Movie Review: Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)

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Looking for the right words to describe the late Alan Splet, David Lynch's innovative, Academy Award winning sound editor who collaborated with the filmmaker on some of his most iconic works including Eraserhead and Blue Velvet, Lynch barely hesitated. Dubbing Splet "a born soundman," he elaborated further, describing his friend, with a twinkle in his eye, as a "joyous experimenter."

And joyous experimentation seems to be at the heart of veteran sound editor turned USC professor turned director Midge Costin's newly released documentary feature debut Making Waves, which celebrates the adventurous spirit of professionals eager to contribute to what Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas agree is fifty percent of a feature film.

Chronicling the history of motion picture sound from the beginning, in Waves, we learn about the artists who performed music and sound effects live to accompany screenings of the Oscar winning 1927 silent film Wings to the advent of the talkie with The Jazz Singer that same year. From King Kong setting the bar for future sound design in 1933, we move from Orson Welles bringing the methods he pioneered on radio to his influential Citizen Kane and beyond, until later on when we circle back to Jack Foley working his magic on 1960's Spartacus in order to save Stanley Kubrick a fortune in reshoots.

With three decades of experience working in the industry on films such as Days of Thunder and Crimson Tide at her disposal, Costin's passion for and knowledge of her subject shines through in this ambitious, eye-opening documentary, which is sure to be of particular interest to both budding and established cinephiles.

Occasionally too ambitious for its 94 minute format, while rushing from one thrilling anecdote about recording the sound of animal roars in order to beef up the otherwise "wimpy" sound of jets for Top Gun to recounting what it was like to re-record "there's no crying in baseball," with the actors live for A League of Their Own, Waves struggles to cover too much ground.

At its most engrossing when it slows down enough to really sink its teeth into a topic, Costin's segments on Splet-like "born soundmen," Walter Murch and Ben Burtt — both of whom fell in love with the medium playing with tape recorders as children before ultimately making their own groundbreaking contributions to the field on Apocalypse Now and Star Wars respectively — stand out.

An MVP in any documentary (and richly deserving of his own), from his philosophical analysis about sound's importance going back to the womb when it was the first sense we could experience up through his revolutionary decision to treat each facet of sound design like a different instrument family in a symphony, the sophisticated Murch easily holds us in his thrall. And with Burtt revealing his painstaking process of eagerly cataloging a wide variety of sounds for George Lucas a year before a single frame of Star Wars was even shot in order to give life to Chewbacca and R2-D2, Waves illustrates how well sound can translate emotion to audiences around the world.

Not just a boys club despite its reputation — as a female sound professional herself now heading up a largely female production and post-production crew — Costin makes an effort to champion the vital contributions made by the industry's unheralded soundwomen in Waves. While many of the contemporary examples fly by the screen far too quickly, one of the most interesting sequences in the film is devoted to the little known role that Barbra Streisand played in bridging the divide between concerts and film.

Longing to bring to the screen the same interplay between the artist and the audience that could be experienced at one of her shows, Streisand not only rejected the use of tape playback in Funny Girl in order to sing live but also insisted upon using what was then a relatively new, two-speaker, Dolby sound format for A Star is Born. Offering to pay for the expensive, untested technology out of her own pocket — which would have amounted to a million dollars — when Warner Brothers studio heads saw the film played back in Dolby, they heard the difference immediately and reassured her that there was no need for her to foot the bill.

Featuring interview footage with filmmakers ranging from Ang Lee and Robert Redford to Sofia Coppola and Ryan Coogler as well as the expertise of a wide variety of sound designers and editors, once we reach the film's blink-and-you-missed-it section on composers, it feels as though most of the contemporary segments in Making Waves have gone by in a blur.

With so much to cover in all of the various subcategories of sound, Costin could have easily turned the documentary feature into a Ken Burns style documentary miniseries (which she could have also shown to her students at USC!). Though it's filled with amazing moments that play like an epic awards show montage, at times, the film flies by so quickly and with so much force that it feels like a Top Gun jet, complete with an animal roar added in by Oscar nominee — and Costin's Days of Thunder colleague — Cece Hall.

