicago-born, 65-year-old Harrison Ford as one of my favorite film characters of all time.

Spielberg delivers. Thank the heavens.

In grappling with Ford’s real-life age, David Koepp’s screenplay comically writes in subtle jabs to wrangle with the reality. Just like Stallone didn’t try to hide it in “Rocky Balboa” and he instead decided to honestly portray it, so did Ford’s character grow older.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in our reviews section.

View our full “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” image gallery.

Of course, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is still a major Hollywood product and Indiana Jones is still Indiana Jones. He still flings through the air with bird-like grace, whips all obstacles in his way with laser-like precision and is imbued with the film’s classic and campy “kapow!” sound effects. I love ‘em to pieces.

While the character Indiana Jones has had an unfortunate television run by way of Sean Patrick Flanery in his young form from 1992 all the way through 2007, Harrison Ford as the real Indiana Jones we’ve all been enamored with last roughed it up in a major Spielberg production in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” in 1989.

Before that, it was five years earlier in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” in 1984 and three years earlier in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981. Yes, that’s three years between the first and second, five years between the second and third and 19 years between the third and the fourth.

Shia LaBeouf (left) and Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” review.

Stallone Sports Aggrandized Violence, Weak Storyline in ‘Rambo’ Revival

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:32:28 -0700

CHICAGO – The best quality about the fourth “Rambo” is its “Rambo” authenticity. The worst quality about the fourth “Rambo” is its “Rambo” authenticity.

Unlike the previous three, which released every three years in the 1980s (“First Blood” in 1982, “Rambo: First Blood Part II” in 1985 and “Rambo III” in 1988), “Rambo” exactly two decades later featured some commonalties and also broke some new ground.

Sylvester Stallone – who’s now 61 years old, and though he shows it, still looks the buff part – of course starred in all of them as John Rambo. In addition to starring in the films in 1982, 1985 and 1988, Stallone was also a scribe. The films were all directed by other talents (Ted Kotcheff, George Cosmatos, Peter MacDonald, respectively).

Click here to read Adam Fendelman’s full review
of “Rambo” in our reviews section!

Click here for our full “Rambo” image gallery!