Re: OT - Recent Movies You've Seen
Lucas I think has honestly gone a bit crazy in his old age. It seems like he's secluded himself on his ranch, and is utterly convinced that actors and sets are just an inconvenience to moves, and he can do it all better on a computer. He's also convinced himself that a movie needs cutie & slapstick kiddie moments to be "fun".
It's hard to believe that he can't realize that his spaceships actually looked more realistic in 1977 than they did in 2007.
to be fair, i think a lot of people forgot how unrealistic aspects of the first three indiana jones films were (especially temple of doom, although that is also largely considered the worst of the three). but complaints that he monkeys and boat scenes were unrealistic were over the top because that sort of stuff was in all three of the movies.
if you recall, there was the inflatable boat out of the airplane in temple of doom, in the last crusade they met a 700 year old knight, etc. etc.
granted, i thought the aliens thing was a bit silly--that was apparently all lucas, much to the chagrin of spielberg--but then again, the first three all had similar fantastical themes. the only difference was the undertones were religious in nature, not extra terrestrial, which for some reason people find more believable (although i would argue it made for more touching and compelling movies).
as for the appearance of the ufo and aliens in crystal skulls, they were meant to look silly and campy. i have a feeling that was spielberg's doing to pay hommage to the sci fi flicks of the 40s and 50s (just like the first three indy films were archetypically and characteristically similar to early action films).
i think indy 4 got caught up in the aura of the first three, which people hold in such reverence but i think lost sight of how silly they all were. indiana jones was/is a superhero, and to that end i thougth it was a good movie. it didn't stand up to raiders or the last crusade, but then, not a lot of movies do. but i went wanting to see a campy over the top superhero/action flick and to that ends i was quite satisifed.