Although I would surely fail if I were to be tested on how much information presented to us in the rapid fire last third of the film I was able to retain, honestly the lovingly made Waves is filled with so many wondrous ideas that it makes Costin's film an undeniable success.

"Our ears lead our eyes to where the story lives," Steven Spielberg explains early into the documentary and even though it's meant to highlight the importance of the art form, it also stands out as a perfect descriptor of Waves, which makes us appreciate the role that sound plays on a number of levels evidenced therein.

Celebrating the link between what we hear and what we feel, Making Waves is as informative as it is indefatigable, despite its structural flaws. A passionate ode to creativity, Midge Costin's documentary might just inspire the next generation of would-be sound artists to do some joyous experimentation — the kind we'll have to hear to believe — of their own.

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TV on DVD: Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures: Season 1, Volume 2 (4-Disc Set)

They're Tiny, They're Toony
And Invading DVD--

With the April 21st Release:
Season 1, Volume 2
Is Now Available to Own



Get Caught Up With Volume 1



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It's funny how the sounds of youth come springing back whether it's in the form of a jingle you couldn't get out of your head or a theme song that played over and over and over again on a beloved TV show and in this case, Tiny Toon Adventures is no exception.

All you have to prompt someone of my age group with is, "they're tiny, they're toony," and sure enough the rest of that fast-paced Merry Melodies like ditty goes rushing through your head that quickly introduced the rest of the wacky cast of junior versions of the famous characters from the Golden Age of Warner Brothers animation.

Although they note that they're "all a little looney," one of the major criticisms of the show produced in collaboration via Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment company was that the colorful, kid-friendly characters were much more than a "little" influenced by the Looney Tunes characters that came before them such as the Bugs Bunny styled pink and blue hosts Babs and Buster Bunny, Porky Pig's new incarnation Hamton, Daffy's green replacement Plucky Duck, Tasmanian Devil's pint-sized send-up Dizzy Devil and more.



Despite this, the Emmy Award winning and extremely ambitious show that kicked off its evolution following the dormant decade of the animation department at WB when it was reinstated in 1980 aimed for greatness in all regards.

Working with a full orchestra as Spielberg dreamed-- an idea that was literally unheard of due to the frightening cost involved for a children's series-- and shooting for an outrageously lofty goal of 65 episodes for its inaugural season (that resulted in the employment and involvement of studios and individuals around the globe), the look of the show blew away its primary competition by boasting an animation "cel count that was more than double that of most television animation."

Averaging roughly 15,000 additional cels per episode above "the standard 10,000" to ensure the characters on Tiny Toon Adventures "moved more fluidly," animators additionally utilized double the amount of panels for each individual scene (i.e. 6-8 as opposed to 3-4) to give the sequences "a lot more key expressions and attitude poses."

Therefore upon further research, it comes as little surprise that the uniquely visual and stylishly innovative near cinematic emphasis found the premise initially developed to become a feature length work until the irresistible idea of launching a children's series to "reach a broader audience" as producer Jean MacCurdy noted in late 1988 seemed too compelling to ignore.

While I do lament that the shows weren't re-mastered or punched up color-wise a bit for their DVD transfer in which the full-screen aspect ratio is preserved but the remaining 30 episodes in this collectible, beautifully packaged 4-disc set seem a bit washed out, tweaking with the color-scheme via my HDTV and up-convert Blu-ray player managed to sharpen up the fuzzy edges considerably.

Further utilizing its roots in cinema and trying to move beyond the-- then popular-- approach of making kid-friendly spin-offs of older cartoons a la Muppet Babies, The Flintstone Kids, A Pup Named Scooby Doo and others-- the overwhelmingly fast paced (and at times annoyingly so) work drew endless plot and joke inspirations from films, television show, and pop culture via several spoofs, in-jokes, and humor that flew right over the head of its young target audience.

Despite this, the bright visuals and traditional WB emphasis on action and some violent gags made it an instant favorite as in fact, early on, it overtook the rival Disney Afternoon competition as far as ratings went once for a brief time following its three season run and long-life in syndication.

