I've changed my mind about KOTCS

[thenammagazine]

Here's how the four films rate on the all-time box office results for the U.S.

#23 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($317M)
#52 - Raiders of the Lost Ark ($242M)
#93 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ($197M)
#116 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ($180M)

It's a long drop from 23rd place to 52nd, regardless of what time and inflation have done to box office receipts. Sandwiched between KOTCS and the original Indy trilogy are 29 pictures including Chronicles of Narnia, Home Alone, three Harry Potter films, two Pirates of the Caribbean films, Shrek, A Night at the Museum, Matrix Reloaded, and Bruce Almighty.

So pronouncements that the public hated KOTCS might be colored a bit by personal tastes not actually shared by the public.

Or.... perhaps everyone flocked to the theatres to enjoy Indy on the big screen one last time? IMO, I'd say that's a direct reflection of the built up hype from years and years of people watching the other three movies on DVD, VHS and Laserdisc and not a result of KOTCS itself.

Kinda like years and years of "self practicing" then finally scoring. You blow your wad all at once! That's kinda what everyone did with the license too!

 

[pixletwin]

I liked it. I thought it was entertaining. Kept my kids entertained. FX were good. It certainly isn't Grand Cinema, but I don't think it was intended as such.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Here's how the four films rate on the all-time box office results for the U.S.

#23 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($317M)
#52 - Raiders of the Lost Ark ($242M)
#93 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ($197M)
#116 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ($180M)

It's a long drop from 23rd place to 52nd, regardless of what time and inflation have done to box office receipts. Sandwiched between KOTCS and the original Indy trilogy are 29 pictures including Chronicles of Narnia, Home Alone, three Harry Potter films, two Pirates of the Caribbean films, Shrek, A Night at the Museum, Matrix Reloaded, and Bruce Almighty.

So pronouncements that the public hated KOTCS might be colored a bit by personal tastes not actually shared by the public.

Gruff, I surprised by you here. "Regardless of inflation" is not a fair comparison. I mean, "Raiders" is 28 years old. A movie ticket was what back then: $3.50? And it's $242 mil take would be about triple that if converted, which would put it well ahead of KOTCS's $317.

 

[SpenK]

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NOT..................

 

[Big Ape]

We'll likely see the torch passed in film as it nearly was at the end of KOTCS, from Indy to Mutt with the fedora (thankfully they spared us the agony of seeing Shia put it on). Shia's even been asked how he'd feel about taking the Indy torch and running with it and was pretty stoked about the idea.

Yay. Instead of a gun and trusty whip he'll carry a sword and his trusty "No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no!!!" line that Shia uses in every stinkin' movie.

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

Gruff, I surprised by you here. "Regardless of inflation" is not a fair comparison. I mean, "Raiders" is 28 years old. A movie ticket was what back then: $3.50? And it's $242 mil take would be about triple that if converted, which would put it well ahead of KOTCS's $317.

Maybe comparing it to the original trilogy was a mistake; perhaps my point would have been clearer if I'd compared it to more contemporary releases that it keeps company with (Transformers and Iron Man are #20 and 21; POTC: At World's End is #26). My point was that although people have said things in this thread like, "Maybe the public wouldn't have hated it so much if..." actually the public didn't hate it at all. It's at #23. It performed very well for the studio. There just happens to be a cluster of people here who didn't like it, and since they aren't hearing much disagreement, they seem to think their opinion is shared by most people. We are what pollsters would call a biased sample. We don't reflect the totality. We reflect the SSF Forum community.

So I guess you could say I was nitpicking. I do that.

Incidentally, when I looked this up I was surprised that TDK really hasn't overtaken Titanic. Jim Cameron is still the King of the World.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Incidentally, when I looked this up I was surprised that TDK really hasn't overtaken Titanic. Jim Cameron is still the King of the World.

And Cameron hasn't worked since. Chicken.

I was really hoping TDK would unseat Titanic at long last. Guess it'll be up there a few more years. Got to hand it to Cameron -- I would never have guessed that movie would have done that kind of business.

 

[cerealkeller]

This is according to boxofficemojo. Here's how they did adjusted for inflation (I rounded)
1. Raiders $635,000,000
2. Temple of Doom $385,000,000
3. Last Crusade $356,000,000
4. Crystal Skull $317,000,000

Raiders FTW!!!!

 

[Wor-Gar]

This is according to boxofficemojo. Here's how they did adjusted for inflation (I rounded)
1. Raiders $635,000,000
2. Temple of Doom $385,000,000
3. Last Crusade $356,000,000
4. Crystal Skull $317,000,000

Raiders FTW!!!!

Big win too. Looks like it beat Titanic.

 

[thenammagazine]

Big win too. Looks like it beat Titanic.

Until Titanic's anniversary re-release.

 

[Balsquat]

IT WAS A FUN FLICK.
I have seen worse.
Wish someone else could have played mutt though...

