Indy 5

[mothman]

Exactly. For most of the film the SF elements are basically 50s SF in nature - magnetic alien crystal skulls that drive you mad, wooooo. It's only at the end it gets all modern physics-based SF... but it's not just the end that people complain about, it's just the final nail in the coffin. Well, penultimate if you count Indy marrying, like, this totally old woman, eww, gross (etc.).

[Dr Rock]

I'm not against the use of aliens as a 50s theme - but it's not as if Raiders/pulp adventure serial type action adventure movies had gone away by the time of the movie. Tarzan films continued, there was Journey To the Centre Of The Earth, Jungle Drums of Africa, Secret of the Incas (very Indy-style)

http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/movieposters/4289/p4289_p_v8_aa.jpg

loads more. They continued up to the 70s with The Man Who Would Be King, and the came back with... Raiders Of The Lost Ark. There was never any need to update what world Indy would be living in compared on what were popular movies at the time - you could make him a James Bond spy, but Indiana Jones is not a James Bond spy and neither is he like any character from a 50s UFO movie.

[marquis_de_sad]

The reason why 50s sci-fi doesn't work for Indiana Jones isn't because aliens don't fit, it's because 50s sci-fi films are nothing like the swashing-buckling adventure serials of the 30s. 50s sci-fi movies are usually very talky, with scientists discussing what some horrible monster might be and how to fight it. Usually the monster invades small town America or is discovered on an extraterrestrial voyage. Indy is about finding secrets in old places and punching other people who want archaeological finds for their own selfish purposes. Crystal Skulls is confused enough already — what with the McCarthyism, the son, the old girlfriend, the FBI, the Soviets, Mac's double triple quadruple cross, the Mayans — the alien stuff is just another element that pulls the film in another aesthetic direction that doesn't fit. They tried to square this circle by making them ancient aliens, but that's still nothing like 50s sci-fi. Yes, Morning of the Magicians existed, but the only film or TV from the 50s that dealt with ancient aliens that I'm aware of was Quatermass and the Pit, which of course features a boring talky scientist as the protagonist, not an action hero.

Basically, the ancient astronaut stuff is a nice way to keep Indy rummaging through ruins while still keeping the alien component, but the problem is the assumption that aliens should be in an Indiana Jones film simply because the age of the actor would put the character in the 1950s. The connection to 50s sci-fi is totally cosmetic and results in the film falling between two stools; not quite the right feel for an Indiana Jones film, and only superficially related to 50s sci-fi.

[captaincockring]

I honestly think that it was intended to be more like that ^ but somewhere along the way they feared a backlash and started ramming all these signposts to the OT in there.

If I'm right then they should've gone with that...Jones is old...and the one thing that was really wrong about it was Ford looking like a shrunken old man trying to throw his weight around like his was in his thirties...and the terrible CGI, Shia Labeouf, that old woman from Raiders, the fridge, the gophers...the vines...the tree...oh god it's terrible.

[Shaky]

I honestly think Ford was still decent. Surprisingly so when compared to, say, the recent Die Hard films, where it seemed like Willis couldn't even be bothered trying to play the same character again. It still felt like Indy, at least. It's why - maybe - MAYBE - if they get their shit together with the next one they could wipe the nasty taste of Crystal Skull somewhat. Highly unlikely, granted, but you never know.

Stuff like the warehouse whip-swinging would've looked ridiculous in the original trilogy, though.

[captaincockring]

I honestly think Ford was still decent. Surprisingly so when compared to, say, the recent Die Hard films, where it seemed like Willis couldn't even be bothered trying to play the same character again. It still felt like Indy, at least. It's why - maybe - MAYBE - if they get their shit together with the next one they could wipe the nasty taste of Crystal Skull somewhat. Highly unlikely, granted, but you never know.

Stuff like the warehouse whip-swinging would've looked ridiculous in the original trilogy, though.

Yes as a character he was good...felt like Indy and everything...but Ford's physicality has diminished...his frame...he looked too small for his old clothes...they should've maybe CGI'd him some bulk, I usually hate stuff like that but this film? Bolting horses and stable doors come to mind.

[Sgt. Duckie]

Ford really was the only decent thing about Crystal Skull. Instead of all that alien shit at the end the film should of focused on Indy whipping Spielberg, Lucas, Allen, Lebouef, Winstone, the monkeys, and in particular David Koepp to death.

[Glebe]

Shia LaBeouf says he could have 'gone lighter' on Steven Spielberg.

Cheeky bugger.