And while it was an early '90s favorite for me although one in which I felt it gained intelligence in its multiple spin-offs such as the superlative Animaniacs and the amusing Pinky and the Brain and I can't even begin to tell you how many times I viewed the straight-to-video Tiny Toons feature film (which was incorporated into a multiple-episode storyline arc in a later season), Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation-- revisiting it today, I must say I was a bit underwhelmed.

Of course, the concept of the characters who reside in Acme Acres and attend Acme Looniversity where they're versed in the history of WB's Looney Tunes animation and their animated character predecessors is cute indeed.

Yet despite the fact that some characters and story-lines annoy much more than they entertain with a tendency towards hyper, sarcastic spoof humor (that feels like it's beneath the writers to constantly fish from the past for re-imaginations of pop culture), with the inclusion of a whopping 30 shows, there are some truly standout episodes throughout from this Emmy award-winning season including "Whales Tales" which was the recipient of an Environmental Media Award for Children's Animated Series in calling attention to the way that whales are used cruelly by the cosmetics industry.

However, these few cases aside, more often than not, it feels like a slightly stale xerox of the late great, original Looney Tunes shorts and while it's always fun to revisit your youth spent singing along with the theme song, the great benefit of the series is it should have you nostalgically hunting down some of the truly groundbreaking and Oscar winning shorts and cartoons invented by the studio in its Golden Age.

New on DVD for the Week of 10/12

Video Pick of the Week: Mongol

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Mongol

Nash Bridges: The First Season

The Sarah Silverman Program: Season 2, Volume 1

Waltzing Anna

Explore these and dozens of other
New Releases in our Amazon Slideshow below:

DVD Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2-Disc Special Edition)

Go Behind the Scenes of the Film in our Video Screening Room

Check out Crystal Skull's Trailer Gallery

Visit the Official Site

In honor of October 14's DVD & Blu-ray release, I'm offering you an insider's view of the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD that Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment was kind enough to send my way. But before we adventure into the extras, here's my original review of the theatrical film:

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Director: Steven Spielberg

“Here we are now, entertain us.”-- Nirvana

And so we return to Dr. Jones and the gang’s all here, John Williams’s score sounds better than ever, and the fedora has become as recognizable as Chaplin’s cane. Following months of advertising including near singular sponsorship of the 2008 NBA Playoffs, the question wasn’t whether or not Indiana Jones would make money or break box office records, but rather if it was worth dusting off our favorite archeologist from his nineteen year retirement of perfectly preserved and re-mastered memories on DVD and sending him on a fourth perilous search for another trove of treasure. Of course, even to co-creator George Lucas, Indiana Jones was never about the treasure itself—similar to Hitchcock’s MacGuffin, it never quite mattered what he was chasing, for the real treasure was in the quest itself as we followed archeology professor Dr. Henry Jones to the most unimaginable corners of the world in a wit and daring filled hero’s journey to outsmart the Nazis or whoever stood in his way to—much like a modern day Arthur—secure whatever grail he needed to win.

From the groundbreaking Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), to the uneven Temple of Doom (’84) and the enjoyable misnomer Last Crusade (’89), Harrison Ford’s most endearing character since Han Solo (for my money, the coolest one from the Star Wars canon) has garnered generations of fans but now at age 65, bringing him back to high flying adventure sounded like an unlikely and primarily profit driven undertaking. Like many, I feared going in that Spielberg and Lucas, who have both become unparalleled masters of the latest filmmaking technology, would forget the cheesy B movie roots or matinee spirit of the original extraordinary trilogy and in forgoing classic entertainment, offer a perfect reinvention of Jones with Iron Man styled special effects. However, my concerns were put to rest within minutes as we’re faced with the retro Paramount logo and old-fashioned credits announcing that the Indy we love is back.

