Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[DarthNeil]

It's called suspension of disbelief, and for me the film didn't suspend my disbelief like the previous three films had. The main reason as I said in my review, is that there's too many unbelievable scenarios taking place in KOTCS combined with the bad CGI and the Tongue-in-cheek tone of the film make it hard to accept it rather then scrutinize it.

WILLING suspension of disbelief... and going into an Indy flick fans of the series should be willing to accept flying fridges that protect against an early atom detonation, a raft that can safely float you down from a plane and then rocket you down a mountainside, swimming to a submarine and then hanging on for a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long and wet ride, etc.... etc... etc...

But it's all good.

Damn, I hope this Batman movie doesn't have any things happen that aren't totally believeable.

 

[The Josh]

It doesn't bother me that someone doesn't like the fridge sequence. What bothers me is the way people are getting rather juvenile in their attempts to "discredit" the sequence, all the while defending other sequences that were no less far-fetched, and required no more or less suspension of disbelief (no matter what anyone says). That comes across to me as very disingenuous, as if people are just trying to pick fights.

Thats what cracks me up. I mean when you break the movies down there are MULTIPLE moments where Indy would have died or those things wouldn't have worked. Which makes them no less or more believable than this new addition. I honestly believe people not wanting to accept it has more to do with them not liking the film for whatever reason than the believability of the moment.

 

[Agent0028]

Thats what cracks me up. I mean when you break the movies down there are MULTIPLE moments where Indy would have died or those things wouldn't have worked. Which makes them no less or more believable than this new addition. I honestly believe people not wanting to accept it has more to do with them not liking the film for whatever reason than the believability of the moment.

That's what I don't quite understand. I disliked that scene way more than the one with monkeys. But I really enjoyed the movie, but it seems like when I say I disliked that part people post reasons why I shouldn't. Although Robodad's post seems to indicate I am just taking general posts directed to people who harshly criticize it too personally.

 

[The Josh]

I wasn't specifically meaning you but more things in general.

 

[Agent0028]

That's cool, I was just checking in. I knew it was my posts that got the ball (er boulder) rolling again, but I wasn't sure if they were directed at me, or just to the controversy in general.

 

[The Josh]

Just the controversy in general from me. Despite my rep I don't actively try to go after anyone if I ever do.

 

[Agent0028]

Not without being provoked anyway, and you've had your share of provocations.

 

[The Josh]

Not without being provoked anyway, and you've had your share of provocations.

Truer words may never have been spoken.

 

[Bannister]

What was the purpose of the free tickets and the complaint about the baby?

I got free tickets because the kid running around was a distraction and I complained about it. The complaint about the baby was because the theatre I was in was supposed to be a "VIP" theatre where you have to be 18 and over. It is located in an upstairs bar area of the theatre and the tickets are more expensive. The baby should never have been there in the first place.

 

[Darth Cruel]

I got free tickets because the kid running around was a distraction and I complained about it. The complaint about the baby was because the theatre I was in was supposed to be a "VIP" theatre where you have to be 18 and over. It is located in an upstairs bar area of the theatre and the tickets are more expensive. The baby should never have been there in the first place.

LOL...I almost thought you were serious. You forgot your smiley face to indicate the joke.

 

[Bannister]

LOL...I almost thought you were serious. You forgot your smiley face to indicate the joke.

Do you honestly think those complaints were out of line?

 

[eighthsamurai]

as an indy film i didn't like it as much as the others. but compared to many of the indy clone movies around these days (mummy, national treasure) it was cool to see the big daddy of adventure back on the big screen. and even though some scenes were unbelievable and (for me) the alien stuff was a mess, it reminded me of what a good adventure film should be, and what it felt like to be a kid in the 80s watching indy films for the first time. despite all the other crap, it still felt very much like an indy film (down to the punching sound effects) and i'm grateful for that at least.

 

[EVILFACE]

Yea, at times it did feel like a clone. I was waiting for Richard Chamberlain to show up sometime.

 

[Khev]

I didn't get any Mummy/National Treasure vibes at all while watching Indy IV thank God. The strongest resemblance KOTCS had to any non-Indy movie was Peter Jackson's King Kong, which I consider a huge compliment. KK had pretty much the same complaints (silly scene with hero saving people by swinging on a vine, questionable CGI in scene where everyone's running from critters, too "far fetched", etc.) and was very similar in its overall filmmaking style. The whole jungle chase along the cliffs had PJ/Weta written all over it.

The motorcycle chase through the campus did remind me a little bit of Marty fleeing from Biff's gang though. Still it ended on a supreme high note with the one college student in the library letting out what sounded like the Willhelm scream as Mutt's bike slid toward him. I've gotten to the point where I roll my eyes whenever I hear that scream but giving it to a nerdy college student in a crowded library cracked me up.

