The Deaths of My Heros

Alfred Hitchcock died on April 29, 1980. Benny Hill Died: April 20, 1992. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas died May 22, 2008 with the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Now don't get me wrong, the new Indiana Jones movie is entertaining it's just not Steven Spielberg and George Lucas entertaining. From a story perspective it felt very lazy. It felt like they had lost their fire to tell a compelling story with a choice for Indiana at the end of the movie.

It's fun to see Indiana again and Harrison Ford does his usual performance and is great but this is a movie of spectacle and very little story. Indiana Jones has no compelling reason to go on the quest he goes on and although Cate Blanchett gives an awesome performance as the villain there is no sexual tension between her and Indiana.

Hey, who am I to criticize these masters who by the age of 25 had accomplished more than I have in my entire life? I'm a fan. A fan who got into entertainment because of these two men. Someone who has adored them and everything they have done well, except Howard the Duck.




There were many scenes in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that reminded me of other George Lucas and Steven Spielberg movies. The open is a nod to American Graffiti, there's a 50's diner and chase scene that both feel like Back to the Future, there's a chase scene that reminds me of the astonishing forest chase on the green moon of Endor in the Star Wars trilogy. I won't spoil anything for those of you that haven't seen it but believe it or not there are things that will remind you of ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Heck, there are even two scenes that remind me of the George Lucas produced Captain EO the 3D Michael Jackson movie that played at EPCOT and Disneyland.

This is sad to me in so many ways and I feel sacrilegious even blogging about it but I feel compelled to say something. What were they thinking? Where was the choice for the main character that threw us back through all the other films to realize that Darth Vader was Luke's father? Where were the weaker side kicks that in a pinch would step up to the plate and save Indiana Jones at the last second? Where were the near death situations where Indiana would find a solution that saved his own life in a funny way? Where were the finger prints of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg? More importantly, where was the story telling of Lawrence Kasdan?

Maybe these guys should give up movie making and find something they could care about like... online videos.