Opening in 1957 Nevada, it takes less than five minutes for Dr. Jones to find himself in lethal jeopardy as he tries to outthink—not the Nazis this time but rather Communist Russians led by the wicked dominatrix Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett reveling in her Ukrainian accent and dark colored bob). Admittedly when we first catch a glimpse of the aged Ford cracking dialogue that directly references his age and ability, doubt instead of awe is the new reaction we have to this elder Indy but soon, we’re distracted by enough chaotic complications and old fashioned wonder that cynical preoccupation is abandoned and we’re well into the story.

Scripted by Spiderman and Panic Room scribe David Koepp from a story by Jeff Nathanson and George Lucas, while the psychic, paranormal phenomena and extraterrestrial excitement feel a bit out of place, again that MacGuffin couldn’t matter less as we’re more entranced by the outrageous spectacle first introduced with the arrival of the newest addition to the “good guys,” greaser Mutt Williams (a delightful Shia LeBeouf), whom we first see in perfect imitation of Marlon Brando in The Wild One straddling a killer motorcycle. Bearing information from his mother Marion (Karen Allen), who-- despite being the most memorable Indiana Jones heroine-- for reasons that are never explained (possibly old age?), Jones doesn’t quite put together with being that particular Marion, Mutt serves as Jones’s call to action, leading him on a wild goose chase to the mythic South American city of El Dorado by way of Cusco, Peru to track down the legendary crystal skulls that have fascinated the Russians (and Blanchett) as well.

Soon reacquainted with Marion Ravenwood and other colleagues including Ox (John Hurt) and Mac (Ray Winstone), Indy and Mutt’s lives are increasingly threatened as they get closer to the treasure but along the way, we have our trademark thrills—some of which play like a greatest hits mix tape of the earlier films and some that I still remain dazzled by twenty-four hours later. The ultimate features an unforgettable jeep chase with swashbuckling action in the form of a Mutt and Irina swordfight, gunfire, and more, as-- in true Indy fashion-- Spielberg keeps topping the sequence before it, stacking up danger until he knocks it all down like a wicked Jenga game.

There’s the quintessential “gross out” moment harkening back to the horrifying snake pit debacle from Raiders that indeed sent people fleeing to the restroom as the leads are attacked by, as Indy calls them “big damn ants,” which manages to overstay its disgusting welcome just seconds into the overly long sequence. And while this isn’t the only part of the film that feels like padding and there aren’t as many genuine laughs as Kasdan penned in his memorable Raiders screenplay, the action is so riveting and the affable nostalgic and high energy spirit of the series is kept remarkably intact as to rival the overly cool, and hyper real action movies of today, that I was amazed by just how big of an absence was left in action film when Indy hung up that fedora.

Although it would be woefully unwise to call him back to adventure again and Spielberg does hint that perhaps Mutt may be the next in line for the professor’s whip, it was a fond farewell to the films and a nice reward for fans who, similar to myself as someone roughly as old as the entire series, always looked forward to the next hybrid of imaginative thrills and brain teasing wit.

In other words--we were there, so Spielberg, Lucas and Ford entertained us.

2-Disc Special Edition DVD

Anytime you're discussing a feature that involves not only George Lucas but also Steven Spielberg, you know that first and foremost the technology of their product will be first rate. While it was definitely evidenced in the latest film and in fact cited as the number one detractor by some critics who felt that too much CGI was employed, I thought it brought the magic of Jones universe to an entirely new level and this is evidenced right away on the 2-Disc DVD set. Although I still have yet to find a Blu-ray player in my price range, rest assured that nothing was spared in its transfer to DVD, despite the fact that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull marks the first Blu-ray new release motion picture from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Steven Spielberg as the press release denotes.

Presented in its original widescreen theatrical version that's enhanced for 16x9 ratio televisions, the DVD's sound matches its stellar picture quality with Lucas' own THX Certified Dolby Digtial 5.1 Surround and audio options to listen in English, French, and Spanish with the exact same choice for the subtitles. Primarily the main attraction of Disc 1 is the film itself and although most will be tempted to just pop in Disc 2 to get right into the special features, there's two worthwhile extras waiting for you alongside the feature on the first disc.

