Strong adventure, story paces Indy on Crystal Skull DVD

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Film Critic

After a 19-year absence, our favorite fedora-wearing adventurer made his way back to the big screen in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and now he finds his way onto DVD shelves everywhere.

The smartest choice Steven Spielberg and George Lucas made when approaching the newest installment of the franchise was to age Dr. Jones in real time. Placed 19 years after Last Crusade, we see an aged Indiana Jones, but one that is still ready to flick his whip and kick some tail when the time presents itself.

The film begins with Indiana Jones and his sidekick Mac held hostage by Soviet militants who are seeking a special crate inside the fabled Area 51. After leading them to the crate, Jones makes his escape to the wall rattling "Raider's Theme." The scene sets the tone of the film with a whole lot of action and a little bit of comedy.

The series of events that ensues delivers one of the most breathtaking shots of the film. After surviving a atom bomb test inside an iron lined fridge (insert snicker here), Indiana walks up a small hill and stares up at a billowing mushroom cloud that blacks out the horizon. I loved this shot in the theater and loved it equally at home.

After being exiled from Marshall College, Dr. Jones is approached by Mutt Williams, a young rebel rouser that bares a striking resemblance to the man, and what he tells him sends the duo to the jungles of Peru.

In Peru, Indiana and Mutt reencounter the Soviets, are reconnected with the Oxley and finally find out who Mutt's mother is -- one Marion Ravenwood.

After an exhilarating sword fight, a killer (literally) ant sequence and the revelation of the source of the crystal skulls, we are left to wonder what adventure we'll be seeing Indiana Jones on in the next film.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a movie like the Star Wars prequels that divided the fan base. You either loved the movie or hated it and being a lifelong Indy fan, I love it. The visuals, the story and just seeing Harrison Ford once again don the fedora was worth the price of admission.

Now would come the test. After the initial euphoria wore off, how would Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hold up? It's a little like cold pizza -- different than the first time, but pretty dang tasty.

The DVD offers a crystal clear picture and a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that will shake the knick-knacks right off the wall.

The reviewed edition is the two-disk DVD that comes with a multitude of special features including "Return of a Legend," "Post-Production" featurette, "Warrior Makeup" and a Crystal Skull featurette. The disk boast two dynamite extras the first being the 80 minute documentaries "Production Diary: Making of The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "The Effects of Indy. "Both features offer a variety of great behind-the-scenes information and offer a rare glimpse of what went into making the film.

Final Cut: Seeing Kingdom of the Crystal Skull for the second time and in the comfort of my living room, I was even more impressed than before. The second viewing allows the viewer to kick back, relax and enjoy the story without the months of hype that preceded the film. The result is a film with an overlooked story and some impressive special effects.

I'm actually starting to enjoy the monkey scene.

Rating:

Movie -- 3 out of 4 stars

Extras -- 3.5 out of 4 stars

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Dir: Steven Spielberg

Writer: David Koepp

Story: George Lucas, Jeff Nathanson

Extras

Disk One

* The Return of a Legend

* Pre-Production

Disk Two

* Production Diary: Making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

* Warrior Makeup

* The Crystal Skulls

* Iconic Props

* The Effects of Indy

* Adventures in Post Production

* Closing Team Indy

* Pre-Visualization Sequences

* Galleries

* Trailers

* Demo for Lego Indy: The Original Adventures for Xbox 360