Indiana Jones und das Königreich des Kristallschädels

Ein ausgezeichnetes Intro, ein solider Rest – eine Ausnahme sind die letzten 10 Minuten, die das Ganze kaputtgemacht haben. "Wir kommen wohl in das Alter, in dem das Leben uns weniger schenkt und anfängt uns Dinge wegzunehmen." Das Universum von Indiana Jones hat sich selbst nie zu ernst genommen und seine Möglichkeiten sind groß. Sie sind aber nicht unendlich und manche Dinge hätte es wirklich nicht geben müssen. Wen treffen wir hier das nächste Mal? Mulder und Scully klopfen schon an die Tür… wer wird aufmachen? Die schwarzhaarige, flache Irina – She Wolf of the CCCP? Der vierte Indiana-Jones-Film ist ein Genre-Crossover-Ausrutscher mit einer übertriebenen Popkultur-Dimension und einem durchschnittlichen Schuft (der einzige stärkere Moment von Cate Blanchett ist der Spruch, dass er wie ein Junge kämpft). Kann es sein, dass die Visionäre, die einst die Richtung bestimmt haben, allmählich ihren Verstand verlieren?___ Spielberg hat mir diesmal die gleiche "Freude" wie vor kurzem Peter Jackson mit seinem King Kong gemacht. Beide Filme haben großartige Mega-Parameter, sie haben aber keine Chance, ein Klassiker zu werden. (20.05.2008)

I’m reading other reviews and what the not very satisfied viewers are complaining about the most is that the new Indie is science fiction. Personally, that doesn’t bother me it all, on the contrary, I welcome and praise this shift in Jones’s adventures. What I can’t praise, however, is that it has lost all the humour, or at least the humour that I liked – I don’t consider childish jokes like a ground squirrel (curious monkey) turning around behind me to be good enough for a legend like Indie. Indiana Jones was never about realism, so I don’t mind the innumerable WTF moments in the plot, but the triple slide on huge waterfalls in a Jeep and covering from an atomic explosion in a fridge were almost too much, even for me. 65% (01.10.2008)

The trio of Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford reminds me of a bunch of pensioners who will jokingly rebuke you if you want to let them take your seat on a tram. You will rarely meet them, but you will not forget them for a long time. Or... The original plan of having a worthy ending to the series that turned into a comedy-action hit that could be envied by folks generations younger than me, made me laugh like a little kid. This film features a full-blown two hours of stylish catchphrases, a great atmosphere, and a polished feeling that perfectly reflects two things: The mindfulness of aging gentlemen and the fame of Shia LaBeouf - the kid is incredible! (24.05.2008)

Meiner Ansicht nach versteht sich Indy mit den 1950ern sehr gut. Viel schlechter versteht er sich jedoch mit dem 21. Jahrhundert. Optisch kam mir der Film steril vor, glattgebügelt zu sehr schmeichlerisch. Harrison Ford hat immer noch einen riesigen Mumm, was wir jedoch über Cate Blanchett leider nicht sagen können (und leider nicht nur aus verständlichen Gründen). Shia LaBoeuf spielt hier seinen Legolas-Part ja auch ehrenvoll, jedoch dieses Augenzwinkern zum jüngeren Publikum, dem ein alter Mann mit einer Peitsche nicht mehr genug ist, fuchst mich. Ähnlich wie Lucas Infantilität ... Was hat mir denn hier gefallen? Die Atmosphäre roch an einigen Stellen wie zu alten Zeiten grabähnlich verrottet. Spielbergs Konservatismus, der weder langweilt noch anachronistisch aussieht. Trotzdem würde ich meine Eindrücke vom Indy mit dem Wort verlegen beschreiben. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass dort, wo die ursprüngliche Trilogie mit wenig auskam, der Vierer zu sehr auf Megalomanie und Übertreibung hat setzen müssen ... Es ist eben ein gut verarbeitetes Produkt und meiner Ansicht nach ein klarer Erfolg, jedoch kein Kult. (26.05.2008)

