The Playfulness of Indiana Jones

Last updated on: May 22, 2008 at 3:38 pm by Alan Noble

The Playfulness of Indiana Jones 2008-05-22T15:38:48-06:00 Alan Noble

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When I first heard that Lucas and Spielberg were making a new Indiana Jones film, I wanted to track Lucas down and give him my $6.25 so I wouldn’t have to watch another classic franchise become lost to bad dialog and not-really-believable digital effects. I left our local movie theater 20 minutes ago after seeing what I hope is the final Indy film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, and I am pleased to say that my fears were misplaced–sort of.

My original worries did materialize to some extent. More than once the dialog falls flat. Occasionally this seems to be the fault of the script, but other times it feels like the actors, particularly the returning love interest, Karen Allen. Even Harrison Ford struggles with some of his lines, perhaps a sign of his age? The Jones we find in this film is considerably older, which is not necessarily bad, although it is different. Ford runs and talks like an old man. Thankfully, Lucas and Spielberg don’t try to pretend that Jones is young. His action sequences are not as demanding as the scenes from the previous films, without losing the inhuman courage that makes Indy’s character so appealing. There are a few points in the movie where the action does slip from classic Indiana Jones style exaggeration to absurd however. Specifically, two action scenes with newcomer Shia LaBeouf who plays Marion’s son, were too bazaar or absurd for my tastes. Interested viewers might watch for the episode with the monkeys and the scene with LaBeouf standing over two vehicles, both of which took me out of the adventure.

The relationship between Indy and his father which made The Last Crusade such a great film is conspicuously missing here. The banter between Indy and Mutt (the name of LaBeouf’s character, seriously) or Marion lacks a bit of the charm that made the other movies enjoyable. Ford is a decent action star, but he is best when he is exchanging witty banter, whether as Han Solo or Indiana Jones. And here that banter is not quite as good as it has been in previous efforts. But there are still more than a few clever Indy comebacks that had my wife and I in laughter.

In addition to the dialog and action, some of the shots are noticeably digital and a few scenes have an eerie glow that I believe comes from shooting the movie digitally instead of with actual film. These shots remind me of scenes from Episode II or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Luckily, these are brief, minor annoyances that might not bother most viewers.

As far as the story goes, don’t expect to be surprised much. Things transpire much as you would assume them to, following the tried and true Indy formula. But then, would we really want this film to be any different?

What truly surprised me was that I enjoyed the film–a lot. And what I liked best about it was the adventure. Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls is just over two hours long, but the pace is wonderful. The audience is deftly moved from one location to another without slowing down or losing the story. Most of the problems I have listed with the movie did not take me out of the action. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and was thrilled at the imaginative adventure of it all. And as a believer, that is what I most loved about Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.

When Christians talk about engaging films, they often privilege films with spiritually significant content at the exclusion of stories that are just engrossing adventures. This approach to cultural engagement misses a serious aspect of the world God created: there are many things in this world that serve no other useful purpose except to glorifying God with their existence. Beauty in nature, the pomegranates on the Temple walls, the vastness of the stars, our world is created with many things that are valued because they are lovely, because they enrapture us, because they are playful. In a similar manner, there are many songs, stories, and films that don’t lead us to contemplate Christ’s work on the cross, or the human need for salvation, or the lostness of the world, but they do delight our imaginations. They are lovely because they invite our minds to imagine other worlds. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls is just such a movie. It is playful, imaginative, fantastic, silly, and fun, and it doesn’t need any spiritual or moral content to justify it. In fact, some of the worst parts of the film are the brief attempts at being moralistic (in the end we learn that knowledge is our greatest possession).

I would encourage believers to watch this film, not as an opportunity to start conversations with unbelievers, not to learn about man’s need for a savior, not to contemplate the mystery of Christ’s love, but to enjoy playfulness and imagination–both gifts from a God who loves to delight us with His creation.

Film

Previous Post

May 22, 2008

Spike Lee on Death and Dignity

Next Post

May 22, 2008 "Making the Best of it: Following Christ in the Real World"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz