Indiana Jones meets Lovecraft

Well, I've just been to see the new Indiana Jones film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and I must say it was different. It was different to what I had expected, it was different to the original trilogy, and it was definately different in content, although not in style, to the old film.

Without ruining the plot, I can tell you this - Indy still has the magic, Ford is brilliant, and no-one on film can take a beating like he can. Shia LeBeouf (pronounced Le-Buff) was great also, quite the rising star. I was underwhelmed by Cate Blanchett somewhat; her star power could have been used to greater effect, and in one scene it looked like she had an Adam's Apple. Hmm.

The content side of things was your traditional Indy tale of archaeology, deciphering ancient texts and so on, along with the general fun wisecracks. Where the film became different was the introduction of almost a kind of pulp horror. The films always sought to tap into the pulp era of the 20s, and bring that over-the-top style to films. This film deviates slightly into the realm of pulp horror, and certain parts felt like they came from a H. P. Lovecraft tale. Which I personally think worked very well. The combination of styles and influences made a nice package of a film; there is no need to distance this from the others in the series, all the magic was still there, and the acting, by and large, was rather good.

Despite people bagging the film, I would encourage you to see it yourself. It has to be seen at the movies, small screen is too small for the action and great landscape scenes, especially in the late stages of the film. Having some knowledge of the stylistic influences will aid in the enjoyment of this film, without knowing the connection to pulp horror, especially the weird stuff of Lovecraft, you will not get all you can out of it.

I give it, for performance, magic, and partly nostalgia: 4/5.