1957. Soviet agents infiltrate a military base in the Nevada desert in search of a crate that holds the body of a Roswell alien. After being forced to lead them to their goal, Indiana Jones escapes, survives a nuclear blast and embarks on a quest to find and return a crystal skull (which is believed to contain considerable psychic power) to the legendary city of Akator/El Dorado.
With a cast boasting the talents of Ray Winstone, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt and Karen Allen, the 4th instalment of the Jones' Chronicles seemed set fair to be a high octane entry in the series. Unfortunately, the script and a series of largely lack lustre set-pieces fail to deliver and the end result is one of sheer boredom. While I'm not really an Indy fan, the previous trio of films did at least entertain me for portions of the running times, but there's precious little here to enthuse over. For me, David Koepp's script is the weakest of the series and one can't help but wonder how things would have turned out if Frank Darabont's labours had been green lighted. Still, the day was not a total waste of time as my wife and I took the opportunity to pay our first visit to the new cinema in Derby's Westfield complex.
Wow!!! This 12 screen theatre is simply the last word in luxury. A beautifully designed, spacious lounge area with the box office next door to a restaurant and a particularly smart licenced bar. Adorning the walls are posters for forthcoming attractions with LCD screens underneath playing a trailer for each film. The auditoriums follow the same high standards, with comfortable reclining seats, top quality projection and the latest surround system. This is by far the finest cinema I've frequented, and my wife was delighted to discover it's an American National Amusements theatre, which has provided Derby with the quality and excellent customer service she experienced in the States. We both look forward to many cinema trips now we have a theatre within easier reach, and feel lucky that Derby was chosen to deliver such an amazing experience.
Glad the theater at least turned out to be nice...I have still yet to check out the new INDY. I am still planning on it but my expectations are below zero at this point...It's a shame that it has disappointed so many of the original fans...
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a shame it disappointed a lot of the original fans. My wife was certainly let down, though it wasn't such a big deal to me. Hope you find a few things to enjoy when you do see it.
ReplyDeleteThe new theatre is a real joy. I've promised the missus we'll go to the Journey To The Centre Of The Earth 3D screening, and I cannot wait to see the X Files movie there.
Thanks for your comments, Jeremy.
Well I finally saw it and I was just kind of...blah. I thought the first hour had its moments but it just seemed to deflate itself as it went along. A real disapointment with a wince inducing last scene that reminded me of everything that bugs me about Spielberg.
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