by Heather Lyon

Created on: May 24, 2008

Another Episode in the Interesting Saga of Indiana Jones.

Wait! A miracle has happened! They have taken a series made years ago and made a new one without completely messing it up! In fact, they are quite true (for the most part) to the Indiana form so we get exactly what we expect from an Indiana Jones film. Even though Harrison Ford is getting a bit on the older side, he proves he can still be a good Indiana Jones.

You won't find anything spectacular, new or amazing in this film. What you will find is an Indiana Jones movie that fits in quite well with the rest of the series even if the ending is a little out there.

Our tale begins when Indiana is kidnapped by some enemies of the US (Russians this time as it is 1957). They want him to help them find some artifact in an US government warehouse. He helps them find it as not to be killed but the US government insists on believing he is a traitor. Having been put on permanent leave from his teaching job, Jones decides to leave the country until the mess blows over. Before he can leave, however, he is approached by a kid who claims to know an old friend of Jones', a professor Oxley. He tells Indiana that Oxley has been kidnapped by the same people who have been after him along with the his mother. The kid, Mutt, gives Indiana a letter written by Oxley that contains pictographs and old languages which of course Jones can easily solve. This letter gives them the information to begin our quest out into the jungle to find a lost civilization, and of course to rescue Oxley and Marion (Mutt's Mom).

This episode of Indiana Jones gives us everything we expect from an Indiana Jones movie including car chases, explosions, gun battles, and impossible stunts. As well as some ancient artifacts and weird (if exaggerated) natural phenomenon.

What I most appreciate about this installment of Indiana Jones is the fact that they kept it true to the other three. There are some over-the-top stunts, but not too many crazy affects.

The acting was good. Harrison Ford proves he still has a few movies left in him and that he hasn't forgotten how to play one of the characters that made him famous. Shia LaBeouf (the kid from Transformers) plays Mutt, Indiana's young sidekick in this film. He plays a 1950's greaser kid complete with comb in order to tame his greaser hair do. I thought Shia did an excellent job in this role. I hope to see more of him in future films. Marion Ravenwood, Mutt's Mother and incidentally Jones' love interest from Raiders of the Lost Ark, is played by Karen Allen. She is a spunky lady who proves she can still keep up with Indiana. Cate Blanchett plays our main bad girl, Irina Spalko. She wants the artifacts in able to further her research in paranormal phenomenon. She wants to control the minds of her enemies. I barely recognized Blanchett in this role because she played it so well. Ray Winstone plays Mac Indiana's entrepreneur sidekick from the earlier films. He is on whichever sides has the most money or stands to win the fight.

All in all I can say nothing bad about this film. It was completely what I expected and hoped for in an Indiana Jones film. If you are a fan of the first three films then you will enjoy this one as well.

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