The "Indiana Jones" that almost was: The City of the Gods

MTV has leaked a review of what is either an alternate script for Indiana Jones 4 by Frank Darabont (director of the Shawshank Redemtion) or the most brilliant forgery ever written. If this is real, then all in all, I have to admit I'd have liked this script much more:

The 'Indy 4' That Never Was? We Compare 'Crystal Skull' To 'City Of The Gods' Script Leaked OnlineAn alternate version of the script, possibly written by Frank Darabont, was (briefly) posted on the Internet.


What would movie fans give to read every draft of "Indy 4" — especially Frank Darabont's? Well, the wait is over: That very version popped up online late Wednesday.


And, make no mistake about it, there are moments of real beauty in this thing. So what's the biggest difference between the two versions?

The overall arc of the film more or less follows that of "Crystal Skull," with the adventure beginning at a desert military base/ warehouse, continuing at Marshall College, and ending with Indy and company deep in the jungles of South America searching for skulls.

But the four biggest differences in this draft also double as the four best: No Mutt Williams; no Mac; a tougher, more "Raiders"-esque Marion; and a climax that not only gives Indy something to do (how in the world did David Koepp think to give Indy nothing?) but forces him to make a decision that rivals the end of "Crusade" (the cup or a father's love?), crystallizing the character and his history into one momentous singularity. Bravo!

So how good is Marion, really? Great. The first time we see her onscreen, she literally punches Indy in the face. She's also married, and not to Dr. Jones, but to a rival archaeologist turned communist spy. The banter between the two old lovers sparkles, a lot of it recalling dialogue from "Raiders." For example:

Marion: "What's the matter, Jones? Mileage finally catching up with you?"

Indy: "It ain't the mileage, sweetheart. It's the years!"

A "Raiders" reference! Are there any more? Lots and lots.

We don't see the Ark in this movie, though we can assume from the description that we're in the same warehouse. We also see Sallah (briefly), a play on Indy's fear of snakes, repeated references in the dialogue (Indy: "Marion Ravenwood. I always knew someday you'd come walking back through my door"), and even the golden fertility idol.

Are the groan-inducing moments from "Crystal Skull" in here too? Surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge? A rubber tree that supports a car? Man-eating ants? A character swinging through the trees like Tarzan? Yeah, they're all here, as well as some even sillier stuff, like an "Anaconda"-esque snake that devours Indy whole and a cameo for Henry Jones Sr. that has him singing — singing — Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon." Also, there's this dialogue:

Marion: "Oh yeah, what about that glamour gal you spent time with?"

Indy: "She moved out to Hollywood to be a star. Last I heard, she fell in love and married some big-shot director."

(In real life, Kate Capshaw, who played Willie Scott in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," is married to Steven Spielberg. Indefensible.)

Is the silly stuff still as silly? Not really. That's the thing. We can't believe we're going to defend a refrigerator ride on a nuclear wave, but we're going to. For one, the conversation after the event is much more pointed — Indy actually talks about nuclear weapons with his interrogators, telling them that he doesn't think anybody should have that much power. And that exchange, that line, means so much to this film, especially to the climax, that it's easy to say it works better. The film also ends not with a spaceship flying away into space, but a spaceship trying to fly away into space, only to crash-land and explode in a second nuclear inferno. So it's a silly setup that has a serious and poignant payoff. Nobody should have that much power. Not even the aliens.

Oh yeah, there are still aliens. Well, one alien. He talks this time, specifically calling himself a being worthy of worship. We see scenes of primitive man mistaking them for gods. (The red-staters would have a hemorrhage.)

So this climax we keep talking about. What is it?

Indy, Marion, Oxley (yeah, he's here), Marion's husband (the rival archaeologist) and a few others deliver the crystal skull to the temple, placing it on the head of a crystal skeleton. Soon, five members of the group are lifted into the air and offered anything their hearts desire. One wishes for ultimate power. One for ultimate wisdom. Another to be the deadliest creature alive. Indy? We'll let Marion ask:

Marion: "Back in the Lost City. When you were in the dream cloud, what did you see?"

Indy: "It was like ... seeing everything in the universe all at once. Like suddenly knowing all the secrets there are to know. The meaning of it all."

Marion: "So why didn't you take it? All that fortune and glory?"

