"Kingdom of The Crystal Skull" 5 Years Later.

[Bo Shrek]

I did the "fourth instalment" this past weekend watching Crystal Skull and Stranger Tides. I have watched them numerous times now I think I am going to put them down with AVP. Disappointing the first few times (especially in theatres) but as it ages (and so do I) the replay value becomes better and the show becomes more enjoyable. I guess because I'm I guy we forgive and move along!!

 

[Khev]

I find OST infinitely more watchable than KOTCS.

 

[IrishJedi]

I have no desire to ever watch OST even once.

 

[superdoug]

What is OST?

 

[Bo Shrek]

What is OST?

The fourth Pirates movie "On Stranger Tides".

 

[superdoug]

Ah, thanks. I was trying to guess based on context but I missed it. I kept trying to make it fit into the Star Wars prequels

 

[Darkmatter]

getting back on topic, i liked KOTCS. i didn't go in with any expectations, like most every other movie i would like to enjoy. i start with a clean opinion slate and take it from there. it doesn't have to be an oscar winner for me to have fun.

 

[CelticPredator]

KOTCS has a few cool moments in the film. Not many, but they are there.

On Stranger Tides doesn't have a single moment worth watching again. It's one of the most joyless, visually hideous studio cash ins i've ever seen.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

On Stranger Tides doesn't have a single moment worth watching again. It's one of the most joyless, visually hideous studio cash ins i've ever seen.

QFT

The characters of Jack & co. deserved someone better than Rob Marshall at the helm.

 

[Khev]

Tides doesn't have a single moment worth watching again. It's one of the most joyless, visually hideous studio cash ins i've ever seen.

Ah, sweet, sweet internet hyperbole.

 

[The Josh]

OST is alright. For me it is the weakest of that series where I don't feel KOTCS is for Indy.

 

[CelticPredator]

Ah, sweet, sweet internet hyperbole.

Actually, its one of the few posts that I am dead set serious.

it really is a dull, mess of a film. I could however, name only one amusing moment in the entire film, and that is when Jack rejects Angelica. Only because of the musical sting.

Other then that, I just really find it to be the most middle of the road, safe, uninteresting, visually dull and inept summer film in a long time. Everyone talks about that Mermaid scene....but it just looked so cheap.

At least KOTCS had some visually nice moments, and a few cool set pieces.

 

[IrishJedi]

Ah, sweet, sweet internet hyperbole.

Well, this is a KOTCS thread after all.

 

[devilof76]

I agree with you 100%. I always took it as two 50's kids making a tribute to their childhood. Cold War elements were cool, aliens were cool. Marion & not-Abner Ravenwood, jungle chase, and rapids, all stunk to high hell. Something got in the way, somewhere along the line. I don't hate it, but I'll never love it the way I do the others (in the same way that I never have loved any of them the way I do Raiders).

 

[Prime Clone]

Nice level-headed recount. I'm one of the few who actually liked KOTCS and the SW prequels, though I agree they were weaker than the original trilogies.

Hating on KOTCS and the SW prequels has become almost a reflex action, an article of faith among fanboys. Many probably can't even remember why they hate them so much. Are they really that bad as movies, or is it just that they're not as good as their predecessors?

Marion's appearance reminds me of Jar Jar's in Episode I. For me, they were the turning points for both films, which had been quite decent up to that point. And that's not to say I didn't like the characters (no, not even Jar Jar), but something went awry with the scripts after they arrived.

 

[DarthNeil]

I enjoyed and still do enjoy KOTCS. My two main problems are really two characters. I can tolerate Mutt and horrifically grinning Marion, but the characters of Oxley and Mac are where I have any issues with the film. Indy has always had sidekicks, but while those sidekicks in the past have been comedic (Sallah, Short Round, Henry Sr.) they have always served a purpose and helped Indy-- Oxley and Mac serve absolutely no purpose and in fact hinder Indy. They remove much of what made Indy great in past movies. I absolutely hate Mac's constant screams of "Indy" just as much as I hate Indy's constant screams of "Ox". If both of those characters were removed I would enjoy the movie even more.

Having identified that fault, I do really like many of the sequences (and I can even ignore the Tarzan swinging through the vines with monkeys)-- specifically the Area 51 cargo chase (vintage Indy) and the motorcycle chase through the campus (which I agree 100% that it's a nice nod to the escape from the castle in TLC with Ford taking over the curmudgeon role). Lots of little nods to the other films.

Unlike others, I welcome a fifth instalment and I can't wait to see Ford don the fedora once more.

 

[superdoug]

For me Ox and Marion's characters were the weakest. A few tweaks to Marion and Ox, the elimination of the grease hair monkey scene and Indy not being afraid to use his gun and the movie would be 100 times better. That said I still liked it. But I am a big Indy fan and wanted to see him in a new adventure so I was biased towards liking it. At least I wasn't cracking up laughing at the wrong parts like I was in the Star Wars prequels. When I busted up laughing during the Emperor's transformation I got so many pissed off looks but I couldn't help it.

 

[DarthNeil]

For me Ox and Marion's characters were the weakest. A few tweaks to Marion and Ox, the elimination of the grease hair monkey scene and Indy not being afraid to use his gun and the movie would be 100 times better. That said I still liked it. But I am a big Indy fan and wanted to see him in a new adventure so I was biased towards liking it. At least I wasn't cracking up laughing at the wrong parts like I was in the Star Wars prequels. When I busted up laughing during the Emperor's transformation I got so many pissed off looks but I couldn't help it.

You weren't annoyed by Mac's character?

 

[IrishJedi]

Mac would be pretty annoying if he wasn't such a non-factor. The character is a complete cipher, even though he's the one who is responsible for every bad situation Indy gets into in the film. For a catalyst, he never really does anything. He's just... there. Not an interesting character at all.

 

[SAB]

Yeah I never understood Mac ...I got the feeling he was much better in earlier versions and after the 1million rewrites it went through the character was left as a pointless shell.

Even at the end we have a mysterious, 'who is dropping the homing beacon?' bit .....I just assumed it was Indy himself, brainwashed by Cate and the skull.

But no it was Mac again?! The only way that was a surprise twist is because it was so dumb that no one would think they'd go full ****** and use Mac once more in that way.

And if it wasn't Indy, what was the point of the Cate Blanchett's mental powers and attempting to harness the skulls power.
Was she really just horrible at her job and delusional?