Indiana Jones and the Something of Something - Page 5

Solid Snake · 05-23-2008, 08:02 PM

In a sense, I feel guilty having watched Iron Man because everything else I watch for the rest of this summer is going to inevitably be compared to Iron Man and many otherwise decent movies are going to subsequently, in my eyes, totally fail.

In other words, my summary is something like this: Indy 4 was not a bad movie, but as I was watching it felt like a bad movie on some subjective level, as comparisons to Iron Man (and also, as previously noted, to previous Indy installments like Raiders and Crusade) rang solidly in my mind.

It's intriguing to me because despite being two completely different movies at first glance, Iron Man and Indy are so similar in some respects as to what they're trying to accomplish: Downey's interpretation of Stark and the entire flow of that movie screamed feel-good escapism (compared to, say, the serious soap-opera pathos of a Spider-Man flick or the darker edge with Batman.) Yes, Iron Man had real-world interpretations of terrorism and modern-day Afghanistan but essentially it boiled down to an awesome-looking hero with an attitude kicking immense amounts of ass in an awesome suit, with lots of feel-good, laugh-out-loud moments and a few critical "suspend your disbelief" moments, too.

Indiana Jones tries the same approach -- and really, Indy's done it far longer, since the '80s. This one just failed where Iron Man succeeded. I didn't laugh nearly as hard, I wasn't nearly as excited with the action sequences as I wanted to be, and the supporting characters didn't engage me nearly as much as Gweneth Paltrow or the hot reporter chick or even Stark's stereotypical black best friend. I wanted to like Mutt, but didn't. I did like Marion, but didn't see enough of her doing much to make a difference. And maybe I just love John Rhys-Davies too much for my own good, but I really missed Sallah...even more than I missed Connery, really.

I didn't mind the plot twists, and I felt they all fit somehow into the warped dynamics of the Indy universe. And really, it was nice to see Harrison Ford being Indiana Jones again. But honestly, I don't feel as if this installment really did enough to justify ruining the near-perfect ending that Crusade provided for the series. It was a decent movie that I appreciated more for sentimental value in retrospect than when I actually watched it, but Iron Man is still the summer blockbuster to beat (even IF Indy 4 sells more tickets and makes more profits.)

Azisien · 05-23-2008, 08:59 PM

Saw it 30 minutes ago. It was good. I don't exactly know which Indy movies I've seen, besides Raiders, but suffice to say I'm not a follower of the series.

Either way, it was good. It had it's high points. Some of the action was great, Shia's character was a great addition to the cast. Aliens are kinda cool. It had it's low points. While the flirty thing was cool, the romance was completely tacked on. Kate Blanchett's character was, generally, rather irritating.

I like ants.

Justice Team · 05-24-2008, 06:18 PM

The only thing missing from this movie is Chuck norris and Mr. T.
But if either of them were in it, it would explode from sheer awesome!
A MUST SEE!!

POS Industries · 05-24-2008, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justice Team

The only thing missing from this movie is Chuck norris

Mike McC · 05-24-2008, 11:32 PM

Aside from having to stretch my disbelief further on this outing ( Atomic Fridge Ride!), and some predictable occurances ( Of course Mac was gonna die in the end, he betrayed Indy!), I will have to mirror the others and say that this sits firmly within the bounds of the established Indy movie quality scale.

Kerensky287 · 05-25-2008, 12:13 AM

Excellent movie. First Indy one I've seen all of. I now plan to watch the rest.

Though I did think that the plot seemed a little... pointless. Nothing was accomplished, other than "Surprise! Mutt is your son." And the way the bad guy died didn't make much sense to me.

Still outstanding though. It's right up there with Iron Man for me.

Regulus Tera · 05-25-2008, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerensky287

And the way the bad guy died didn't make much sense to me.

The villain gained the knowledge the alien promised, but the villain's puny little human brain couldn't stand it.

About the most sense the whole movie makes.

Mike McC · 05-25-2008, 06:13 PM

I can understand why they went with the ( alien) angle, because it reflects the kind of pulp stories you'd see around in the 50's. And really, what is Indiana Jones, but a fun pulp matinee romp? If you go in looking for more than that, then you're completely missing the point.

I_Like_Swordchucks · 05-25-2008, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BraveFencer Shinryuu

I can understand why they went with the ( alien) angle, because it reflects the kind of pulp stories you'd see around in the 50's. And really, what is Indiana Jones, but a fun pulp matinee romp? If you go in looking for more than that, then you're completely missing the point.

Someone should mention that to the Russian Communist party, as they seemed to have missed that memo. Apparently they're trying to get the movie banned in Russia due to historical inaccuracy, distortion of the nature of the Cold War, and capitalist propaganda of the evils of communism.

Hehehe. Indiana Jones and historical inaccuracy... *snicker* I wonder did they just realize that now?

