Time To Move On, Part 2

Then there is Shia LaBeouf. As an actor I think that he’s relatively non-offensive and easy on the eyes, though here he manages to irritate at almost every turn in this film.

In fact, his presence in the movie doesn’t seem to have any other purpose than to introduce audiences to the potential heir to Indy’s bullwhip, as opposed to creating a character that actually ‘exists,’ lives and breathes.

If so, this franchise is doomed because Harrison Ford is getting on in years (and doesn’t appear to be aging as nearly as well as Sean Connery, who, ironically, played his father in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; which tells you how long it takes for these films to come together) and Shia isn’t (yet) the box office draw that Harrison Ford is, though I would like to see him in a film that was less of a summer blockbuster-type film and more of a character piece because I am not entirely sure that he can act.

Then there’s the script. Shia appears to be attempting to speak in the fashion of the period, and comes off as someone who is OBVIOUSLY ATTEMPTING to speak in the fashion of the period he’s in, as opposed to someone that actually exists in the time period who happens to be talking.

It may sound like I am picking nits here, but it really makes a difference. For example, think about Martin Scorsese films like Casino and Goodfellas. The dialog rings true, and plays well on the ear. By way of contrast, when Shia speaks in City of the Crystal Skull, it just sounds awkward and false.