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An eclectic mix of various cinematic moods

On a mission: Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (English)

Cast: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Shia LaBeouf

Director: Steven Spielberg

There are moments of pure Spielberg, moments where Harrison Ford shows why he is the superstar he is, and there are moments of high silliness, where you just hug yourself in glee and giggle. And for those lagging, sagging moments in between, just when your mind wanders that wee bit, it is yanked back with rousing chords of the awesome Raider’s Theme. Praise the lord for composer John Williams.

As has been widely reported, the movie, made 19 years after the last adventure of the globe-trotting archaeologist, Indiana Jones, has made allowances for Ford’s 65 years. So, it is 1957 and at the height of the Cold War. The United States of America is in the grip of Communist paranoia.

The first sequence where Jones is caught on Area 57 and escapes a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator, is pure magic. The ghost town that Indy stumbles on in is deliciously creepy. Then, the movie settles into dal chawal mode, with a teeth-gnashing villain in the form of the fabulously fake Russian-accented KGB agent Irina Spalko. Indy is suspected of being Communist and sent off on a long leave of absence.

As he is heading out of town, he meets Mutt, who tells him he has to help find a crystal skull that will unleash some super powers on the world.

Indy dashes off to the Amazon with friends who just might turn foes, the evil Irina, scorpions, quicksand and of course, snakes. Marion Ravenwood, Indy’s girlfriend from the first movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” makes a comeback.While there is a lot to like in the movie, from the self-effacing quips, to the smart slash of the bull whip, however, comes nowhere near the breathless heart-stopping adventure of “Raiders.” And in the long run, you cannot expect the film to have anything like enduring staying power of Raiders, which is what distinguishes a film as a cult classic.

MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

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