Indy Needs Religion

Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful to see Indiana Jones out and about after such a long absence from the big screen.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL is steeped in nostalgia with tips of the fedora to your favorite Indy chase sequences, old girlfriends and ancient treasures.

But someone important was missing from the film. It wasn't Henry Jones, Sr., Marcus or Sallah.

It was God.

Indy is at his absolute best when his science comes into conflict with long held dogma. That's part of the mystery and wonderment that makes RAIDERS and THE LAST CRUSADE so special. This knowledgeable professor goes out on an impossible hunt for a treasure that can't possibly exist, only to have his lack of faith in mankind shattered by solid evidence that the ancient mysteries of Christianity are much more than mere legends.

In TEMPLE OF DOOM, that element was missing, and as a result, Indy's spiritual growth was stunted.

The same thing happens in CRYSTAL SKULL. And while it's not the only problem the film has, it's big enough. The lack of a true quest for Indy is a bigger issue. It's hard to understand just what is driving Dr. Jones in this quest. Instead, he seems to just wander from action piece to action piece.

I know the Powers That Be (Spielberg, Lucas, Ford) wanted Indy to enter the Atomic Age in this film (and his entry into it was nothing short of a. . . blast) but for me the final act was way too X-FILES meets CLOSE ENCOUNTERS for what I expect from Indiana Jones.

Again, don't get me wrong - I had a great time, but left the theater ever so vaguely unsatisfied.

I hope, if they should gather the team again for a fourth Indy entry (INDIANA JONES JOINS AARP?) they'll manage to find something more mystical to hunt for - maybe a Fountain of Youth, or Noah's Ark.

Indy needs something to remind him that there's life after the franchise.