POS Industries · 05-25-2008, 09:40 PM

You..... you mean the Nazis weren't trying to use the Ark of the Covenant to win WW2?!

05-23-2008, 08:02 PM	#41
Solid Snake Erotic Esquire Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 5,563	In a sense, I feel guilty having watched Iron Man because everything else I watch for the rest of this summer is going to inevitably be compared to Iron Man and many otherwise decent movies are going to subsequently, in my eyes, totally fail. In other words, my summary is something like this: Indy 4 was not a bad movie, but as I was watching it felt like a bad movie on some subjective level, as comparisons to Iron Man (and also, as previously noted, to previous Indy installments like Raiders and Crusade) rang solidly in my mind. It's intriguing to me because despite being two completely different movies at first glance, Iron Man and Indy are so similar in some respects as to what they're trying to accomplish: Downey's interpretation of Stark and the entire flow of that movie screamed feel-good escapism (compared to, say, the serious soap-opera pathos of a Spider-Man flick or the darker edge with Batman.) Yes, Iron Man had real-world interpretations of terrorism and modern-day Afghanistan but essentially it boiled down to an awesome-looking hero with an attitude kicking immense amounts of ass in an awesome suit, with lots of feel-good, laugh-out-loud moments and a few critical "suspend your disbelief" moments, too. Indiana Jones tries the same approach -- and really, Indy's done it far longer, since the '80s. This one just failed where Iron Man succeeded. I didn't laugh nearly as hard, I wasn't nearly as excited with the action sequences as I wanted to be, and the supporting characters didn't engage me nearly as much as Gweneth Paltrow or the hot reporter chick or even Stark's stereotypical black best friend. I wanted to like Mutt, but didn't. I did like Marion, but didn't see enough of her doing much to make a difference. And maybe I just love John Rhys-Davies too much for my own good, but I really missed Sallah...even more than I missed Connery, really. I didn't mind the plot twists, and I felt they all fit somehow into the warped dynamics of the Indy universe. And really, it was nice to see Harrison Ford being Indiana Jones again. But honestly, I don't feel as if this installment really did enough to justify ruining the near-perfect ending that Crusade provided for the series. It was a decent movie that I appreciated more for sentimental value in retrospect than when I actually watched it, but Iron Man is still the summer blockbuster to beat (even IF Indy 4 sells more tickets and makes more profits.) __________________ *WARNING:* Snek's all up in this thread. Be prepared to read massive walls of text.

05-24-2008, 11:32 PM	#45
Mike McC Time is something else. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wherever I am needed, I will be there. Posts: 5,065	Aside from having to stretch my disbelief further on this outing ( Atomic Fridge Ride!), and some predictable occurances ( Of course Mac was gonna die in the end, he betrayed Indy!), I will have to mirror the others and say that this sits firmly within the bounds of the established Indy movie quality scale. __________________ WHERE MIKEY IS IN 2022! tumblrs - http://werewolf.zone twitters - @itmightbemikey

05-25-2008, 12:13 AM	#46
Kerensky287 Just That Good Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,426	Excellent movie. First Indy one I've seen all of. I now plan to watch the rest. Though I did think that the plot seemed a little... pointless. Nothing was accomplished, other than "Surprise! Mutt is your son." And the way the bad guy died didn't make much sense to me. Still outstanding though. It's right up there with Iron Man for me. __________________ People who live in Glass homes should not throw stones or Jerk off at daytime

05-25-2008, 06:13 PM	#48
Mike McC Time is something else. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Wherever I am needed, I will be there. Posts: 5,065	I can understand why they went with the ( alien) angle, because it reflects the kind of pulp stories you'd see around in the 50's. And really, what is Indiana Jones, but a fun pulp matinee romp? If you go in looking for more than that, then you're completely missing the point. __________________ WHERE MIKEY IS IN 2022! tumblrs - http://werewolf.zone twitters - @itmightbemikey

05-25-2008, 09:40 PM	#50
POS Industries Argus Agony Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Gotta go fishing! Posts: 10,483	You..... you mean the Nazis weren't trying to use the Ark of the Covenant to win WW2?! __________________ Either you're dead or my watch has stopped.

05-23-2008, 08:59 PM	#42
Azisien wat Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,177	Saw it 30 minutes ago. It was good. I don't exactly know which Indy movies I've seen, besides Raiders, but suffice to say I'm not a follower of the series. Either way, it was good. It had it's high points. Some of the action was great, Shia's character was a great addition to the cast. Aliens are kinda cool. It had it's low points. While the flirty thing was cool, the romance was completely tacked on. Kate Blanchett's character was, generally, rather irritating. I like ants.

05-24-2008, 06:18 PM	#43
Justice Team Sent to the cornfield Join Date: May 2008 Location: The freaking moon! Posts: 90	The only thing missing from this movie is Chuck norris and Mr. T. But if either of them were in it, it would explode from sheer awesome! A MUST SEE!!