How I spent last Tuesday

[cwfilmbuff]

DVD 27: Raiders of the Lost Ark
It goes for all three of these movies, but after probably dozens of viewings over the years this still holds up. Even when I know everything that’s coming, the action sequences are still exciting, the humor is still funny, and the characters are still interesting.

D28: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Often called the weakest of the Jones movies, and if this is the worst they have to offer that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Sure, some of the comic relief falls flat, and the story doesn’t flow as well as Raiders or Last Crusade, but the movie still works and continues to be a classic with a great villain, tons of memorable scenes, and one of the most exciting chase scenes I’ve ever seen.

D29: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Raiders is usually considered the better movie, and with good reason, but this is my favorite of the series. Aside from being the first one I saw on the big screen, it’s by far the most entertaining, largely due to the way Ford and Connery play off each other. Almost two decades after I first saw it, I still spent the entire two hours grinning because watching this is just that much fun.

Movie 20: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
It has its flaws. The look is more polished than any of its predecessors, a lot of the CG seems out of place, and the shift from religious mythology to science fiction took a little getting used to. Most of this came to mind after the fact though, because sitting in the theater, watching the old-style Paramount logo dissolve into an in-movie peak, only one thing mattered: I was watching a new Indiana Jones movie. And as an Indiana Jones movie, it works. It’s fun, the action sequences are exciting, and the movie never takes itself too seriously. Unlike the Star Wars prequels, this is a film that fits with the rest of the series, and I look forward to many repeat viewings.

Comments

[ion-duck.livejournal.com]

Almost forgot-- the first three Indys were homages to the serial and B movies of the 30s and 40s. With Indy moving into the 50s it sort of makes sense that B movie homages would move with it. It still would have been cool to have Sullah but you can't win them all.