The summer movie season has now officially kicked off. I did my part to make the box office numbers and went to see both Ironman and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I thought both movies were well above the quality of much of the other offerings that have been out in the last few months. Here’s a little bit of what I thought. I’ll try not to dump any spoilers if you haven’t see the films yet.
Ironman
Ironman was based on the Marvel Action Comics hero of the same name. This movie was heavy on the Computer Generated Imagary (CGI) but that was ok. Even as little as 10 years ago, this movie would have flopped seriously without the help CGI was able to give it. The programming to make the suit and its many moving parts showed detail that in years past would have had to be blurred to keep it from looking hokey.
Ironman was a great combination of acting, use of FX and humor. I heard many reviewers say the movie got slow at the end, but I would tend to disagree. The movie did change pace quite drastically, but it had more to do with the mental changes Tony Stark was going through based on his ordeal early in the movie. This wasn’t a lack of plot, on the contrary, it was what probably would have happened to someone in his position who went through the same trials.
The lead role was well chosen. Robert Downey Jr takes on the role of Tony Stark, billionaire playboy. His company, Stark Industries, is the top of the line weapons manufacturer. His money, prestige and influence allow him to freely romp around in style with the girls and he is often aloof and care-free in times of pressure. He feels his weapons are keeping the balance of peace and could never fall into the hands of the enemy. As the movie flows, that attitude is brought into question and he begins to pursue changing his life and his company. His assistant, Pepper Pots, is a witty, beautiful and talent woman who has been at Tony’s side through his rise to power. She is pivotal in keeping Tony on track. A romance begins between the two but neither seems completely comfortable with it.
Ironman was an action packed, humor filled romp through the mind of a genius that is suddenly turned to realize that his own reality has become the world’s nightmare. I recommend catching this one for a good laugh and a good storyline.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
I’ve been watching backstory and production updates on this movie for a long time. There was considerable banter between Lucas, Spielberg and Harrison Ford about the script and production values that are tied to the Indy franchise. A long series of rewrites and negotiations later, and we arrive at 1957, just outside Area 51.
The movie progresses through the typical fan-loved Indiana Jones expectations. The fedora is the first thing we see that tells us Indy is about to arrive. The whip and other comical Indy gags appear soon after. Indy’s sharp wit and dry humor are still there but a little less avantguard, possibly tempered with age. This movie was an all around good movie. I would say its probably not the best of the Indy series, but it is a good show and worth the price of the ticket.
One of the things I had read as production of the movie progressed, was that Harrison Ford wanted to keep the characters consistant with the time that has actually passed between movies, 19 years. The late 1950’s era timeline is part of what detracts a bit from the earlier Indy stories. Just like the old time serial movies and tv shows of early television, Indy has become ‘out of date’ in the late 1950’s.
I would have to say the display of prejudice against the communist regime is probably the most boldly played of any prejudices in the Indy Series. In past movies, the Nazies and the Thuggiess were the prominent bad guys. Other than being portrayed as evil, they were simply the antagonist. Crystal Skull brings American society’s distaste with Communism right out in the open. Indy himself is even accused of being a ‘Red’ early on in the movie. This ever present predujice is there throughout the movie. I think it probably wasn’t necessary to deal with the predujice aspect quite as much as they did, but it WAS how the populace of the United States was thinking during that era.
Indy and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull takes us on a worthwhile romp. Indy shows his age in the movie, keeping to the 19 years that have passed since “The Last Crusade”. While they do make light of age, Harrison Ford still is able to put on a pretty decent showing in most of the action sequences. I was pleased with the plot of the movie and the outcome. It didn’t seem to be too far of a stretch based on things that were going on in 1957. The modern look and feel of the film did make it seem just a little out of place from past Indy movies. The CGI didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, but it did seem just a hair foreign to the Indy Series.
Don’t miss this one. Keep in mind going in, that 19 years have passed and attitudes in Indy’s world have changed since we last saw the leather jacket, whip and fedora. Keep the era in mind and you will have a great Indy experience.