Just saw it yesterday. Can't say I didn't like it, but I can't say I loved it. Of course, that's exactly what I'd expected----couldn't go in with high hopes, and so I can't say it let me down. The issues I had were the same as those others had had---the CGI animals, a few lame dialogue spots, etc. I'd also add that Indy never seemed to really get
dirty. Sure, he got beat up a few times, but he never looked as ragged as he has in other films. As an Indy jacket aficionado, I was suprised to see that it never got torn or rarely even dusty.
Honestly (and I know laz will come to his defense
)--to me, the film was classic modern-day Lucas. Let me explain. I get the feeling that he's oversimplified the goals and ambitions he had when he first made Indy & SW. He consistently talks about how he's always wanted to make films like the B-movies he'd see on a Saturday afternoon as a small boy. This was perfectly achieved with the original SW trilogy and with the Indys. But at those times, he still had the ambition of a young filmmaker and combined that Saturday matinee feel with impressive, deep movies that achieved more entertainment-wise and had long-lasting cultural and filmmaking impact. Now, it's as if he's stuck only on the Saturday matinee for an 8-year-old boy concept. Hence the friendly monkeys, the Jar-Jar Binks, the Tarzan swinging and the two-car-splits. Obviously, he still has more potential--the hokiness of the latter SW prequels decreased as their complexity and depth increased. It's as if he's so overwhelmed by boyish excitement when first returning to a 20-year-old series that he takes a while to calm down and make a great film. Perhaps we'd see some really great Indy movies if they decided to make one or two more.
Another example of his narrowness--the idea that a film set in the 50s had to be of the same genre as 50s movies. Like the person cori mentioned, I can't say I'm a massive fan of the combo of Indiana Jones and aliens. The earlier films were set in the 30s but didn't need to have an era-specific macguffin. Moreover, they kept some mystery about them---the macguffin may have had to do with God, but you never saw God materialize, look the bad guy in the eye, and then flutter off to heaven (the materialized alien and the saucer were a bit much for me...though the shot of Indy watching the saucer take off was pretty impressive). Knowing the macguffin months ago lessened the impact; I can't say how I would've felt if I didn't know ahead of time then saw Indiana Jones mix it up with E.T.
Also, I understand the desire to make Indiana Jones an American hero. But he already was--without requiring him to have served in the military during the war and to have "spied on the Reds." We know he hates Nazis (and, I suppose, Commies), but I can't really see him taking part in a war. I see him more as having some steadfast values, but also some wavering ones--and as much more non-commital and aloof much like he is with his relationships. I guess you can say that so many American men fought in WWII and that he probably couldn't escape it, but I just don't see it really fitting with the Indy character of the OT.
Like Lance, I, too, was surprised by the amount of CGI. What happened to the Spielberg quote about avoiding all of that in order to keep the gritty feel of the original series?? (Perhaps it went the same way as Ford's quote about being the only son in the series...). I totally agree that there were many uncessesary uses of CGI---aside from the silly animal and refrigerator bits, how about the New Mexico background of the opening scene? How much better and realistic would that have looked if they had actually had a real background when they pulled Indy out of the car? Did they really have to use CGI just to make the sky grey? To me, the opening scene's blue screen, combined with the crispness of Cate Blanchett's wig and the unruffled smoothness of the Commies' uniforms just added up to give too clean and synthetic of a feel right from the start.
As I said, though, it's not that I didn't enjoy the movie. One thing I particularly liked was how Indy showed signs of becoming so much like his father. The look of disdain as Marcus Brody's head fell off the statue; the reading advice to the student during the library motorcycle chase; the quicksand lecture; and the abrupt change in attitude toward Mutt once he found out he was his son---all very Henry Jones, Sr. and very funny to see.
I think the difference between KOTCS and Phantom Menace is that while both had the hokiness of a welcome-back Lucas film, at least KOTCS had the familiar feel of a character that we've long known, played by the same actor, in the same outfit, etc. And even though there were the obvious changes of time (couldn't they have at least had Karen Allen
watch Raiders before she left her sweater shop?), there were plenty of parts that definitely felt like the Indiana Jones of old.
Funnily enough, I think I'll still always view Crusade as the official end of the series, with KOTCS as kind of a bonus. While it wasn't magnificent, I never expected it to be, and that's not necessarily even the point. It was great to see Indy on the big screen for the first time. It was great to get wrapped up in all the excitement leading up to the movie. And it's great to still be wrapped up in it and remain in Indiana Jones mode for the time being.