 

[Khev]

I just remembered something I thought of during the screening, when Mutt says: "You're a teacher?" And Indy replies: "Part Time" I was totally anticipating Indy's reply but Harrison's delivery was absolutely terrible in the film. However, I distinctly remember this line from the trailer being delivered more strongly.

Yep, I remember Ford's delivery in the trailer to be much stronger as well. That often happens when an actor is called back to loop (lip synch) a line for final sound mixing. Often times their delivery isn't as solid as when they were there on set in the moment. I assume there was a little bit of distortion for the original line reading that they wanted to clean up in post production. Bummer that some impact was lost the second time around.

 

[screamingmetal]

I didn't get any Mummy/National Treasure vibes at all while watching Indy IV thank God. The strongest resemblance KOTCS had to any non-Indy movie was Peter Jackson's King Kong, which I consider a huge compliment. KK had pretty much the same complaints (silly scene with hero saving people by swinging on a vine, questionable CGI in scene where everyone's running from critters, too "far fetched", etc.) and was very similar in its overall filmmaking style. The whole jungle chase along the cliffs had PJ/Weta written all over it.

The motorcycle chase through the campus did remind me a little bit of Marty fleeing from Biff's gang though. Still it ended on a supreme high note with the one college student in the library letting out what sounded like the Willhelm scream as Mutt's bike slid toward him. I've gotten to the point where I roll my eyes whenever I hear that scream but giving it to a nerdy college student in a crowded library cracked me up.

That's my problem with it, I got more of the Sommers Mummy movie tone on KOTCS.
To me, it seemed more of Harrison from Six Days, Seven Nights then him as Indy. I really like PJ's King Kong (I'll admit it's way too long). There's not much of the goofy tone in KK, The vine sequence was short and didn't seem like bad CGI, and most of the CGI in the film was strong (there were a few iffy moments). But there's just too many more things wrong for me with KOTCS.
It wouldn't have been an Indy movie without the Wilhelm Scream! I love that sound effect.

Yep, I remember Ford's delivery in the trailer to be much stronger as well. That often happens when an actor is called back to loop (lip synch) a line for final sound mixing. Often times their delivery isn't as solid as when they were there on set in the moment. I assume there was a little bit of distortion for the original line reading that they wanted to clean up in post production. Bummer that some impact was lost the second time around.

It sounded to me like it was a different take because the way Harrison said it made it sound like "uh, part time?" Like Spielberg had him do a couple of different takes with different deliveries. It just seemed out of place to me, would've preferred the stronger confident take from the trailer which is much more Indy.

 

[IrishJedi]

Stephen Sommers wishes he could direct stuff half as competent as some of the sequences in KOTCS. For instance, he couldn't direct/edit the opening highway sequence or the campus motorycle chase if he cloned himself a dozen times.

 

[screamingmetal]

Stephen Sommers wishes he could direct stuff half as competent as some of the sequences in KOTCS. For instance, he couldn't direct/edit the opening highway sequence or the campus motorycle chase if he cloned himself a dozen times.

I never said KOTCS felt like it was directed by Sommers.
I said it felt like it had the same goofy tone as one of the Mummy movies.

 

[barbelith]

I said it felt like it had the same goofy tone as one of the Mummy movies.

Did none of you see Last Crusade or Willie Scott?!

 

[jedibear]

Been pouring over the "Making of...Complete Indiana Jones" over the weekend...great read...and it made me want to see KOTCS again, especially after reading some of the BTS accounts and some about the making of the new film.

One example was reading that Guy Armstrong was the fight/stunt coordinator on KOTCS...knowing that now adds a new level of excitement to watching scenes like the excellent hanger 51 sequence...this is the same man who brought his talents to bear on "Casino Royale" recently...the opening chase of that movie is one of the best Bond action scenes ever, and he brings that same hyper-real, visceral intensity to Indy...running across those rafters, taking on Dovchenko...it's just amazing to watch.

And yes, Lucas was really insistent over the years about the "alien" angle...a lot of compromises went back and forth to massage that into the story and make it work for all involved.

Not seeing the movie for a week and then checking it out again really makes me appreciate it even more. It's like listening to a new song by a band you like and not really getting into it right away because...it doesn't sound like the last one you really liked. They added some different instruments to the new one and it just sounds "off"...but before you know it, you can't get the new tune out of your head and you can't believe it didn't blow you away the first time you heard it...

"Kingdom..." is like that to me...a little different than the rest of them, yet with enough of the familiar to make it work. I love this film...