Indy: "I did."

And then they kiss. Good line. After falling from the cloud, Indy shoots the skull, destroying the entire temple — again, denying any creature that much power. We call that a climax in this business. Scratch that: We call that an awesome climax.

And the action scenes? Some really good ones, including a rooftop fight between Indy and a Russian assassin, and a midair plane fight in which Indy battles his rival from the wings of a biplane.

Final verdict?

A million times better than "Crystal Skull." Not perfect. Not "Raiders." But it's got its moments of pure Indy magic. Darabont obviously loves the character, and more than anything else, his passion is evident in each and every scene. If made, it could have been a welcome addition to the Indy cannon and easily earned a place alongside the other sequels.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull - short review

Imagine you're on a rollercoaster. It starts out slow with a few gentle jolts, before gradually picking up speed...and more speed....and more speed until suddenly you're being hurtled around and losing all sense of time before screeching to a halt. This is the best metaphor I can come up with to describe the latest Indiana Jones film which, I'm glad to say, does not suck, and it only feels a little bit creaky. It's flaws are more obvious that those of its predecessors'; some dialogue is a bit stiff, and at times the film takes a page out of the National Treasure handbook by having characters solve riddles in a matter of seconds. However, even after all these years, Harrison Ford's still got the role nailed, and the sets, like every Indy film, are glorious and intriguing. Said sets are complimented by the surprisingly beautiful cinematography (courtesy of Diving Bell and the Butterfly DP Januz Kaminiski). What's likely to cause the most debate, however, are the special effects. They aren't bad, but at certain points (most notably the finale), some may find them to be a bit too much; others will simply have problems with the film's climax (which obviously, I won't reveal). Cate Blanchett does a good job with her character, even if she is a bit one-note, and it's great to see Karen Allen back as well, though I do wish Hollywood would stop trying to cram Shia Labeouf down my throat. Whatever quibbles there may be, however, this is a nearly non-stop roller coaster ride of a film that's worth a look for any Indiana Jones fan. While I'm certain that it will always be known as "the other Indy movie", the kingdom of crystal skull is certainly worth entering.

Grade: B+

Current Nominations: Best Picture(#3), Best Director - Steven Spielberg(#3), Best Actor - Harrison Ford(#4), Best Supporting Actress - Cate Blanchett(#3), Best Editing(#3), Best Original Screenplay(#3), Best Cinematography(#1 WINNER), Best Art Direction(#1 WINNER), Best Original Score - John Williams (#2), Best Visual Effects(#2), Best Sound Editing (#2), Best Sound Mixing(#1 WINNER)

Number of 2008 films seen: 8

Things we're learning from Cannes 2008 - Part II

After today's screening at Cannes, the verdict seems to be...

Indiana Jones IV is actually good!

The Evidence:

Variety:

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One of the most eagerly and long-awaited series follow-ups in screen history delivers the goods -- not those of the still first-rate original, 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but those of its uneven two successors.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" begins with an actual big bang, then gradually slides toward a ho-hum midsection before literally taking off for an uplifting finish.

Nineteen years after their last adventure, director Steven Spielberg and star Harrison Ford have no trouble getting back into the groove with a story and style very much in keeping with what has made the series so perennially popular. Few films have ever had such a high mass audience must-see factor, spelling giant May 22 openings worldwide and a rambunctious B.O. life all the way into the eventual "Indiana Jones" DVD four-pack.

Full review to be posted shortly.

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Emanuel Levy:

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullB+
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," the fourth chapter of the India Jones adventure that began in 1981, is not a great picture, but it delivers the goods and is a lot of fun.

The eagerly awaited segment, that took nearly two decades to make due to the lack of an acceptable script, could be described as Spielberg's spectacle for the masses, by which I mean that the movie belongs to the old Spielberg movies of the 1970s and 1980s.

Indeed, blurring all the genres that the maestro has worked with—action, sci-fi, and even horror—"Indy Jones 4" at once reflects and is inhibited by the three-way collaboration of producer George Lucas, who created the concept, Spielberg, who directed all four pictures, and Harrison Ford, reprising the most iconic role of his career.