This isn’t the best Indy I’ve seen, nor the worst; at the beginning it’s the same Indy, toward the end a slightly different Indy but beyond all doubt this IS Indy; despite being disgustingly digital in places. My heart throb again dons his scruffy felt fedora and returns to the silver screen in an adventure spectacular that we had been sorely missing for an interminably long nineteen years. Over the years several movies tried to fill the void and every last one of them ended up falling into that void. Some did so honorably, others didn’t. The revamped Indy fills the void, although not throughout. Ford’s age doesn’t slow the movie down, but it is an undeniable snag. And Shia doesn’t do much to shoulder the burden of his role as initiator of action. But if you love Indy, you’ll forgive him anything. It has its shortcomings. But what movie doesn’t? But they’re just shortcomings. There’s more digital landscaping than desirable, and too many characters end up sidelined and almost forgotten. With the exception of the Tarzan scene, which is the lamest moment of the entire tetralogy, no serious shortcomings crop up. But those monkeys and especially their leader well deserve to meet the same fate as their colleagues from the Temple of Doom. But still, sixty-five year old Junior walks all over those fast-buck movies made for one season. Maybe it seems “just" darn good right now, but what about in five to ten years’ time when people get over the ending. And that applies to me too. I really enjoyed the finale (a lot), but if they could have done without those over-the-top Lucas-style literalness, I would have been much happier. But the magic that surrounded the original trilogy is back. It’s true that it’s not as evident as it used to be and you may have to perform some fiddly archeological digging to uncover it, but it’s there, no doubt about it. The it I’m talking about is the pure essence of “movieness" which turns adults back into kids, critics into fans and kids into movie enthusiasts. So even this less strong (but not weak) fourth Indy expedition into film in my eyes didn’t manage to topple him from his position as my favorite hero of world cinema. (22.05.2008)

There was a huge pile of emotions after leaving the cinema, but they can all be summed up in one message: "You took your time, but it was worth it, Indy." The teacher looks like he hasn't done anything but searching for more and more treasures in the last nineteen years, and even though it has added a wrinkle or two to his face, he still throws himself into everything headfirst. Fortunately, with an increasing dose of reason, because the main hero has indeed grown wiser in his old age (not to be confused with becoming soft). And this nostalgic, mischievously winking adventure contains so many amazing ingredients. The ethereal Cate Blanchett, a chase over a cliff, "ants like pigs", breathtaking climax, and last but not least, the rebellious Shia LaBeouf, perhaps even better than I dared to hope. The Last Crusade's base as the pinnacle of the series passed without any problems, but such an adventurous ride can probably only be found with Mr. Jones. (30.05.2008)

Indiana Jones is back after many years. Expectations were huge and it was practically impossible to please everyone, but the fourth installment of the famous series maintains its style and is not a disappointment. All the ingredients that made this film character famous, namely exaggeration, fast pace, gags, and casual style, are present. The typical musical motif and Indiana's essential hat are also there. In the exact style of American film productions, the hero's physique has not suffered any serious injuries over the years, so Indiana delivers precise blows to all sides and effortlessly jumps over obstacles with his necessary whip. The long hiatus is evident in his film partner, expertly played by Karen Allen. This change, where another partner of Indiana is not the usual sexy kitten, but a mature woman, is appealing. Although I am not familiar with how much she got paid, it was certainly a decent retirement guarantee. Hollywood is very ungrateful toward older actresses. The impressive setting of the Latin American jungle provided plenty of opportunities for action, and in some scenes, the film returns to the origins of the series, such as a wild chase along a rocky wall of a deep canyon resembling a similar scene in the first installment. The film loses a bit of momentum in the last ten minutes, where it seems to draw from a different genre and tries to imitate The X-Files, but I forgive it for that. Overall impression: 90%. Still a highly above-average adventure film within the genre. (25.06.2008)

Indy at the movie theater is an unforgettable experience. I readily admit immediately and without torture that I didn’t like a lot of things about The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (I think the Tarzan-like Shia and the monkeys bothered me the most), but Spielberg is simply too good a director to spoil the return of the legend. The 50s stylization absorbed me totally without problem and I was expecting to see the Indy senior, so there was no reason to be disappointed. Plus, Shia LaBeouf brings a breath of fresh air into the Jones universe and his character easily won me over. And the spectacular finale in the room with..., you know what I mean, really got to me. The fourth Indiana Jones is no better or worse than the original trilogy, it’s just a lot different. A slightly low 5. (23.05.2008)

