indiana jones 4

ive been waiting for this one for quite some time. growing up i would watch the original indiana jones movies many times over, and always loved them. now, i think its a sign of my age when i say that the original is not my favorite. most people who were in to movies when 'raiders of the lost ark' came out stand firm to the opinion that it is the best one. well, i was only 2 years old when it came out, so i am not among those who saw it in the theater its first time through... but, when the third one came out i was the perfect age of 10, when seeing previews for a movie of adventure, daring do, guys on motorcycles and tanks and horses, and a guy in a cool hat and a whip, just sent my imagination soaring! for me, 'indiana jones and the last crusade' tops my list of favorites. i mean, its got harrison ford and sean connery- what more could you ask?!?
because of these vivid childhood memories, i had been really looking forward to the new indy movie. now that ive seen it i must say, its not too bad. i had been hoping for the best but expecting the worst. turned out to be ok. the story line is a bit ridiculous, but arent they all? the action was fast and fun, they did a good job of coming up with new action and different stuff for him to do, but that joy and excitement of the first three was missing. granted, this could just be because im older and not as awed by these things as i used to be. my biggest gripes would be that there is too much digital effects, and showy camera moves. some of the stuff that made the originals so cool was the basic approach to the film making. it seemed that it was intentionally striped down to simple camera moves and angles, and old school practical effects. now they have the cameras movies under vehicles and through scenery which feels too modern. and the charm of the down and dirty effects has been replaced by glossy computer effects that are too clean and empty. the title object, the crystal skull, was kind of lame too. they seemed to have spared no expense with most of the film, but the skull itself just looked like a clear plastic case with saran wrap inside- very cheesy. and i really missed all the supporting characters, from marcus brody to sallah. they make brief mention of their absence, but its unfortunate and they could have been included fairly easily. the much celebrated return of marion ravenwood was also handled quite poorly. there could have been some great conversations between the two of them, but instead its just a couple lines to acknowledge it, and then back to the action.
all that aside though, it really sucked me in! hearing that music, seeing harrison ford back in action, and just enjoying the ride really got me. at one point during the movie i came back to my own head and looked around and remembered that i was in a theater and i am not a 10 year old boy- and i was genuinely shocked! it did such a great job of sweeping me up into it that i guess all the criticisms i have about it can be forgiven. once again i was 10 and my imagination was soaring. what more can i ask of a movie, really?