As you all may have noticed, I have been reviewing all of the Indiana Jones movies from the Raiders of the Lost Ark to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. All of them are Sharon Movies and were recommended for review by Sharon so it worked out quite well seeing as how it is Sharon Movie May. I wanted to take a moment and give my thoughts on the series and this seemed like an appropriate for that. If you missed the reviews you can see each by clicking on the title below:
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Indiana Jones series has always been a part of my family’s repeat viewing list along side Star Wars and Back to the Future. I don’t know what it is about trilogies, but it just seems to have worked that way when I was growing up. I always loved the Indiana Jones series and it was always a close second behind Star Wars as far as favorites go. When I found out that a new Indiana Jones was coming out I was kind of skeptical, but I kept an open mind and it turns out that it wasn’t a disappointment at all. I liked all 4, but the Last Crusade is still my favorite and then Raiders of the Lost Ark, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Temple of Doom.
4. Temple of Doom
Temple of Doom was the one that I loved for the mine cart chase in the end and of course the heart removal scene. I always liked the scene where they flew out of the plane and rode a raft down to the river. Short Round was a good addition especially my favorite line, “Indy cover your heart!” Unfortunately after viewing this more recently its terrible flaws were unforgivable which is why it lands at number 4 on the list. The special effects and plot are so bad I had to laugh at them. If you don’t find goodbad movies funny, Temple of Doom could be very disappointing; especially after Raiders of the Lost Ark.
3. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a great movie considering the odds Spielberg was up against when he set out to make this one 19 years after the Last Crusade. Harrison Ford is getting quite old and it is difficult to make movies blend well when either the actors or the special effects have changed so much over the years. This sequel is actually a close third behind Raiders of the Lost Ark. Harrison Ford is still Indiana Jones and the addition of Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett as well as the return of Karen Allen kept this movie in check. Spielberg was even able to recreate the cheesy lighthearted feel that was great about the other three. Still this movie has its flaws and really only gets such a high score from me because of its ability to work well with the rest of the series knowing that this could not have been an easy task to achieve.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
This is where most people probably disagree with me; how can you put Last Crusade over Raiders of the Lost Ark? Well, it is not hard for me because I felt Last Crusade had the classic Indiana Jones feel like Raiders of the Lost Ark, but also had better humor with Sean Connery. Raiders of the Lost Ark is definitely a great movie and I would normally say that since it is the original it wins the prize, but I just liked Last Crusade better. Still, it is hard to beat the giant ball rolling, tons of snakes, and the guy getting chopped up in the propeller. I loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, so disagree with me if you must, but I am by no means saying Raiders of the Lost Ark is a bad movie.
1. Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the peak of the Indiana Jones series for me. Sean Connery and Harrison Ford could not have acted any better together and Connery is what really put this one over the top. In addition to Connery though, the action without bad special effects was back after Temple of Doom and there was plenty of plot and character development absent from the other two. This was a perfect way to end the trilogy by helping you forget the second film and tying as much back to the first as possible while still offering a great story of its own. When I think about Indiana Jones I always think about Last Crusade first and then about Raiders of the Lost Ark.
5/27/2008
Indiana Jones Roundup
Dave's Movie Reviews is the place to find movie
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I'm a bigger fan of Raiders, but my roommates and most of my friends would agree with you that The Last Crusade is the best. It is a very close race though. Glad you added the synopsis. Good job!
I remember watching those movies with you on long trips in your van. Those were good times. I know you will always have fond memories of these movies. I will have to watch them again sometime.
Joe -
I had to make a tough call between raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade, but I am sticking with it. I certainly loved Raiders of the Lost Ark so I don't have a problem with people thinking it is the best.
Mike -
This was certainly a staple movie series on long trips. Every road trip we took we had to get them out at least once. I loved watching them back to back to back and then the Back to the Future Trilogy and then the Star Wars Trilogy. Great times!
Post a Comment