 

[NASEDO]

Finally got thru this movie. The story was there, but weak. Whats with the ground hogs, did they really need to be there. Spielberg is supposed to be a great director and he did a horrible job. Who's more to blame Lucas or Spielberg. I think the movie could of been really good if these 2 idiots weren't behind it. I'll still rewatch it, its like watching The Mummy or something.

 

[Indiana Fett]

Finally got thru this movie. The story was there, but weak. Whats with the ground hogs, did they really need to be there. Spielberg is supposed to be a great director and he did a horrible job. Who's more to blame Lucas or Spielberg. I think the movie could of been really good if these 2 idiots weren't behind it. I'll still rewatch it, its like watching The Mummy or something.

I blame Lucas. Just look at the Prequel trilogy. There is a great story in there IMO, but with Lucas' hack dialog and directing, they're pretty sub-par. If only Lawrence Kasdan rewrote the prequels AND KOTCS, and someone other than Lucas directed the prequels, then they might have been pretty GREAT!

And for the record, I enjoyed KOTCS. It's no Raiders, but I didn't feel the goofiness was any better or worse than Last Crusade. It could have been tightened up a bit and had less of the groundhogs, swinging monkeys and fridge. Then it could have been pretty cool.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Agreed 100%, Indy Fett. I completely blame Lucas. I think the only reason the movie was competent was because of Spielberg. He did the best he could with what he was given.

And I enjoyed it. It was no Raiders, but it was fun.

 

[shermy]

I enjoyed it in the theater, but do feel it gets better with repeat viewings. I also think it represents a generation gap, since it seems to play better with older audiences. The movie just doesn't cater to teens/twenty-somethings that have come to crave a darker tone in their films.

My litmus test for Indy 4 was very simple, and was the same one I used back in 1984 and 1989. If I found myself wanting to watch it again- even at the expense of other new releases- then the sequel had done its job. (I did and it had.) Beyond that, anything else was pointless. There was no reason to read dozens of reviews or try and rationalize the film online. If it didn't make me feel like the previous ones had, I was ultimately going to know on the inside.

I regard the series as four distinct pulp novels- each with its own charms to give. One thing I love about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the way it runs with the fifties b movie concept. There are so many influences on display- arguably the most since Raiders of the Lost Ark mined the cliffhangers of the thirties.

My point was that although people have said things in this thread like, "Maybe the public wouldn't have hated it so much if..." actually the public didn't hate it at all. It's at #23. It performed very well for the studio.

My experience of its reception wasn't any different from the previous sequels. The only negativity I encountered stemmed from the internet. It was the second-highest grossing of the year- just as Temple of Doom had been. It also remained in the Top Ten for nearly as long as Last Crusade had- a feat which was far less commonplace in 2008.

I'd say it's completely fair game to regard it without taking inflation into account. People certainly didn't acknowledge inflation when they were ready to hand Titanic's domestic crown to The Dark Knight.

 

[tylerdurden]

My litmus test for Indy 4 was very simple, and was the same one I used back in 1984 and 1989. If I found myself wanting to watch it again- even at the expense of other new releases- then the sequel had done its job. (I did and it had.) Beyond that, anything else was pointless. There was no reason to read dozens of reviews or try and rationalize the film online. If it didn't make me feel like the previous ones had, I was ultimately going to know on the inside.

that's also how i gauge my love (or lack of) for movies. i can pop any one of the 1st 3 indy films into my dvd player and i'll definitely watch it start to end. and still have a good time, even after the 3000th viewing.

sadly, not so for indy4. the furthest i always ever make it is halfway thru. that's when the whole movie falls completely apart for me. (right abt the point after they discover the crystal skull in orellana's tomb). then it's no longer an indiana jones movie, it's a TEAM indiana jones movie. indy himself is almost a spectator in his own film. and the overall quality of acting, dialogue, effects, action set pieces, etc just drops sharply. it's tiresome.

so to me, indy4 is HALF a good movie.

 

[DarthNeil]

I'm glad that the internet was not around back in '85 when Temple of Doom was released-- that's all that I'm going to say about the KOTCS backlash.

 

[Indiana Fett]

I'm glad that the internet was not around back in '85 when Temple of Doom was released-- that's all that I'm going to say about the KOTCS backlash.

I'm sure you mean '84...

 

[DarthNeil]

I'm sure you mean '84...

Well I was living in Scotland back in '84-'85 so I knew it was one of those... Not that that'll change the fact that the internet wasn't up and running then.

Was it?

 

[El Skutto]

Well I was living in Scotland back in '84-'85 so I knew it was one of those... Not that that'll change the fact that the internet wasn't up and running then.

Was it?

The internet? No. But BBS (Bulletin Board Systems) were pretty popular in those days. Ah, the good old days of the 300 baud rate...