Thursday, May 22, 2008

by Ari

At the Cannes press conference for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Steven Spielberg mentioned how he's a believer of practical magic, not digital magic. It's a funny comment considering how much of the newest Indiana Jones installment relies on the latter, not the former. It's not necessarily a bad thing since Spielberg is usually a master with CG technology, but I wonder what his point was exactly. Spielberg clearly loves old-fashioned entertainment. So many of his films have been influenced by the escapist sensibilities of early Hollywood, and he's carried that influence for his entire career. It's great that he still has the passion to indulge in those wild, fantastic dreams after so many years and so many movies.

At its heart, the Indiana Jones franchise belongs to that lost era of B-movies and serials, so Spielberg isn't wrong to think of his newest film as a throwback, even if the presentation isn't exactly as old-school as he says it is. But as someone who championed and helped revolutionize CG technology, maybe Spielberg has reached a point where he feels enough is enough, but he's not entirely sure how to free himself from it....or if he really wants to. After all, he's done some amazing things with the freedom of CGI. One of the most interesting aspects of Crystal Skull is how it mixes old techniques with new technology, and the film itself seems to be fighting between the classic era of practical stunts and today's notion of computer enhanced set-pieces. It's like Spielberg can't decide what to use at times, so he throws everything in there and tries to make it as seamless as possible.

Some critics have complained how this ruins the purity of the series, but since I'm not particularly nostalgic for this franchise (Raiders is great, the others not so much) , I don't see how it changes the heart of what Spielberg has done. The problem with Crystal Skull is that it's not a very interesting or compelling movie. It's entertaining enough to recommend, but like The Last Crusade, it's not ambitious in its aim or execution. I'd actually say Crystal Skull has more difficulty letting go of Raiders than that film did. It's still very enjoyable at times (loved the opening, the scene at the diner, the motorcycle chase), but there's nothing about the story or characters that sticks with you. There's nothing to really remember about the film beyond the pleasure of seeing Harrison Ford give a good performance again. Ford is still great in the role, and I think the movie gets away with a lot because of it. His charisma gives the story a pulse.

A few people in the audience tonight clearly despised the close encounter at the end, but that didn't bother me, really. B-movies are meant to be absurd, so why not? If there was an emotional attachment to the relationship between Jones and his son, than perhaps Crystal Skull would've been something greater. Raiders had a thrilling adventure, but the reason it was so intense and exciting and funny was because the characters were so brilliantly realized. Even Last Crusade at least had the chemistry between Ford and Connery. It helped. Crystal Skull has nothing this exciting between its characters, but Spielberg's craft and Ford's presence make it passable.