I've got a bad feeling about this...

"I think I did have a reputation for being grumpy. I don't think I'm grumpy. I have opinions. I have an independent vision. I am a purposeful person. But on a daily basis, I think I'm other than grumpy. I think it is a case where I am coming to do business and not there just to be flattered and cajoled and used."-Harrison Ford on his 'Blade Runner' experience

Ok, so I saw: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last weekend and it is TOTALLY watchable. It not, by any sort of long shot, better than 'Raiders' or even 'Last Crusade', but it is certainly good, clean family fun. With emphasis on the "family".

The good:

-Return of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood. I thought hers and Indy's story for 'Raiders' was great, and she's still feisty and in great shape. I don't care what people say, I LOVE when they bring back recurring characters.

-John Hurt as the wily mental case. You're not quite sure if he's included to help or harm. He's been getting a lot of these types of roles in lately. Possibly in preparation for his 'Deathly Hallows' role as Ollivander.

-It's a little bit of a George Lucas tribute film-there are callbacks to 'Star Wars', 'American Graffiti', the first 3 Indiana Jones films and the 50s alien obsession.

-Great soundtrack; John Williams does it again.

-Indy's still kickin' ass. There are some really great stunt sequences in the film and they're generally not the ones that are CG or with Shia LeBeouf.

Speaking of...

Shia LeBeouf is passable but not fantastic as 'Mutt' (oh when you finally get this reference, it makes you giggle) Williams. He keeps calling Indy 'old man' which makes me sad. I used to think Indiana Jones was sexy. Even when he was taking on broader humor in the 'Last Crusade', he still made archeology and swimming in petroleum with a bunch of sewer rats seem hot and sexy. Here, Indy is seriously an old fart who neatly pleats his Brooks Brothers shirts before packing them into his case, leaves his jacket and tie on while going over cryptograms, (COME ON! Would the REAL Indy do that? No! His jacket would be off before you could even say Mesopotamian deity idol) and can't even bear to make out with Marion til death do they part. Shia is supposed to be the 'new' sexy-but to me, he still looks like a kid. Needs to watch Ed Furlong in T-2 to get young and sexy on a motorcycle.

No John Rhys-Davies and no Brody (cause the actor died). Jim Broadbent makes his case as Brody's patsy of a brother, but no dice. Sean Connery as Henry Sr. is also presumably dead.

The bad...the really really bad (SPOILER ALERT!!!)

-the Tarzan scene. WTF

-Cate Blanchett's entire character from horrible inconsistent accent to psychic powers to Natasha haircut. WTF.

-the crystal skull that was apparently made from a discarded 'Aliens' or 'ID4' prop piece. WTF?!

-the aliens that take some temple in Peru to another dimension. WTF!

-the refrigerator scene. WTF.

-the stupid groundhogs. hate.

that is my quickie review. Still 100 million on opening weekend means that many people want to be entertained.