When the title card for the latest Indiana Jones movie came on the big screen I was excited to hear the famous score, see Harrison Ford don his famous fedora and intrigued to see how they would handle Indy’s age in this 40-year-old franchise.
The opening encounter was very familiar, with Indy fighting Nazis during World War 2. We are introduced to the antiquity and lore that is the basis for this adventure. This start was a little jarring at first, but I was soon enthralled by the action and comedy.
I enjoyed Toby Jones' brief appearance at the beginning, but the villain played by Mads Mikkelsen was severely underutilised. The runtime was a little long, with the middle feeling rather lethargic. I would have preferred a little more low-key adventuring, similar to the exploration of Archimedes's tomb, than the bigger action sequences.
There was a definite nostalgia kick to the entire movie. There was a new young sidekick and old familiar faces. There was the trademark adventure, creepy crawlies and historical riddles. There were Nazis, car chases and fight scenes. There was some fun deadpan comedy. The iconic travel map made an appearance – with a couple in front pointing at the screen in excitement when it appeared. But it was hearing the score throughout that was the biggest endorphin kick. It was definitely an Indiana Jones movie.
Fifteen years after the disappointing Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this is a satisfying movie that I enjoyed. In the end, it concludes Indy’s story, while potentially passing the adventuring on to another generation.