Twice the Indy...

My review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is now available at Revolution SF.

As in the seminal Raiders of the Lost Ark, the relationship between Indy and Marion drives the story. Their ceaseless bickering never tires, though disappointingly often interrupted by the abundance of action. The absence of this interaction weakened both the dreadful Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and the excellent Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This latest adventure all but destroys George Lucas's contention that featuring a different leading lady in each Indy story strengthened the series. Any Indiana Jones project without Marion Ravenwood immediately begins with a handicap.

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Also in the current Austin Chronicle is my review of Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection.

By way of 1930s movie serials, exotic locales, and witty scripts, the Indiana Jones films introduced one of the most popular and exciting action heroes of the 20th century. The whip-wielding archaeologist Indiana Jones, portrayed by the rakish Harrison Ford, challenged world-dominating Nazis and power-hungry Kali worshippers through three highly successful, rousing adventures: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). In anticipation of the fourth installment, Paramount has reissued the three movies as Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection, available separately or as a set.

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