Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


Release Date: 22nd May 2008 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution 
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: M

Runtime: 122 minutes


Budget: $185,000,000

Box Office Gross: $786,636,033 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
It is 1957, the height of
the Cold War. After returning

from his latest expedition,

famed archeologist Indiana Jones is at risk of losing his job at Marshall College. Then Indy meets a teenage rebel, Mutt Williams, who wants Indy's help to find the legendary Skull of Akator, and the two of them set off for Peru. But the Soviets are tailing them in their search, led by the brilliant Irina Spalko, who will stop at nothing to obtain the skull and use its powers to conquer the West.

Cast
Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones
Shia LaBeouf - Mutt Williams
Cate Blanchett - Irina Spalko
Karen Allen - Marion Ravenwood
Ray Winstone - George "Mac"

McHale
John Hurt - Harold "Ox" Oxley
Jim Broadbent - Dean Charles Stanforth
Igor Jijikine - Dovchenko

Dmitri Diatchenko - Russian Suit

Ilia Volok - Russian Suit
Alan Dale - General Ross
Joel Stoffer - Taylor
Neil Flynn - Smith

Chet Hanks - Student in Library

Sasha Spielberg - Slugger

Nito Larioza - Cemetery Warrior

Ernie Reyes Jr. - Cemetery Warrior

Crew
Director - Steven Spielberg
Based on Characters/Story/
Executive Producer - George Lucas
Based on Characters - Philip Kaufman
Story - Jeff Nathanson
Screenplay - David Koepp

Script Supervisor - Ana Maria Quintana

Associate Producer - Kristie Macosko Krieger
Executive Producer - Kathleen Kennedy
Producer - Frank Marshall
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Denis L. Stewart

Casting Director - Debra Zane
Production Designer - Guy Hendrix Dyas

Supervising Art Director - Mark W. Mansbridge

Art Directors - Luke Freeborn,

Lawrence A. Hubbs, Lauren E. Polizzi,

Troy Sizemore and Mario Ventenilla

Illustrators - Rodolfo Damaggio,

Colin Grant, Ed Natividad, Nathan Schroeder

and Miles Teves

Storyboard Artists - Chris Baker

and David Lowery

Set Decorator - Larry Dias

Set Decorators: Connecituit Crew -

Alyssa Winter and Beth Rubino

Property Master - Doug Harlocker
Costume Designers - Mary Zophres

and Jenny Eagan

Costume Designer: Harrison Ford -

Bernie Pollack

Assistant Costume Designer - Ann Foley

Costume Supervisor - Bob Morgan

Makeup Department Head - Felicity Bowring

Makeup Artist - Ken Diaz

Hair Department Head - Kelvin R. Trahan
Director of Photography - Janusz Kaminski

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Flavio Martínez Labiano

Director of Photography: Aerial Unit -

Reed Smoot

Camera Operator - Mitch Dubin

Production Supervisor: Aerial Unit/

Supervising Location Manager - Mike Fantasia

Location Manager: New Mexico Crew -

David Manzanares

First Assistant Director - Adam Somner

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Lisa C. Satriano

First Assistant Director: Aerial Unit -

Michael Salven

Second Unit Director - Dan Bradley

Aerial Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -
Pablo Helman

Stunt Coordinator - Gary Powell

Stunt Fight Coordinator - Ben Cooke

Stunt Rigging Coordinator - Diz Sharpe

Sword Trainer - Thomas DuPont

Whip Trainers - Anthony De Longis

and Doc Duhame

Animal Wrangler - Jules Sylvester

Aerial Coordinator: Aerial Unit - Craig Hosking

Special Effects Coordinator - Daniel Sudick

Special Effects Supervisor: Kerner Optical -

Geoff Heron

Effects Supervisor: Stan Winston Studio -
John Rosengrant
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM -
Marshal Richard Krasser

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Stephanie Hornish

Executive Producer: ILM - Janet Lewin
Visual Effects Art Director - Christian Alzmann

Concept Artists: ILM - Warren Fu,

David Nakabayashi and David Yee

Digital Production Supervisor: ILM - Jeff White

Associate Production Manager: ILM - Erin D. O'Connor

Lead TD Supervisor: ILM - Craig Hammack

TD Supervisors: ILM - Hayden Landis and

David Meny

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Steve Rawlins

Digital Matte Supervisor: ILM - Richard Bluff

Digital Compositing Supervisors: ILM -

Jay Cooper and Sean MacKenzie

Layout Supervisor: ILM - Jason Snell

Digital Model Supervisors: ILM - Dave Fogler

and Jung-Seung Hong

Viewpaint Supervisor: ILM - Steve Walton
Creature & Simulations Supervisor: ILM - Eric Wong

Roto & Paint Supervisors: ILM - Patrick Jarvis

and Lance Baetkey

Model Supervisor: Kerner Optical - Brian Gernand

Lead Model Makers: Kerner Optical -

Nicholas D'Abo and Michael Lynch

Director of Photography: Kerner Optical -

Martin Rosenberg

Previsualization Supervisor - Daniel D. Gregoire

Editor - Michael Kahn

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -

Ben Burtt

Supervising Sound Editor - Richard Hymns

Additional Sound Design/Re-Recording Mixer -

Christopher Scarabosuo

Sound Effects Editors - Shannon Mills,

Tim Nielsen, Krysten Mate and

Addison Teague

Sound Mixer - Ron Judkins

ADR Supervisor - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Re-Recording Mixer - Andy Nelson

Foley Artists - Dennie Thorpe,

Jana Vance and Ellen Heuer
Music - John Williams

Music Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Review
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL may have brought back the archaeologist hero to the big screen. Unfortunately, it feels more like a pulp sci-fi adventure than the pulp adventure fantasy we know in the previous instalments. Even the ending took away the mysticism that the three previous Indiana Jones movies had, as it is bizarre. There are several other weak points, such as a convoluted storyline, hokey dialogue and overused CGI. I find the scene where Indiana hides in a fridge to escape from a nuclear blast quite impossible but funny and out-of-place.

However, the acting was great, especially Harrison Ford, who still did a splendid job playing the title character, something he'd not done since The Last Crusade. Newcomers to the film, such as Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett, try to improve the movie with their performances, but it falls flat compared to the original series. I loved the hilarious scene when he refuses to grab the rattlesnake while sinking in dry sand.

Those who have seen the Indiana Jones films will find the latest to be the weakest link in the series. It still has terrific action and a bit of the series' flavour.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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