Indiana Jones and the "not as good as the others but still fun" movie...

It's taken me a few days to write about it, but I need to get my opinion of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull out in the open. As I wrote a few days ago, I was one of the crazy Indiana Jones fans that braved the crowds and attended a midnight showing on May 22nd 2008.

I will say from the get go I never expected to the movie to be as good as the previous three. All the critics said that "Crystal Skull" was the 4th best Indy film in the series, but an Indy Film nonetheless. Often times I go into a movie expecting the film to be REALLY bad and come out of the theater actually liking the movie more than I would have ever guessed, Transformers. The good thing with this approach is that the flick can only better your expectations if not remain the same. Nothing is worse than when you go into a movie hoping for one thing, and you get something completely different, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. And that is exactly what I didn't want to happen with Indy 4.

I wasn't too disappointed. The fourth installment turned out to be exactly what I expected, the fourth best Indy film. Go see it...it is a lot of fun!

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT....

We're only hours away...Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comes to theaters tomorrow and I am seriously so stoked. In preparation for this glorious and blessed event, I will be enjoying Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with a group of friends moments before I sit down to see Indy 4 tonight at 12:01 am!

I'm hoping America won't be disappointed...words to come.

Indiana Jones vs. The Lego Boulder...

In honor of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull coming to theaters in only a matter of days, I thought you might enjoy this madness...

New Indiana Jones TV Spot...

Here is the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull TV spot. It's pretty cool...

Don't get your hopes up for Indy 4!

Some concerning words have sprouted online from Indy writer/producer George Lucas. In an interview Lucas expressed concern that Indiana Jones fans may have built up unrealistic expectations for his upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

"When you do a movie like this, a sequel that's very, very anticipated, people anticipate ultimately that it's going to be the Second Coming," Lucas told USA Today. "And it's not. It's just a movie. Just like the other movies. You probably have fond memories of the other movies. But if you went back and looked at them, they might not hold up the same way your memory holds up." In fact, he added, when expectations rise to such heights, "You're not going to get a lot of accolades. ... All you can do is lose."

Don't get too worried, I'm pretty sure Lucas is just saying this in the wake of what happened with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, everyone was BEYOND stoked for its 1999 release and there was so much hype behind it. But when it finally came to theaters most people weren't happy and expected more. Lucas just doesn't want the same thing to happen to loyal Indy fans.

NEW INDY POSTER!!!

This just in...a different, more traditional-looking Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull poster. Look at it, love it want to be it...

It's finally here....Indian Jones Teaser....

The official Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull teaser has just hit the net (not the shaky-vision pirated version), and several hours earlier than expected.
Hold on to your Fedoras!

Indiana Jones goes science fiction...

Indy fans hold onto your Fedoras, I've got some news that will surely get you excited. A couple of new pictures have been released for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and they give much more insight to the actual plot of the May 22nd release.

The first, which was released to MTV News.com a few days ago, shows Dr. Jones standing on a pile of crates (see right). It appears that Indy will end up right were he started - or, at least, right where he ended in Raiders of the Lost Ark, at the government warehouse where the Ark of the Covenant was stored. For all we know the archaeologist will be trying to locate the Ark once again. Or possibly need one of the Ark's contents: (The Ten Commandments, the Rod of Aaron, Manna from the Israelite trek). Who knows, I am just speculating, but it sure gets you thinking about where the story line can go.

Now, to my other point, I have read many an article and have had several conversations with people who think the whole underlying mysticism of the franchise will change a bit in this one. Let me explain a bit, to make my point easier to understand. All three previous films involve some sort of religious artifact that contains unexplained mystical powers. And Indy somehow gets pulled into an evil scheme by the Nazis, or a group of greedy Hindu extremists. Then he is forced to use his archaeological knowledge to fetch the powerful artifacts. You've seen the movies you know how the rest goes...

Each of the previous Indy films are set in the 1930s, the same time period that swashbuckling action serials were very popular. The popular trilogy is widely-known by fans to romanticize the serials' clichéd plot elements and devices. Thus, it only makes sense that these films are set in that time period. With that in mind, it is well known that "Crystal Skull" takes place several decades after Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Set in the 1950s, "Crystal Skull" is rumored to take a different approach. Similar to how the first three pay homage to early action serials, this one is rumored to pay homage to the film genre that made such a great impact during the 1950s, Science Fiction film. You ask how can Indy go from searching ancient cobweb-covered temples to flying saucers and robots? Well, this recently released photo of "the crystal skull" proves the point ... No word yet if this skull has any mystical powers, but something tells me there is bound to be bigger twists in this installment and more of a Sci-Fi flavor. This photo of the unearthly bone structure was originally posted on Movieweb.com, but was recently pulled from the site at the request of the studio. So this is now a Royal Journal Exclusive!! Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives in theaters on May 22.

Dr. Jones Cometh...with a Bazooka?

We're now less than five months away from the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and some promising news comes today that "the picture is locked." "And Steven [Spielberg] is pretty much done editing." In an interview with Empire Magazine Indy Producer, Frank Marshall added that the film is progressing along beautifully. They have even come so far that cinematic composer, John Williams, is already beginning the process of scoring the film. This is exciting news for all of us"Fedora heads!"

If that is not stealing your ancient idol, then hopefully this will. Mr. Marshall tells the mag that Crystal Skull "sits tonally with the rest of the series, I would say it's closest to the third one (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)." Many fans of the threelogy fear that because the film is set in a different time period (no Nazis), and Indy is decades older, that the film won't be as swashbuckling. Well, as we all know Dr. Jones has wielded everything from his trusty leather bull whip to a rusty old machete. But this photo released today puts something a bit different in the hands of the archaeologist. KABOOM!!

Indiana Jones: First look...

America got its first taste of George Lucas & Steven Spielberg's highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Click Here to see the segment that aired on the Today show this morning.

This installment comes nearly 20 years after the last Indiana Jones film. The story is set in the 1950s and instead of Nazis the film sets Dr. Jones against Cold War Era Soviets.

Below are some pictures that were taken for this month's VanityFair Magazine.

Cate Blanchett as the villain.

Shia LaBeouf and Harrison Ford.