Product Description
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The newest Indiana Jones adventure begins in the desert
Southwest in 1957 - the height of the Cold War. Indy and his
sidekick Mac (Ray Winstone) have barely escaped a close scrape
with nefarious Soviet agents on a remote airfield. Now, Professor
Jones has returned home to Marshall College - only to find things
have gone from bad to worse. His close friend and dean of the
college (Jim Broadbent) explains that Indy's recent activities
have made him the object of suspicion, and that the government
has put pressure on the university to fire him. On his way out of
town, Indiana meets rebellious young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who
carries both a grudge and a proposition for the adventurous
archaeologist: If he'll help Mutt on a mission with deeply
personal stakes, Indy could very well make one of the most
spectacular archaeological finds in history - the Crystal Skull
of Akator, a legendary object of fascination, superstition and
fear. But as Indy and Mutt set out for the most remote corners of
Peru - a land of ancient tombs, forgotten explorers and a rumored
city of gold - they quickly realize they are not alone in their
search. The Soviet agents are also hot on the trail of the
Crystal Skull. Chief among them is icy cold, devastatingly
beautiful Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), whose elite
unit is scouring the globe for the eerie Crystal Skull, which
they believe can help the Soviets dominate the world... if they
can unlock it's secrets. Indy and Mutt must find a way to evade
the ruthless Soviets, follow an impenetrable trail of mystery,
grapple with enemies and friends of questionable motives, and,
above all, stop the powerful Crystal Skull from falling into the
deadliest of hands.
.com
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Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford
makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana
Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an
action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less
memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of
the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp
(War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the
Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by
a -wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and
sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical
powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a
spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to
Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose
friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has
been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts.
Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the
weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably
accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of
Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy,
delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return
of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once
shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and
eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to
Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot
grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today.
With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's
release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the
role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. --Ellen A. Kim
Stills from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(Click for larger image)
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Set Contains:
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Regardless of one s opinion of the movie, you can t help but be
impressed by the copious special features accompanying this
two-disc edition of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull. Weighing in at well over three hours (occupying part of
Disc One and all of Disc Two), the bonus material is considerably
longer than the film itself, and is certainly among the most
comprehensive of its kind. In "The Return of a Legend," director
Steven Spielberg and other principals discuss the decision to
make another Indiana Jones movie after an 18-year gap (Spielberg
was reluctant, but star Harrison Ford lobbied for it, even though
he d be in his mid-60s when shooting began in 07) and the
development of the story and script. There are also featurettes
of varying lengths about pre-production; post-production
(including sound, music, and editing); the incredibly detailed
makeup created for the warriors in the lost city of Akator
sequence; the development of the iconic crystal skulls sought by
bad and good guys alike; special effects (featuring the mastery
of Industrial Light and Magic); and props (there were 30 copies
each of Indy s signature hat and leather jacket, to say nothing
of the work that went into making authentic Peruvian stamps from
the 1950s and other minutiae). Oh, and then there s the
centerpiece: an 80-minute "making of" film that covers absolutely
everything, from the first day of shooting (in New Mexico) to the
last (in the California desert), with stops in between in Hawaii
and Connecticut and on some of the most amazing Hollywood sound
stage sets you ll ever see. In the end, what s perhaps most
impressive is Spielberg s knowledge of and involvement in every
last detail of the production, no matter how small; there s a
reason this guy is the most successful filmmaker of all time.
--Sam Graham
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