io9: kingdom of the crystal skull

Is Indiana Jones a Pinko?

Annalee Newitz — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:33:31 PDT

Now that Indiana Jones has joined the cold war in recently-released flick Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it's time to consider what exactly Indy would have thought about communism. He might be working with the US government to stop the bad guys, but a cloud of suspicion hovers over his head. Even the intelligence agents in the movie aren't sure if Indy is with them or against them. Now the Boston Globe's resident brainiac Joshua Glenn has done an intensive study of the film and determined scientifically that this flick is, in fact, promoting the values of commie pinko eggheads. Find out why. [Brainiac]

Indiana Jones Now Available In Non-Eyestrain Version

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:30:34 PST

We showed you the bootleg version of this trailer last night. Here's a much higher quality version, so you can make out some of the finer details. That pair of glasses sure seems to be magnetized to that Roswell crate, or are we imagining that? Plus yes, there does look to be a fair bit of CGI, especially with those two vehicles racing along the cliff edge. Lots of images of the American flag, although it looks like Indy's fighting against our government in this one.

Indiana Jones And The Roswell Alien Coverup

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:40:07 PST

A government facility in Roswell, NM plays a big role in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, judging from a leaked bootleg of the movie's first official trailer. So it looks like the rumors about Indy getting involved with some extraterrestrials are true. The trailer also shows a fight sequence in the massive government secrets crate warehouse from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

We were skeptical going in, but I have to say that Harrison doesn't look bad at all, and we didn't even mind the jokes about him getting creaky with age. Ray Winstone looks decent as fill-in material for Sallah/Marcus Brody, and Cate Blanchett's Russimatrix look is going to inspire some costumes come Halloween. We just hope the final film isn't laden with CGI, and there are a couple of shots in this that look a bit too close to that for comfort. After all, this does have the Lucasfilm name on it, so you know George will try to cram in as much CGI as possible.

Indiana Jones Clones Self, Becomes A Trio

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:40:17 PST

This cover image from the comic-book adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull looks way cooler than the teaser poster we've been seeing. And it gives you more of a flavor of the movie, both good and bad. Good: Karen Allen, Dominatrix Cate Blanchett, and a whip-swinging Indy. Plus there's that pesky extraterrestrial-looking crystal skull staring at you, asking you why you stopped reading Whitley Streiber novels. Bad: Ray Winstone looks like Jack Black with his Nacho Libre mustache, and the image of Shia LaBoeuf driving Indy in his "I'm a teacher!" suit makes us cringe a bit. Click through for more info.

Both issues of the Dark Horse companion comic will have variant covers. One will be drawn by Drew Struzan, and the other by Hugh Fleming, but it isn't clear who created this piece. Since Struzan designed the teaser poster, this could be Fleming's artwork, since the style looks fairly different. But only the crystal skull knows for sure. Plus you'll notice three different Indianas on this image, something they haven't done since Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Maybe they just really want you to know that Harrison Ford is definitely in this movie. [Ain't It Cool News]

Indiana Jones And The Really Big Gun

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:30:51 PST

If you remember your history, you can probably recall Indy pointing a bazooka at Belloq and the Ark of the Covenent in the original Raiders of the Lost Ark. He threatens to blow it up and send them all back to God, but in the end he just can't do it. Does that mean he'll get a second chance in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Maybe he's using it as a parenting aid for those moments when Shia gets a bit unruly. At any rate, it looks like Marion drives a car, Indy points (and we hope, shoots) a rocket propelled grenade, and Shia probably says "No, no, no, no!" a lot. [Empire Magazine]