My god, so much hype! The discussion forum had several thousand posts before the premiere, half of the FilmBooster users experienced many sleepless nights playing the same trailer over and over again, and impatiently crossed off the days on the calendar until the midnight premiere, for which tickets had been lying on the table for quite a few days, of course. And all of this was totally shit, because as usual, the most anticipated blockbuster of the year, if not the decade, is utter crap, and nobody can believe what actually happened and what went wrong. Indy is the past. The feeling of the 1980s will never return, just like the time when these films were made. Spielberg tries to stick to the old ways (titles, references to age, sound of fights, filter-free camera), but brutally knocks himself down with a ton of visual effects and accumulating nonsense, which are a bit too much even for the playful Indy. Ford surprised me with his strength and vitality – he can still handle his fists and whip well – but otherwise it's just a plain and boring setup mashed up with today's trend of “action - plot, action - plot, action - plot...”. Boring and average, not even pretty. Even Temple of Doom entertained me more. (02.07.2008)

I've been waiting for this comeback and I have to say that none of the masters (Spielberg, Ford, Williams) disappointed me. (24.03.2009)

The third sequel of the best adventure franchise set itself a difficult task: not to thematically continue, but to further develop the character of the individual stories, which always unfolded according to which genre and cultural corners of cinema the episode was referring to, while at the same time paying a nostalgic tribute to its own predecessors in a time of prevailing attractions. Both were successful. From the first scene, Spielberg both sets the story in a new phase full of new potential formulas for an adventure film (the 1950s marked by Western and Eastern hostility, the nuclear threat and a culture brimming with science fiction), and humorously winks at the viewer with an amusing iconisation of the beloved main character and formal devices that directly reference the original trilogy. And from this point of view, far from falling apart under the filmmakers' hands, as many have mentioned, the story brilliantly and systematically capitalises on all the suggested "50s" motifs, right up to the final alien interlude (similar to the way the second film, for example, played beautifully with Bollywood mythology, or Indian stories in general), while constantly entertaining with the tried and tested, but again inventively delivered "Indy" form (almost nothing is missing of the main attractions of the previous films), and the interaction of the old characters (Ford kind of moves into Connery's position). The only thing that bothered me a lot this time is the exaggeration of otherwise entertaining action scenes (the mine carts in the second one were also out of reality, but they still look like a viable tourist attraction compared to being kicked by a nuke and triple-dropping down a giant waterfall), the less elaborate villains and sometimes rather ugly sets. But it’s still highly entertaining and superbly acted (Ford pulls it off like in his youth, but he is well supported by LaBeouf and Ray Winstone, whose character of a "triple" agent is another great reference to the fifties) and packed with so many funny details (e.g. ants carrying away a stray hat after the most extensive action scene) that it is impossible not to love this Indy. When the greats like Spielberg and Lucas are no longer walking the earth, it will be difficult for our generation to be so perfectly returned to our childhood. (18.07.2018)

Die Fortsetzung des kultigen Indiana Jones hätte nach fast zwanzig Jahren so oder so ausgehen können! Das Königreich des Kristallschädels spielt stark mit einer nostalgischen Note - sei es bei der Besetzung, den musikalischen Themen oder den direkten Verweisen auf frühere Filme - während der Film gleichzeitig versucht, mit der Zeit zu gehen und mehr als eine (völlig unnötige) CGI-Aufnahme bietet. Die Szenen mit den digitalen Murmeltieren und Affen haben dem Film eher geschadet als genutzt, ebenso wie die vielzitierte Kühlschrankszene. Der Film hat ein flottes Tempo, so dass er nicht langweilig wird, aber ich fand ihn an manchen Stellen zu kompliziert - was sich am Ende des Films bestätigte. (18.07.2023)

After a second screening, it's clear. The new Indy benefits from virtually nothing but references, has virtually no memorable moments, and the whole thing feels like it was made by a high school fan who won a hundred grand from a script by his younger great-nephew who's in seventh grade in elementary school. Nothing in the film makes sense and it needlessly rolls out one complicated special effect after another, burying the charm of its predecessors. The studio-ness is so obvious in some scenes that it almost seems intentional. You can tell that the filmmakers had a great time watching it, but that's not enough for me. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an overfunded B-movie. (26.05.2008)

My least favorite part. True, simply because sci-fi doesn't fit Indy at all. The first hour to an hour and a half, however, is good, it reminds me of the old good Indy, mainly because of the humor, action, but sometimes almost horror scenes. Spielberg has a certain direction, but that can be expected from him. I could even bear a fifth film, so hopefully it will really happen. (30.03.2015)