Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls

I think throwing everything and the kitchen sink into this latest installment of the Indy franchise made for a bumpy viewing for me. Some parts were good, some parts were dull, some were cringe-inducing, some were entertaining. But as a whole, it's a bit disjointed in pacing and tone. The film starts out oddly (just off-putting for me), takes a little while to get back on point and labors through the middle section, but if you can embrace the revelation of artifacts at hand, the last act swells for a big finish which will divide the audience. I lean towards the "not enamored with the ending" crowd, as it moved this franchise into an area it didn't need to go, but I guess those involved thought it was the way to go.

I got a little tired of the cinematography, especially the blown out background lighting that produced a washed out look, and soft focus in many daylight scenes, I understand the need for consistency, but it just got too soft and too nostalgic for me.

I'm not really sold on Shia LeBeouf's performance, either. His introduction seemed a little too choppy and underwritten. Harrison Ford has shrunk in physical stature, but being 65 years old will do that to a man, and I did wince many times when Indy was getting slammed around in some of the scenes, I just kept thinking "how can his hips not break from taking all that derring-do punishment from the action sequences?" I didn't really like Cate Blanchette's underwritten character all that much, the blame goes to the screenplay in that department.

All in all, it gets a mild recommendation from me, with reservations.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.