Saturday, May 24, 2008

I love Crystal Meth

Whoa! Not the narcotic crystal meth, I hasten to add - rather the new movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Meth Skull.

Meth, skull - it's all essentially the same thing.

First up, a fun Sparky fact: The last time an Indiana Jones movie came out it was 1989, and I was 11 years old and massively obsessed with Tim Burton's first Batman film.

Anyway, back around Easter time I did my revision in preparation for the new Indy movie by going back and watching the previous three, which BBC Three conveniently showed on consecutive Sundays. And after much "ooh-ing" and "aaah-ing," I decided that I looked just great in that waistcoat I bought a few weeks back because it makes me look dashing and suave. Oh, and I decided that the Indy films ranked in this order:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Last Crusade
3. Temple of Poon

Which surprised me because I always remembered preferring Temple of Poon more as a child. Anyway, the idea of a fourth installment scared the tits off me a tad, because we all know how George Lucas raped our childhoods just a little bit with The Phantom Menace and the last thing we needed was an ageing Indy with added Jar-Jar-hijinks.

I needn't have worried. This is a proper-good Spielberg popcorn movie.

Yes, Indy is older, but like Harrison Ford has been saying in interviews everyone ages - and to be honest I've always thought older action heroes are a more interesting prospect; Captain Kirk in Star Trek VI, for example, was far more interesting to me than young whipper-snapper Kirk in the original series.

The return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood did nothing to dispell my notion that she's a considerably less insane Margot Kidder facsmile, but she didn't really get to do much aside from … well, it was nice to see her again, because lord knows I can't recall her being in anything since Raiders, which was 27 years ago. As for Shia LeBoeuf, I always think I'm going to find him incredibly annoying, but have quite honestly enjoyed all the films that he's been in. Go figure. But let's not hand the franchise over to him just yet, huh?

OK, if I'm really nit-picking there wasn't nearly enough whip-action in this Indy film, but as summer blockbusters go, Crystal Meth busted my blocks rather satisfactory. I think it's right up there in the list just after Raiders, and before Last Crusade - hell, the first 15 minutes alone guaranteed it that position.

This is totally my favourite movie of the year so far. Let's hope we don't have to wait 19 years for the next one, mainly because Harrison Ford will be 84 by then and that might just be stretching it a bit.

21 comments:

Miss Smuggersham said...

Could it be? Am I first?

Miss Smuggersham said...

Yay! I was first!

I can't wait to see this - might go tonight...

What's with the cat face on Indy? And is that poon in the background?

WillowC said...

OK I might have beaten you to the post but that picture totally steals the prize.

Tara said...

Yay, I'm glad you liked it! I'm gonna see it on Monday with my mom. Bought the tickets off of Fandango juuust in case it is sold out. Although it's showing in, like, ten screens in our big theater.

I think it would be weird if Indiana didn't age. Perhaps one too many sips from the Holy Grail, I'd suspect.

Tim said...

T-Bird - Damn right you are! I think you'll heart Crystal Meth too. I don't know why I chose a cat face - I just did.

I think it looks quite nice though.

Willowc - See, good things are worth waiting for!

Tara - You'll love it too! They reference his age a few times, which I think is a good move, then he's back to just being Indy.

Inexplicable DeVice said...

Indiana Jones and the Full Colostomy Bag - Coming soon to a theatre near you!

Oh, OK. If you say it's awesome, I imagine it must be. Perhaps I will watch it, after all?

CyberPete said...

I like that title IDV!

Isn't it too CGI? I fear it's a bit like if Halle Berry did another Catwoman when she turns 70.

A bit embarrassing but I heard it's a good popcorn movie.

Glad you liked it

Tim said...

Inexplicable Device - It was AWESOME!

Cyberpete - Not at all, the CG stuff wasn't too noticeable at all. The idea of another Catwoman movie at all, let alone one where she's 70, is a horrifying prospect.

Miss Smuggersham said...

I am all for Peecat Adventures!

Tim said...

Raiders of the Lost Peecat!?

Temple of the Peecat?!

Peecat and the Last Crusade!?

PEECAT AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL PEECATS?!?!?

GENIUS!

CyberPete said...

I liked Catwoman, it was camp and hilariously bad.

The whole idea that she took down the cosmetics company. She couldn't get a real super villain to battle. She got Sharon Stone.

If that's not low brow entertainment at it's best I don't know what is.

The CGI was painful though

Anonymous said...

I thought I had already left a comment... strange blog gremlins lurketh.
I also enjoyed it! I enjoyed the whole night, the company was so good. And agreed on the whip action, there can never be enough whip action....

Dinah said...

I'm glad you liked it! I haven't seen it yet, I'm not the hugest Indiana Jones fan but I do like seeing big movies, because then I can be cool and in the loop with the cool kids.

Tim said...

Cyberpete - My immediate reaction after seeing Catwoman was to make my own attempt at writing a Catwoman movie, because lord knows it couldn't have been any worse than the one they actually made!

Watch*Paint*Dry - Good. Times. Indeed!

Dinah - I think you'll love it, Dinah! It's a terrific popcorn movie. And you're always in the loop with the cool kids, Dinah, because you ARE one of the cool kids! The loop would be incomplete without you!

Dinah said...

Aww...you definitely know what to say to a girl...

Miss Smuggersham said...

Zing!

Tim said...

Dinah - It da true!

T-Bird - Right back atchya!

Miss Smuggersham said...

That rebounded zing just landed in my mocha.

Tim said...

Duck - zing incoming!!

OddThomas said...

I've been looking forward to seeing this but a couple of the effects in the trailer looked a bit ropey, so I was a bit skeptical about how good it would be. It sounds like I'm gonna enjoy it :-)

Hopefully it'll make me chuckle as much as my Dad did when he saw the trailer and said about the effects "Well, you don't expect Spielberg, do you."

Err ... Dad ...

Tim said...

Ha ha ha!! Ah, the wit and wisdom of the older generation! Yeah, I think you'll enjoy it!!