Monday, May 19, 2008
Indiana Jones 4 Premieres At Last
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday and was met with raucous cheers as the principal stars of the film (including Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett) walked the red carpet on their way into the premiere. But, the cheers died down a bit after the film ended, leading many to believe that the movie may have a lackluster showing at the box office once it premieres this Thursday May 22. Here are a few pics from the premiere's red carpet and a spoiler-free report on how the film is being received by reviewers:
Photo credit: Splash News & Wireimage
Indiana Jones received a hero's acclaim from the public at his first perilous outing at the Cannes film festival, but some critics had the knives out for the latest episode in the saga. Movie-goers at the red-carpet gala world premiere Sunday rose up to applause the fourth installment in the adventure series, the first in 19 years -- "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But influential industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter on Monday gave it a lashing. "A wearying onslaught of action and effects gives Indy little chance to charm as he did of old," it said. Film industry executives who daily attend the gala screenings described the public response as warm, though short of the applause a couple of nights previously for Woody Allen's latest film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". But as critics pondered whether Harrison Ford, now 65, was too old for the rollicking, thousands of fans waited hours in the sun to cheer the return of the whip-cracking archaeologist adventurer. At a press preview, 2,000 media gathered in Cannes -- a renowned Kingdom of Critical Knives -- gave the 185-million-dollar movie a friendly round of applause and respectable reviews. "The world can rest easy," said film industry mag, Variety. "The old magic still works ... Mission accomplished." ... But neither the storyline nor the acting were to Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt's taste. The sequel to the three "Indy" movies of the 1980s was more like a sequel to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", he complained. The story was swamped in stunts, the characters were charmless, it lacked wit and romance. "This film feels like work, whether it's poor Harrison Ford straining to keep pace with his younger self ... or thrill-ride acrobatics that have only scant connection to the plot." London's Daily Telegraph critic David Gritten said Ford "doesn't wear the fedora with quite the same jaunty angle, his bullwhip doesn't crack as smartly." And the Guardian in London said "some nice moments and everything is good-natured enough. "But this is a moment for Harrison Ford to hang up the hat." The new "Indy", agreed Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, "is unfortunately not as good as the old." The Los Angeles Times differed, saying fears of a geriatric addition to the Indiana Jones franchise were unfounded. "It turns out it's one of the good ones, and everyone involved can breathe a sigh of relief," it said. Said Time magazine's online edition: "Ford looks just fine, his chest skin tanned to a rich Corinthian leather; he's still lithe on his feet, and can deliver a wisecrack as sharp as a whipcrack." ... Whatever the reviews, the film has generated a buzz. London's The Times labeled it "pure gold" and Germany's Die Welt said it was "knit from the same stuff" as the old. "Spielberg's most remarkable achievement is to retain most of the old-fashioned virtues of the original franchise," said James Christopher of The Times. "Welcome back, Indy. Lord knows we've missed you."
It's hard to tell if the negative reviews are actually on point or if they are the work of haters who are trying to make a name for themselves by attacking a high-profile, big-budget blockbuster. Indiana Jones is one of those films that has to be seen and judged for oneself ... relying solely on reviews ain't gonna cut it. It's been almost 20 years since the last Indiana Jones film came out ... I can't wait to see this latest,final installment (Spielberg says he would love to make more Indy movies). Jim and I have already purchased our tickets for a midnight screening of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull tomorrow night/Wednesday morning so we're very excited to see it ... I may even wear my Indiana Jones hat from Disneyland to the screening! Well, mebbe not but I'll at least bring along my bull whip. [Source]
[Permalink]
Photo credit: Splash News & Wireimage
Indiana Jones received a hero's acclaim from the public at his first perilous outing at the Cannes film festival, but some critics had the knives out for the latest episode in the saga. Movie-goers at the red-carpet gala world premiere Sunday rose up to applause the fourth installment in the adventure series, the first in 19 years -- "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But influential industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter on Monday gave it a lashing. "A wearying onslaught of action and effects gives Indy little chance to charm as he did of old," it said. Film industry executives who daily attend the gala screenings described the public response as warm, though short of the applause a couple of nights previously for Woody Allen's latest film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". But as critics pondered whether Harrison Ford, now 65, was too old for the rollicking, thousands of fans waited hours in the sun to cheer the return of the whip-cracking archaeologist adventurer. At a press preview, 2,000 media gathered in Cannes -- a renowned Kingdom of Critical Knives -- gave the 185-million-dollar movie a friendly round of applause and respectable reviews. "The world can rest easy," said film industry mag, Variety. "The old magic still works ... Mission accomplished." ... But neither the storyline nor the acting were to Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt's taste. The sequel to the three "Indy" movies of the 1980s was more like a sequel to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", he complained. The story was swamped in stunts, the characters were charmless, it lacked wit and romance. "This film feels like work, whether it's poor Harrison Ford straining to keep pace with his younger self ... or thrill-ride acrobatics that have only scant connection to the plot." London's Daily Telegraph critic David Gritten said Ford "doesn't wear the fedora with quite the same jaunty angle, his bullwhip doesn't crack as smartly." And the Guardian in London said "some nice moments and everything is good-natured enough. "But this is a moment for Harrison Ford to hang up the hat." The new "Indy", agreed Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, "is unfortunately not as good as the old." The Los Angeles Times differed, saying fears of a geriatric addition to the Indiana Jones franchise were unfounded. "It turns out it's one of the good ones, and everyone involved can breathe a sigh of relief," it said. Said Time magazine's online edition: "Ford looks just fine, his chest skin tanned to a rich Corinthian leather; he's still lithe on his feet, and can deliver a wisecrack as sharp as a whipcrack." ... Whatever the reviews, the film has generated a buzz. London's The Times labeled it "pure gold" and Germany's Die Welt said it was "knit from the same stuff" as the old. "Spielberg's most remarkable achievement is to retain most of the old-fashioned virtues of the original franchise," said James Christopher of The Times. "Welcome back, Indy. Lord knows we've missed you."
It's hard to tell if the negative reviews are actually on point or if they are the work of haters who are trying to make a name for themselves by attacking a high-profile, big-budget blockbuster. Indiana Jones is one of those films that has to be seen and judged for oneself ... relying solely on reviews ain't gonna cut it. It's been almost 20 years since the last Indiana Jones film came out ... I can't wait to see this latest,
[Permalink]
Advertisement
search this site