In "The Return of a Legend," Spielberg, Ford, Lucas and others reveal the origin of the fourth film. Although he assumed that ending Last Crusade with that memorably breathtaking iconic western styled shot of Ford's Jones riding off into the sunset meant that the series was over, roughly five years later, the main three (Spielberg, Ford, and Lucas) began getting inundated with questions of when the next movie would arrive from fans and press members around the globe. According to Spielberg and despite being in his mid-fifties at the time, Ford was the first person to take it seriously and its his tenacity that propelled the hypothetical "what if's" into action first by phoning the reluctant Spielberg who declined, then Lucas who was more enthusiastic and called Spielberg on his own. Their double-teaming of the director paid off and plans were quickly put into motion which also ended up involving the original producers of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy who'd first met on that set and later married.

From Lucas' first instinct of "let's do aliens," once Independence Day was released, its quality impressed Spielberg to such an extent that they decided to rethink their Jones idea. Merging together 1950's B movies and 1930's serials-- the creative well from which the original films had been dug-- Lucas change the aliens from extra-terrestrials (which E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind director Spielberg definitely knew a thing or two about) to "inter-dimensional" beings derived from String Theory.

As writer David Koepp noted, the success of the films had always been to "play with existing mythology" like the existence of actual Crystal Skulls and the idea of the paranoia from the 1950's regarding Soviet mind control and use the real legends as much as possible to make their own fantastical tale seem that much more authentic. Koepp would be the third writer brought on board after Lucas' original script which found Indy discovering a long-lost daughter (which was vetoed by Spielberg; although part of me wondered what a young female Marion Jr. would've been like) and was afterward given to the talented Jeff Nathanson who improved upon it even more before Koepp-- Spielberg's "closer" finished it off.

Revealing some of the several dozen title ideas they'd had from the quintessential Indiana Jones and the... with finishes such as "Saucer Men," and "Attack of the Giant Ants" etc. they finally found common ground upon Lucas's insistence that the word "kingdom" would be included to acknowledge their MacGuffin. Above all, vowing not to reinvent the wheel on the type of a series that now belongs to the entire world as Spielberg shared, their mission was instead to serve up one more helping to both those who grew up with the originals (like this reviewer) and those just meeting Dr. Jones for the first time and agreeing that they wouldn't make the film unless all three were fully on board so they proceeded.

In a second marvelous feature on Disc 1, we delve into the film's "Pre-Production" featurette from both the complicated computerized pre-visualization of the effects via the creators who were some of the first collaborators on board transforming (with no access to the script) Spielberg's vision and rudimentary one dimensional drawings complete with perfect framing into what would ultimately develop into the shot-by-shot execution of some of the most awe-inspiring action sequences.

Their painstaking work provided the first blueprint for Crystal Skull and then it began to trickle down to all of the other departments, informing wardrobe and everything else on the type of film they wanted to make. Adamant about not wanting to change the lighting style or overall visual look of the films which the cinematographer noted invovled "high key, glossy" old Hollywood styled photography, Spielberg began to round up all the players including Ford who revealed that the "whip-cracking skill" took a few weeks to return along with the new inclusion of Shia LeBeouf as Mutt, Ford's son who's modeled on a 1950's greaser.

Given a list of three films to watch as homework-- consisting of Blackboard Jungle, Rebel Without a Cause, and The Wild One-- LeBeouf (who'd first impressed the director with his work in Holes) began to become Mutt, learning how to play with knives from the sword that would be used in one of the film's most memorable scenes to the switchblade the actor perfected on his own, sans blade coach, making the knife his "Tetris" for the shoot.



From this first glimpse of "Pre-Production," we journey right into the fully loaded second disc that offers an in-depth twelve part cinematic "Production Diary," as we're given unprecedented access to the making of a film that was so hushed up, people's livelihood's were threatened for losing a script or revealing anything to the press. While there's far too much to go into here, it's a movie-maker's dream as well as a fascinating look for the technology geek in all of us, especially when we're brought into the offices of the men and women who built miniature sets, incomplete actual sets, and then made them all merge together to brilliant glory via cutting-edge technology. Featuring three pre-visualization sequences for proof of their hard work-- which alone should be sent to Oscar voters to earn the hardworking team a Special Effects statue, the disc also provides photo galleries, trailers, a look at the Lego Indiana Jones video game and much more.

