Starring Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone
Written By: David Koepp
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Buy on Amazon.com link

Who would have thought that in 2008 we would be talking about an Indiana Jones movie? Last time we saw Indy and his friends riding off into the sunset was nearly 20 years ago. Indy is back and in rare form, albeit a little older than we last saw him. It’s now the 1950s and Indy is battling the Russians. As usual, Indiana Jones is off on some adventure, in search of the Kingdom of Crystal Skulls, a mysterious area in the Amazon. Just like any other Indiana Jones movie, its filled with fun, excitement and crazy sci-fi storylines. It may feel a little different watching the film, but it certainly is the same Indiana Jones we know and love.

It’s the middle of the Cold War and Indiana Jones is reintroduced to all the fans of the world, being held captive by the Russians, in a mysterious military base. The Russians are in search of a famous artifact from Akator, in South America known as Crystal Skulls. A few new faces are brought in with this film, like sidekick Mac (Winstone,) baddie Irina Spalko (Blanchett) and Mutt Williams (LaBeouf.) With newcomers, come some familiar faces as well as Marion Ravenwood shows up (Allen.) As with any other Indy film, Jones and Co. race against the enemy, this time being the Russians, towards the infamous “McGuffin,” which is the Lucas/Spielberg “Speak” for the grand prize, and the film is just a blast. I really enjoyed the movie seeing it in theaters and now again on standard DVD, which just looks great on the Plasma. I’m jealous for you Blu-ray folks out there who get to see the film in Blu-Ray. I think this time more than ever, you can see Indiana Jones just having a blast on screen. I think the film certainly had a lot of laugh out loud moments, even more so than the older films, but I thought it fit nicely as well. I wouldn’t say the film is the best in the series but it was very entertaining. The movie could have been a lot better in a lot of areas. The ending was a bit silly and Mutt swinging on the vines was really cheesy. But there has always been bits of Indiana Jones and even Star Wars that have been cheesy. Kingdom of Crystal Skulls just has more of them than usual.

Just like any other Indy DVD, the extras are extensive but not time consuming. With the first disc you get a nice round up of interviews and talk about the return of Indy, the return of a cinematic legend. Also go inside pre-production as they show footage from setting up sword fights to casting sessions. Disc 2 is strictly featurettes and oh yeah, if you have Xbox 360 you get an Indiana Jones game demo. The big featurette is the 12-part look at the creation and making of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. A few other smaller extras as well but for the most part, these were the better featurettes.

In the end, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a fun, thrill ride with another wacky sci-fi element that you have come to love. Well most of you anyway, and more films should be made after the success of this picture. The cinematic world deserves to have Indiana Jones still in our lives and the movies should continue to be made, even if the movies aren’t as good as the original trilogy. The films will still be entertaining to me, even though others might disagree with me.

Features:
Disc 1:
– Feature Film
– The Return Of A Legend
A tribute to Indy, his creators and the evolution of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
– Pre-Production
From animatic sequences to sword fight lessons to reuniting the cast and crew.

Disc 2:
– Production Diary: Making Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Go behind the scenes for a 12-part in-depth look at the creation of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
– Pre-Visualization Sequences
See the work that goes into preparing 3 pivotal action-packed sequences.
– Galleries
From the jungle to mummies to crystal skulls and more, take a look at incredible behind-the-scenes photos!
– LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures XBOX 360 Game Demo
– Trailers

Audio:
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 CC
SPANISH: Dolby Digital 5.1
FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1

Video:
Widescreen 2.35:1 Color (Anamorphic)

Subtitles:
English, French, Spanish

Favorite Scenes: Area 51, Atomic Town USA, Motorcycle Chase, Journey to Akator
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 122 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: