Why Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was Actually Awesome

Do you think Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull sucked? Then this thought process may just change your mind like it did mine.

First, we need to talk about our attitudes. We ALL went into this movie with high expectations. We wanted our Harrison Ford from, at least, 1989. After some time, we were forced to acquiesce to the passage of time. This movie could have used a primer. A “What to expect”, or “How to watch” sort of thing.

OK. That is out of the way. My newer philosophy has been to find the good in most things, or not to speak about them at all. So now I have something to say about Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a love letter to the era that it represents.

If you don’t watch, or like, old movies (from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s), then my arguments will fall upon deaf ears (or blind eyes). For those of us who love cinema from all eras, the Indiana Jones flicks are jam packed with Silver Screen history. Raiders, and Last Crusade was like the Saturday Matinees from 1940’s. While Temple of Doom was a mystical Asian adventure right out of Hollywood of the 1930’s.

Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has all of the earmarks of the 1950’s Sci-Fi romp! It has the two big subjects of Hollywood of the time, the “Red Menace” and Aliens. Peppered in there are other popular elements the decade of Atom bombs, a rebel without any cause (in the vein of James Dean or Marlon Brando), hot-rods, and Rock & Roll. Heck, the only thing that was left out was a Ray Harryhausen stop-motion creature. Although he did animate some awesome flying saucers in Earth vs the Flying Saucers.

Sure, there are moments here and there that I find to be a bit much and do find that some characters wear a bit thin after a while. Saying that, there is more to enjoy than not. It’s not something that requires you to think about much. Just sit back and allow yourself to enjoy.