Spike TV's SCREAM 2008: Voting Has Begun

Your video guide to this year's "other" election.

With awards doled out in categories such as “The Holy Shit! Scene of the Year” and the “Most Memorable Mutilation,” Spike TV’s third annual SCREAM celebration of all things comic book, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy isn’t for the faint of heart.

While the Oscars contain incessant jokes about the show’s endless running time, the Emmys are usually more fun to discuss than watch, the Grammys are growing more and more forgettable, and the inclusion of alcohol at the Golden Globes has made for some increasingly odd acceptance speeches, the mission of SCREAM 2008 seems to be to highlight exactly what entertains audiences. Whether it’s a guilty pleasure for a cheesy horror film, a deep devotion to a favorite comic book artist, or following each and every twist and turn from television shows such as Lost and Heroes, serving up a diverse selection of contenders in more than two dozen categories, Spike TV’s award show has you covered.

While it comes as no surprise that Christopher Nolan’s record-breaking box office titan The Dark Knight leads the pack with 21 nominations, Iron Man and Hellboy II: Golden Army came in second and third respectively. But there are some truly memorable inclusions throughout, including nods for Anna Friel in Pushing Daisies (for Breakout Performance), supporting performer Jason Bateman in Hancock, and nods for the critically divided films Southland Tales and I Am Legend.

Featuring an impressive advisory board including Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream helmer Wes Craven, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, comic book writer Geoff Johns, Heroes creator Tim Kring, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Paula Wagner, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, Eli Roth, and Guillermo Del Toro who, according to the press release, “were responsible for advising on categories and determining nominees in each category” of eligible works released between August 11, 2007 and August 8, 2008, in the end it’s the fans who decide the winners. With plenty of widgets, interactive opportunities and chances to vote in every category available on the event’s official website Scream.Spike.com, the show, which will air in more than 160 territories around the globe, will premier on October 21 on Spike TV.

And to facilitate the voting process, I’ve drawn from a wide variety of nominated films to put together a mini video guide featuring clips and/or trailers to refresh your memory.

(Feel free to click on the underlined titles

to explore my original reviews)

Cloverfield

The Dark Knight

Enchanted

Hancock

I Am Legend

The Incredible Hulk

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Iron Man

The Mist

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

WALL-E

Wanted

Dedicated to “bringing the fans exactly what they want to see this year with big world premieres, rare performances and the superstars that made this year a record breaker at the box office,” SCREAM 2008 not only demands your participation but also celebrates “the incredible talent behind these genres,” as Spike TV’s Casey Patterson noted in the press release. Remember, voting is currently taking place from now through Friday, October 17 so head on over to Spike TV’s site to make your selections for the works that made you scream your lungs out over the past year… or just simply call out “Holy Shit!” since — wouldn’t you know — there’s a category for that, too.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Director: Steven Spielberg

“Here we are now, entertain us.”-- Nirvana

And so we return to Dr. Jones and the gang’s all here, John Williams’s score sounds better than ever, and the fedora has become as recognizable as Chaplin’s cane. Following months of advertising including near singular sponsorship of the 2008 NBA Playoffs, the question wasn’t whether or not Indiana Jones would make money or break box office records, but rather if it was worth dusting off our favorite archeologist from his nineteen year retirement of perfectly preserved and re-mastered memories on DVD and sending him on a fourth perilous search for another trove of treasure. Of course, even to co--creator George Lucas, Indiana Jones was never about the treasure itself—similar to Hitchcock’s MacGuffin, it never quite mattered what he was chasing, for the real treasure was in the quest itself as we followed archeology professor Dr. Henry Jones to the most unimaginable corners of the world in a wit and daring filled hero’s journey to outsmart the Nazis or whoever stood in his way to—much like a modern day Arthur—secure whatever grail he needed to win.

