Ok I don't want this to be another bash on KOTCS thread. I just wanted to post some thoughts on it since I watched it again last night and was surprised to find out a couple of things.
The first big surprise was to discover that I actually enjoy the first half of the film. I am one of the few that does not mind the Nuclear Fridge. In fact I think that keeps in the spirit of the films. I also love the shot of Indy looking up at the Mushroom cloud.
I enjoy Indy and Mutt's back and forth for the first half of the film. The bike chase is fun. I love when Brody's statue head comes off and Mutt gives Indy that smile and Indy gives him the look. Much like Connery did to him in TLC.
Basically I enjoy the first hour. It's not perfect but I can ignore it's faults.
And then it happens. At the one hour and five minute mark it all comes apart. Marion shows up. Now I don't blame Karen Allen. I believe she followed the script and did what she was told but every scene with her for the next 35 min feels more like a sit com then an adventure film. The way she acts and behaves takes away any feelings of danger. She argues with Indy in front of the Russians like their lives are not in danger. She smiles and enjoys herself way to much in all of the action scenes. She criticizes her son's footing while he fights for his life in a fencing duel.
But it's not just her. Harrison Ford forgets how to act in some of these scenes and comes off more as Jack Tripper then Indiana Jones. The script where Indy first meets Marion again and then finds out that Mutt is his son is so poorly written that it is obvious why the actors come across so wooden.
We also have to deal with an overload of CGI which also takes away the feeling of Danger. That jungle fight scene looks like one big blue screen fight.We also get Monkey Vine swinging which does not look real. We then get Marion who has no issues with driving over a cliff (for no reason at all since they are in a vehical and they can just drive over the CGI ants) She drives over the cliff lands on a tree and then slowly falls to the water and then gives Indy that "I knew it all along" smile. It's just awful. So with poorly done CG and Marion acting like either an Insane person or someone who is just on vacation and you end up with the worst action scene of the series. But what makes that so bad is that it is supposed to be the main action scene of that film. It's the Raiders Truck chase if you will.
What made Raiders, TOD, and to a lesser extent TLC is that most of the action scenes were filmed in camera and with practical effects. Indy was Lucky to survive his adventures. He got beat up. There was a sense of Danger. Marion s*****ed and fought she did not smile through the whole scene. Niether did Willie for that matter or the other Blond from LC. The three films also use real Creepy Crawlies and not stupid, how can I be afraid of a cartoon, cgi ants.
The film just becomes a complete mess. It becomes Lazy. It's like nobody cared. Who cares if its poorly written? Who cares that the effects are not up to snuff? Who cares that the acting is poor? Who cares that this film is the one with the largest budget but looks liken the one with the smallest? Who cares?? Obviously nobody with the exception of Shai who has addmitted that the film was not a very good one.
What's funny is the last 30 min of the film is not that bad either. It's a bit boring but there are not mind numbingly stupid parts. But I am so taken out of the film because of the previous 30 min that the last 30 suffers because of it.
so what really surprised me watching the film this last time is that I actually enjoy one hour and 30 min of the film. But that 30 min wedged into the middle is some of the worst film making I have ever seen. It really is only a few steps above Sci Fi channel movie of the week stuff.
I guess my point is that it is to bad that the film fell apart for that 30 min. It's an important 30 and it effects the rest of the film. If those 30 could be somehow reshot and done with real stunts on a real location and get rid of all the happy feeling in the face of death then I would like this film at least as much as TLC. it still would not touch the Original or TOD but it would be oh so much better.
End of Line.........
The first big surprise was to discover that I actually enjoy the first half of the film. I am one of the few that does not mind the Nuclear Fridge. In fact I think that keeps in the spirit of the films. I also love the shot of Indy looking up at the Mushroom cloud.
I enjoy Indy and Mutt's back and forth for the first half of the film. The bike chase is fun. I love when Brody's statue head comes off and Mutt gives Indy that smile and Indy gives him the look. Much like Connery did to him in TLC.
Basically I enjoy the first hour. It's not perfect but I can ignore it's faults.
And then it happens. At the one hour and five minute mark it all comes apart. Marion shows up. Now I don't blame Karen Allen. I believe she followed the script and did what she was told but every scene with her for the next 35 min feels more like a sit com then an adventure film. The way she acts and behaves takes away any feelings of danger. She argues with Indy in front of the Russians like their lives are not in danger. She smiles and enjoys herself way to much in all of the action scenes. She criticizes her son's footing while he fights for his life in a fencing duel.
But it's not just her. Harrison Ford forgets how to act in some of these scenes and comes off more as Jack Tripper then Indiana Jones. The script where Indy first meets Marion again and then finds out that Mutt is his son is so poorly written that it is obvious why the actors come across so wooden.
We also have to deal with an overload of CGI which also takes away the feeling of Danger. That jungle fight scene looks like one big blue screen fight.We also get Monkey Vine swinging which does not look real. We then get Marion who has no issues with driving over a cliff (for no reason at all since they are in a vehical and they can just drive over the CGI ants) She drives over the cliff lands on a tree and then slowly falls to the water and then gives Indy that "I knew it all along" smile. It's just awful. So with poorly done CG and Marion acting like either an Insane person or someone who is just on vacation and you end up with the worst action scene of the series. But what makes that so bad is that it is supposed to be the main action scene of that film. It's the Raiders Truck chase if you will.
What made Raiders, TOD, and to a lesser extent TLC is that most of the action scenes were filmed in camera and with practical effects. Indy was Lucky to survive his adventures. He got beat up. There was a sense of Danger. Marion s*****ed and fought she did not smile through the whole scene. Niether did Willie for that matter or the other Blond from LC. The three films also use real Creepy Crawlies and not stupid, how can I be afraid of a cartoon, cgi ants.
The film just becomes a complete mess. It becomes Lazy. It's like nobody cared. Who cares if its poorly written? Who cares that the effects are not up to snuff? Who cares that the acting is poor? Who cares that this film is the one with the largest budget but looks liken the one with the smallest? Who cares?? Obviously nobody with the exception of Shai who has addmitted that the film was not a very good one.
What's funny is the last 30 min of the film is not that bad either. It's a bit boring but there are not mind numbingly stupid parts. But I am so taken out of the film because of the previous 30 min that the last 30 suffers because of it.
so what really surprised me watching the film this last time is that I actually enjoy one hour and 30 min of the film. But that 30 min wedged into the middle is some of the worst film making I have ever seen. It really is only a few steps above Sci Fi channel movie of the week stuff.
I guess my point is that it is to bad that the film fell apart for that 30 min. It's an important 30 and it effects the rest of the film. If those 30 could be somehow reshot and done with real stunts on a real location and get rid of all the happy feeling in the face of death then I would like this film at least as much as TLC. it still would not touch the Original or TOD but it would be oh so much better.
End of Line.........
