INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

"You're a teacher?"... "Part Time"

1957, Indiana Jones (Ford) and his wartime companion Mac (Winstone) are throw out of the trunk of a car to discover they are at a US Army base in the New Mexican desert and surrounded by Russian solders. Their commanding officer Irina Spalko (Blanchett) orders him to find a container amongst thousands of identical crates but when Indy locates it he starts on an adventure that could change everything he has been taught and believed in.

Since 1989 Indiana Jones fans have been waiting for the return of the one of the greatest action characters of all time and now he is back and just as good as ever.

When George Lucas and Steven Spielberg decided to create a series of movies based around the action adventure serials from the 1930s they brought the world three of the most loved films of all time. All three movies, 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' and 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' were filled with action, adventure and storylines that kept you on the edge of your seat, giggling with laughter and completely thrilled through out. Following on the legacy was always going to be difficult, especially after the slight disappointment of the first two movies in the 'Star Wars' prequels but any worries or fears you might have had are completely unfounded.

So much time has passed since Harrison Ford last picked up his hat and whip but fans that have been longing for him to return have finally got their wish. While many people have asked if a man well into his sixties could still push it to the limit and still be able make the action sequences look and be as spectacular as the original three in the classic series should have known better. With Steven Spielberg behind the camera and George Lucas co-writing, Harrison Ford would put himself through anything for the two men who made him a superstar and he rises to the occasion. Even though he might be a lot older than he was back in the late 80s when he made 'The Last Crusade', Harrison still looks the part and is back to his very best after a series of misfires that started at arrival of the new millennium. As soon has he appears back on the screen with the hat and the whip, a shiver will go down your spine and you will be instantly filled with excitement and joy as your favourite adventurer is back.

With Sean Connery turning down the chance to return as Indy's father Henry Jones and the sadly departed Denholm Elliott as Dr. Marcus Brody, the cast needed some replacements for the classic cast. In steps Ray Winston as Indy's war friend and fellow adventurer Mac, Jim Broadbent as the Dean of Indy's university Charles Stanford and John Hurt as Professor Oxley, the man who has all the clues to finding the crystal skull. As will all Indiana Jones movies the key players are the love interest, the side kick and the villain. The welcomed return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood is one that should delight all fans of the series. IT wouldn't have been right for Indy to have a much younger woman and discovering what happened after the events of 'Raiders' is one that fans will really enjoy. Replacing the characters of Sallah, Short Round and Henry Jones is 1950s greaser Mutt Williams played by Shia LeBeouf. He is an overly confident, young man who wears a leather jacket, rides a motorbike and constantly combs his hair but as soon as the adventure starts and he teams up with Indy, he soon gets into the action.

Now because the film is set in the 50s, when the Cold War and the US panic about how Communism is sweeping the nation, it is the Soviets that replace the classic villains, the Nazis. Leading covert mission into America is Cate Blanchett as Irina Spalko, who is championing the Russian fascination with the power of the human mind. With her hair in a black bob, her grey uniform and her use of a sword, Blanchett creates a character that is just as intimidating as anyone that has come before. Switching the era from the 1930s to the late 50s allows Indy to show his real age but still be able to bring something in a fight. The film also sees a slight change of approach by the team of Lucas and Spielberg. Long time Spielberg collaborator David Koepp provides the screenplay from the story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson and they all do a great job bringing the franchise into the 50s. It isn't the only the setting that changes however, it is a slight change in genre that takes the movie forward. Instead of the keeping with the 30s Serial style that served the first three films so well, the movie moves into B-Movie territory and injects some of the themes that served films of that era so well. Unfortunately going into any more detail would ruin plot details that that will thrill you throughout.

While 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' might not be the best in the series but it had a hard act to follow. Not as good as 'Raiders' or 'The Last Crusade' but it does have 'Temple of Doom' beaten, the fourth instalment of the series is still a cut above all of the imitators that we have had since 1989 and even though the ending is a little cliched and some of the action sequences go on a little this again sets the standard for action adventure. Lets hope that there isn't as long between this and the fifth movie. The man in the hat is well and truly back.

PICTURE & SOUND

The Blu-Ray disc presents the movie in High Definition wide screen 2:35 up to 1080p, with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound. The pristine picture and glorious sound highlight the excellent visual effects, sound design and style of the fourth Indiana Jones adventure.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Indiana Jones Timeline
Interactively view the story, production and historical times for 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'.

The Return of a Legend (17.34 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg, writer/producer George Lucas, producer Frank Marshall, executive producer Kathleen Kennedy, screenwriter David Koepp and stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and Shia LaBeouf talk about the long journey that the fourth movie took coming to the silver screen.

Pre-Production (11.44 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg, costume designer Bernie Pollack, pre-visualisation supervisor Daniel D. Gregoire and stars Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf talk about the pre-vis process, turning to the classic Indiana Jones costume and creating that 1950s look.

Trailers
View the two theatrical trailers for 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'

Disc 2

Production Diary: Making 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (1hr 20.52 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg, writer/producer George Lucas, producer Frank Marshall, executive producer Kathleen Turner, screenwriter David Koepp, director of photography Janusz Kaminski and stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf and the rest of the cast and crew contribute to this excellent documentary. Split into sections entitled 'Shooting begins: New Mexico', 'Back to School: New Haven, Connecticut', 'Welcome to the Jungle: Hilo, Hawaii', 'On Set Action', 'Exploring Akator' and 'Wrapping up!', this covers all aspects of the film's production and is a must watch for 'Indiana Jones' fans.

Warrior Make-Up (5.34 mins/High Definition)
Make-up department head Felicity Bowing takes you through the research and application of the warriors guarding the Crystal Skull.

The Crystal Skulls (10.10 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg, writer/producer George Lucas, production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas and star Harrison Ford talk about the history of the actual Crystal Skulls and how they were designed for the movie.

Iconic Props (9.59 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg and property master Doug Harlocker talk about the ironic props that are associated with Indiana Jones.

The Effects of Indy (22.42 mins/High Definition)
ILM digital artist Paul Huston and animation supervisor Steve Rawlins take you through the special visual effects of the fourth Indiana Jones movie.

Adventures in Post-Production (12.44 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg, producer Frank Marshall, executive producer Kathleen Kennedy, sound designer Brad Burtt and editor Michael Kahn talk about using film, not using digital editing, cutting the film and the history and the design of the sound for the Indiana Jones movies.

Closing: Team Indy (3.41 mins/High Definition)
Director Steven Spielberg introduces you to the cast and crew that made 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'.

Pre-visualisation
Sequences View the computer generated pre-vis sequences for the 'Area 51', 'Jungle Chase' and 'Ants Attack' scenes

Galleries
View stills from the 'Art Department', 'Stan Winston Studios', 'Production Photographs', 'Portraits' and 'Behind the Scenes Photographs'.

OVERALL

The Blu-Ray treatment for 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' is exceptionally good. The featurettes and documentary cover every aspect of the film's production and they are extremely informative about how a huge budget, franchise movie is made. The only let down is Steven Spielberg's continued refusal to participate in a director's commentary track. It would be fantastic to listen to one of the best directors of all time and his thoughts on the movie making process. This is still a brilliant Blu-Ray package and a must buy for all fans of the movie.

BLU-RAY

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

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2008