MovieMantz: Does The World Still Need Indiana Jones?

February 14, 2008

Tags:MovieMantz, Movies, Steven Spielberg, Geek Chic

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Paramount Pictures
Check out these scenes from 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008)
Paramount Pictures
Shia LaBeouf joins Harrison Ford in the latest 'Indy' flick

Paramount Pictures
Check out these scenes from 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008)
Paramount Pictures
Shia LaBeouf joins Harrison Ford in the latest 'Indy' flick

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: February 14, 2008 19:09 PM

by Scott Mantz

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

The 2008 movie season officially kicked into high gear with the release of the first official teaser trailer for the fourth “Indiana Jones”adventure, titled “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”

And if you don’t get goose bumps when that famous John Williams music cue kicks in, then check your pulse! After all, how can you not get excited about the return of Indiana Jones after a 19-year hiatus?

Sure, there were plenty of reasons to be skeptical, even if both producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg were back in the hot seats. After all, at 65-years-old, Harrison Ford ain’t no spring chicken!

But “Crystal Skull” also comes at a time when other film franchises have effectively picked up where the last Indy flick left off in 1989 – and many of them have been quite successful. The first two “Mummy” films have collectively grossed more than $840 million worldwide, and the third film in the series is due later this summer. Nicolas Cage also hit the jackpot with the two “National Treasure” films, which have made more than $730 million worldwide.

So that begs the questions, does the world even need Indiana Jones anymore? The answer is a resounding “yes,” as any doubts about the fourth adventure quickly disappear faster than you can say “da-da-da daaah, dah-dah daaah, dah-dah-dah daaah, da-da daaah daaah daaah!”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that “Crystal Skull” looks pretty darn good, even if we only see about a minute of it. Harrison Ford looks better than he has in years, and the movie looks like it’s loaded with both action and humor – and is it me, or does that mid-trailer chase scene look like it takes place in the warehouse where the Lost Ark is stored?

All I know is that May 22 cannot get here fast enough, as “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is easily the most anticipated movie since 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I – the Phantom Menace.” Of course we all know how that one turned out, but Indy’s different, and for one very important reason: the actors from the original “Star Wars” trilogy were not in the prequels, where “Indiana Jones” could not have continued without Harrison Ford.

That’s why I think this movie's gonna rock. All. Summer. Long. And if you don’t believe me, all I can do is quote the man himself and say this: “trust me.”