Michael's Movie Grade: B+
This new Indiana Jones film may not be on the same level as the original trilogy but taken on its own terms it is an excellent movie.
Despite being the first Indiana Jones movie not directed by Steven Spielberg, director James Mangold (Walk the Line (2005), Logan (2017) and Ford Vs. Farrari (2019)) does quite a good job at capturing the spirit of adventure that makes these films so special. With the exotic locations, threatening bad guys, larger than life action set pieces and a good amount of fantasy, this film feels like a major adventure and like we are taking this adventure with these characters. I also like how even though this movie relies a bit more on fast paced action set pieces, than some of the previous films, it still has plenty of moments of discovery. What especially works here is that we are watching a puzzle unfold and we are trying to figure it out at the same time as both our heroes and villains. This gives us a feeling of comradery with the characters like we are on this adventure with them. Speaking of our characters Indiana Jones is just as awesome as ever. Sure, you could argue that Harrison Ford looks too old for much of what he does here, but this is an Indiana Jones movie and suspension of disbelief is just a part of the game. Plus, Harrison Ford is still perfect in this role and plays it with an effortless charm. Seeing him on screen, there is no doubt you are looking at a real movie star. This film also does a great job of having us have a strong emotional connection to Indy that does not simply rely on nostalgia. Instead, we care about how hurt and lonely he is. This movie explores the vulnerability of Indy beneath his tough guy exterior. Yet it does this in a way that does not make him seem any less tough or cool. For the most part the supporting characters are quite good as well. True there may not be a lot of depth to these characters but they play their parts well. We like the characters we are supposed to like and hate the characters we are supposed to hate. Also it goes without saying that John Williams' (who did the score for the previous films) score is simply fantastic.
Most Indiana Jones films go into more over the top territory towards the end and this one is certainly no exception. In fact this movie goes more over the top than any of the previous films. This will definitely create mixed feelings among fans of the franchise, and I understand both sides. However, I thought quite well. It is admittedly quite silly but I thought it just added to the fun.
While James Mangold captures much of the sense of adventure here, what he can't capture is Spielberg's wonderful natural humor. In the previous Indiana Jones movies, there are some very funny comedic moments that just seem to naturally happen. For instance, think of Indy shooting the guy with the sword in Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981). This moment doesn't feel like the film consciously trying to be funny by telling a joke. Instead, it just is what feels like the natural thing to happen next, and it also happens to be funny. Here the humor feels like the movie consciously trying to be funny, instead of the humor just coming naturally out of the story. It doesn't help that the humor here is simply not that funny. This movie is also much longer than it needs to be and could have definitely used some trimming as some parts do seem to drag. Also, I didn't feel like the kid character was that endearing or fun.
All in all this may not be Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), but it is still very fun and a nice send off to this great movie hero.
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