From the groundbreaking Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), to the uneven Temple of Doom (’84) and the enjoyable misnomer Last Crusade (’89), Harrison Ford’s most endearing character since Han Solo (for my money, the coolest one from the Star Wars cannon) has garnered generations of fans but now at age 65, bringing him back to high flying adventure sounded like an unlikely and primarily profit driven undertaking. Like many, I feared going in that Spielberg and Lucas, who have both become unparalleled masters of the latest filmmaking technology, would forget the cheesy B movie roots or matinee spirit of the original extraordinary trilogy and in forgoing classic entertainment, offer a perfect reinvention of Jones with Iron Man styled special effects. However, my concerns were put to rest within minutes as we’re faced with the retro Paramount logo and old-fashioned credits announcing that the Indy we love is back.

Opening in 1957 Nevada, it takes less than five minutes for Dr. Jones to find himself in lethal jeopardy as he tries to outthink—not the Nazis this time but rather Communist Russians led by the wicked dominatrix Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett reveling in her Ukrainian accent and dark colored bob). Admittedly when we first catch a glimpse of the aged Ford cracking dialogue that directly references his age and ability, doubt instead of awe is the new reaction we have to this elder Indy but soon, we’re distracted by enough chaotic complications and old fashioned wonder that cynical preoccupation is abandoned and we’re well into the story.

Scripted by Spiderman and Panic Room scribe David Koepp from a story by Jeff Nathanson and George Lucas, while the psychic, paranormal phenomena and extraterrestrial excitement feel a bit out of place, again that MacGuffin couldn’t matter less as we’re more entranced by the outrageous spectacle first introduced with the arrival of the newest addition to the “good guys,” greaser Mutt Williams (a delightful Shia LeBeouf), whom we first see in perfect imitation of Marlon Brando in The Wild One straddling a killer motorcycle. Bearing information from his mother Marion (Karen Allen), who-- despite being the most memorable Indiana Jones heroine-- for reasons that are never explained (possibly old age?), Jones doesn’t quite put together with being that particular Marion, Mutt serves as Jones’s call to action, leading him on a wild goose chase to the mythic South American city of El Dorado by way of Cusco, Peru to track down the legendary crystal skulls that have fascinated the Russians (and Blanchett) as well.

Soon reacquainted with Marion Ravenwood and other colleagues including Ox (John Hurt) and Mac (Ray Winstone), Indy and Mutt’s lives are increasingly threatened as they get closer to the treasure but along the way, we have our trademark thrills—some of which play like a greatest hits mix tape of the earlier films and some that I still remain dazzled by twenty-four hours later. The ultimate features an unforgettable jeep chase with swashbuckling action in the form of a Mutt and Irina swordfight, gunfire, and more, as-- in true Indy fashion-- Spielberg keeps topping the sequence before it, stacking up danger until he knocks it all down like a wicked Jenga game.

There’s the quintessential “gross out” moment harkening back to the horrifying snake pit debacle from Raiders that indeed sent people fleeing to the restroom as the leads are attacked by, as Indy calls them “big damn ants,” which manages to overstay its disgusting welcome just seconds into the overly long sequence. And while this isn’t the only part of the film that feels like padding and there aren’t as many genuine laughs as Kasdan penned in his memorable Raiders screenplay, the action is so riveting and the affable nostalgic and high energy spirit of the series is kept remarkably intact as to rival the overly cool, and hyper real action movies of today, that I was amazed by just how big of an absence was left in action film when Indy hung up that fedora.

Although it would be woefully unwise to call him back to adventure again and Spielberg does hint that perhaps Mutt may be the next in line for the professor’s whip, it was a fond farewell to the films and a nice reward for fans who, similar to myself as someone roughly as old as the entire series, always looked forward to the next hybrid of imaginative thrills and brain teasing wit.

In other words--we were there, so Spielberg, Lucas and Ford entertained us.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Film in our Video Screening Room

Check out Crystal Skull's Trailer and Photo Gallery