For starters, all fears and doubts that Ford is too old (he'll turn 66 in July) to play again the world's bets-known archeologist, should put to rest as he gives a commanding performance that holds the necessarily episodic picture together.
Ford not only look good for his age, but acts better than ever, and moves with the agility of a man half his age. Just the sight of Ford, as the whip-toting, punch-packing, snake-hating, globe-trotting archeologist wearing his signature fedora hat brought a huge applause; it's like visiting an old friend of the 1980s.

Shrewdly, screenwriter David Keopp has penned a multi-generational saga that reunites Ford with his old squeeze (Karen Allen, also looking good, at 56) and arranged for him to have a younger companion, Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), a rebellious youth sporting a black leather jacket.

This time around, the saga is set in the Southwest desert—Nevada to be specific, in 1957, the height of the Cold War and Senator McCarthy's communist witch-hunting. In the first scene, Indy and his sidekick Mac (Brit Ray Winstone, excellent as usual) barely escape a close scrape with nefarious Soviet agents on a remote airfield.

Click here to find out more!
Professor Jones returns home to Marshall College, only to find things have gone bad. The dean of the college and close friend (Jim Broadbent) explains that Indy's recent activities have made him the object of suspicion and that the government and the FBI have put pressure on him to fire Indy—albeit with full salary and benefits.

On his way out of town, Indy bumps into Mutt (LaBeouf), a youth whose physical appearance pays tribute to Marlon Brando's iconic role in "The Wild One" (1954), wearing a white t-shirt, sexy leather jacket and jeans, and riding a motorcycle. Proudly introducing himself as a dropout, Mutt describes his family background, revealing anger, grudge, and dissatisfaction. But he also makes an alluring proposition for the adventurous Indy: If he'll help Mutt on a mission with deeply personal stakes, Indy could make one of the most archeological finds in history—the Crystal Skull of Akator, a mysterious, legendary object that holds fascination, superstition, and fear.

In short order, Indy and Mutt set out for the most remote corner of Peru, a land of ancient tombs, forgotten explorers, and rumored city of gold. As expected, the odd couple soon realizes that they are not the only ones in search of the treasure. The Soviet agents are also hot on the trail of the Crystal Skull.

Chief among them is Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett, sporting heavy Russian accent), the icily cold but devastatingly beautiful commissar who was introduced in the very first act, during a search of a military warehouse. Like Indy, Irina and her elite military squad is scouring the globe for the eerie Crystal Skull, which they believe can help the Soviets dominate the world through brains-washing, or control of the human mind. The "only" problem is how to locate it, and once found, how to unlock its ancient secrets.

The saga's organizing theme is rather simple: Indy and Mutt, later joined by Mary, must find ways to evade the ruthless Soviets. The two groups follow seemingly impenetrable trails of mysteries, grapple with human enemies (primitive tribes that look as if they were taken out of Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto") and friends of questionable motives, and Nature itself, in the form of monkeys, ants, water falls, and so on.
To that extent, the narrative is structured as a series of chases, encounters, separations, and reencounters between Indy and his group, which also includes Mac (a man with at least two or three identities) and Oxley (John Hurt), a somehow damaged and bruised man who knows more than given credit.

Some critics may have issues with this adventure's old-fashioned nature, but I think it was consciously to fit into the general pattern of the three previous chapters that were made in 1981, 1984, and 1989 respectively.
Indeed, with the exception of some state-of-the-arts special effects, technically speaking, the art design, costume, and the staging of the various action scenes have the feel of late 1980s picture.

The film's visual motifs borrow from (and pay tribute to) seminal mythic adventures that both Lucas and Spielberg have made in such films as "Star Wars" (the first series), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), "E.T." (1981), and of course, "Indiana Jones" series that began in 1981 with "Raiders of the Lost Ark," the first and (for me) still the best of the four chapters.

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Others:
The Telegraph
Cinematical
BBC
The Times Leader
Austin 360
The London Times

New trailer for Indiana Jones IV

Indiana Jones 4 TRAILER!!!!

it's here!!!

New picture of Cate Blanchett from Indiana Jones IV

why are all of my favorite actresses suddenly taking villain roles? I'm not complaining but it just seems like recently they've all gone evil or signed on to play an evil role...

first picture of Cate Blanchett from Indiana Jones 4

can't decide if I like it or not......that hair reminds me a little too much of Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago...