27 years after Raiders of the Lost Ark burst onto movie screens, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull brings Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones and Karen Allen's Marion Ravenwood back to the big screen: Reunited, as the song says, and it feels so good. What felt less good was the timing of the press interviews for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Paramount scheduled their Cannes publicity interviews the day before the press screening of the film. (Call me a traditionalist, but normally I like to see the actual movie before talking to the actors in it; I'm just funny that way.) Still, Ford and Allen were funny and disarming -- they seemed a little amused by the hypothetical questions and broad general inquiries the chain of events required -- and Cinematical was there to learn about Harrison Ford's take on the best parts of playing Indy, Karen Allen's musings on Marion Ravenwood's sex life and much more; Cinematical's questions are indicated.

I'm just wondering how your own excitement level is, returning to the Indiana Jones character?

Harrison Ford: Well, I'm very excited to bring another one of these spectacular adventures to the screen, and to work with Steven and George again. For the last twenty years or so, these films have continued to appeal to an audience, and young kids, as it becomes age-appropriate, have been introduced to the films on DVD by their parents, and to have the opportunity for them to see it full-scale in a movie theatre, with a big screen and big sound, in the dark with a bunch of strangers, and have this common visceral experience is a brilliant opportunity, so I'm delighted to be a part of it again.

Imagine this: The Paramount Pictures logo fades away into a real mountain as a fedora-topped man and his men travel through the jungle. We see this man in the shadows, from behind, and from the chest down -- all shots obscuring his face. Finally, when they get to a stream and the fedora man pulls out a map, one of his men pulls out a gun. However, before he can shoot, the gun is whipped out of the man's hand with a simple flick, and a thick, mustachioed Tom Selleck walks out of the darkness.

This is what Raiders of the Lost Ark could have been -- a Magnum PI-led adventure film -- had that same show not spirited Selleck away and forced Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to find someone else. They tested Tim Matheson, Otter from Animal House. They tested Peter Coyote -- an actor who went on to play Keys in ET. But no one compared to Harrison Ford, who came in and made Indiana Jones an ageless icon of adventure and archeology.

Above: Karen Allen, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford. [Photo courtesy of Getty Images]

If there's one thing the Cannes Film Festival is known for, it's their extravagant premieres. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was no exception, and Cinematical has the photos to prove it. Check out all the action in the gallery below, featuring images from the red carpet, as well as before and after Sunday's highly-anticipated, star-studded premiere.

Additionally, as previously mentioned, Cinematical is dedicating all week to Indiana Jones. If it's Indy-related, there's a very good chance you'll see it up on the site at some point during the next few days. To see everything that's been written already (including James' review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), click that banner on the right that reads Cinematical Indy. Enjoy!


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After a 19-year sabbatical, the Doctor will see you now. Or, rather, you will see the doctor; after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade put Harrison Ford's fedora-wearing rogue academic into the pop culture pantheon of greats, expectations are at a fever pitch for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Today's Cannes press screening feels like a courtesy at best; no critic's negative review will keep people from seeing this film -- and yet, at the same time, no amount of enthusiasm or expectation or nostalgia can make up for the things that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gets wrong in its strained effort to throw Indiana Jones back up on the big screen.

Crystal Skull begins in 1957, as the Cold War is getting warmer; we're plunged into the thick of things, with Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) dragooned into helping a group of Soviet interlopers ransack the secret storage depot at Area 51 for a lost artifact of great power. The Commie bad guys are lead by the raven-haired razor-banged Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), whose early declaration " ... three times have I received the Order of Lenin ..." tells you a lot of what you need to know about her, and also serves as about all you're going to get. Spalko's hunting for the storyline-starting MacGuffin; Dr. Jones gets away, but the Soviets get the thingamabob; the chase is on.

The press conference for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull just wrapped. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were on hand with the cast to answer questions about the film. Of course, many of the questions were directed at Ford and Spielberg, but a few were tossed to other cast members as well.

Spielberg, asked whose idea it was to revisit the franchise, said that the idea first came up when Harrison Ford said at the Academy Awards several years back that he'd be interested in wearing Indy's hat again; he noted that he was the hardest to convince that the world really wanted another Indy film. Asked whether there will be further sequels, Spielberg said that that depends on whether people want one, and that they'll keep an ear to the ground to gauge audience reaction to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; if there's interest, though, he said there will be more to come. So, good news for all you Indy fans out there.

Above you will find the latest Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer. While it looks kinda like the last one, it's easy to spot a whole bunch of new scenes and dialogue. Anyone else notice how all these trailers and TV spots have been very light on Marion Ravenwood's scenes? They've included her in this jungle car chase scene, and she's had a line or two, but that's it. Part of me wonders how much she's in the actually movie? Then again, perhaps they'd rather play up the Shia LeBeouf and Cate Blanchett roles over Karen Allen, who, while very well known to all of us movie buffs, isn't exactly a household name across the globe. Kinda diggin' LaBeouf's character more and more each day; he's a fun guy to watch on screen and my fingers are crossed he does a good job here. Reviews thus far have been iffy ... but I'd rather wait to see for myself.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives on May 22. Check out our enormous (and fairly awesome) gallery of images from the film below.

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Who cares about mythical cities, ancient secrets, and unlimited power? As much as those things need to be there for the plot of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it's the man and the music that really counts. And of course, this new television spot for the film has both of those, but that's not all. There's Cate Blanchett's Agent Spalko, with a strategically placed black bar that is Hitleriffic, but the gem is in the slapping. There's nothing quite like seeing slaps in tune to Indie's classic theme, and for this spot, it's just like a Sissy-Boy Slap-Party.

This is a short television spot, so there's not much more to see, but luckily we don't have much longer to wait. After all this time, the film is almost here, itching to pop up in theaters on May 22. Harrison Ford, Karen Allen ... this is sure to be a fun blast from the past. Or at least, I hope!

Paramount has sent over a handful of new photos from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Above, you can see the adorable smile of Karen Allen, who's reprising the role of Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark for this film -- and I couldn't be happier about it. She was always my favorite Indy gal, and I'm itching to see what they've done with her character; how they've aged her, who she is, what she's been up to. I gather Indy won't find her throwing down shots in a remote bar in Nepal this time around. Can she still drink any man under the table? And, seeing as the Russians are the new enemies, will Marion get to go one on one with a big Russian and a bottle of vodka? Ya know, everyone talks about Indy and Mutt and the evil Spalko -- am I wrong for anticipating the return of Marion's character more than anything else? Check out the gallery below for the new images ...

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives in theaters on May 22.

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As the release date for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull draws near, the worried rumblings begin. First, there's insider talk that Indiana Jones is only going to screen for the press a day or two before its premiere. To quote CHUD's Devin Faraci, "I was told a long time ago - when the movie was still filming - to not expect to see Crystal Skull until maybe a day or two before domestic release. According to some insiders, this policy was a smart one, as the movie may not have turned out to be what people in the industry call 'good.' I'm hoping for the best, of course." Aren't we all. This is being whispered elsewhere, so don't shoot this messenger or Faraci.

Second, Crystal Skull is going to have a run time of rather epic proportions. Jeff Wells reports that the final cut runs two hours and twenty odd minutes, longer than any previous Indy installment. There was a great deal of groaning last summer over needlessly long blockbusters -- I rather think Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was the most guilty. There are some movies that scream for 2+ hours, like anything with hobbits or scantily clad Spartans (ok, that one is just me) but there are others that are just fine clocking in at 90 minutes or so. That's where Indiana Jones belongs -- he's the man who never overstays his welcome and makes a graceful exit, leaving you wanting more. Don't read too much into that.

Entertainment Weekly has got their hands on an Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull exclusive. (It's flash, so we can't post it here -- plus they probably would be annoyed. Sorry!) It's a big action shot, with all the usual suspects. Marion is driving, Indy is about to go punch some Soviets, and his son is right behind him. I hope he has a good reason for trying to jump into the other vehicle so lightly armed.

Entertainment Weekly is being very polite and buying into the Lucas-Spielberg pretense that we don't already know who Shia LaBeouf is the genetic combination of. So they call "[the] new character" by his name.

I am bewildered as to how I missed the name of Shia LaBeouf's character. Mutt? Mutt Williams? I thought I had stayed on top of this, but that slipped right by.

"No, son. We called the dog Mutt!!"
"I've got a lot of fond memories of that dog!"

Anyway, enjoy the picture. I think it's very evocative of Raiders.

A new trend seems to find these big summer blockbusters premiering at the early summer film festivals. Last year, Spider-Man 3 took over Tribeca (and I'd expect the Tribeca folks to try to woo Iron Man to premiere this year), and films like Ocean's 13 premiered at the Cannes Film Festival a couple weeks later. Now, Fox News says folks from the Cannes festival are in talks with Steven Spielberg's reps in an attempt to premiere Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the festival this May. While it will debut only a week or so prior to the official release here in the states, it will give those attending Cannes the jump on getting the first reviews out there.

Cinematical will hopefully be at Cannes again this year, though accreditation is always tight and always up in the air. If Indy does premiere at Cannes, it will likely be the talk of the festival and we assume folks like Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf and Karen Allen will be on hand to walk the red carpet. I imagine those peeps heading to Cannes in May just found a new reason to get excited. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull officially arrives in theaters on May 22.

What is it with Agent Spalko and pointing? We've already seen pictures of her brandishing her sword at Indy, at Mutt and now here comes a new picture of her pointing her finger directly in Indy's face, or else just past his line of sight towards something off in the distance -- to be fair, I think it's the latter. That's just one of three new pictures from the forthcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that have popped up in an Italian magazine, L'espresso. Another of the pics is intriguing because it seems to show us Indy with a giant sword tucked into his trousers -- has he vanquished Spalko and taken her pointy stick by this point in the film? Will Indy have a sword battle in this film? Boy, I hope not. Also, we get our first look at the much talked-about 'quicksand' scene, although it's too much of a close up to give any real detail. We see Indy coming face to face with a snake just as he's seemingly about to sink into the sand. I think I get the idea here -- he'll have to grab onto the snake in order to get out of the sand, so it's a bad choice either way.

I can't imagine I'll be up early enough tomorrow to catch the premiere of the trailer on Good Morning America, but on the subject of 'Indy and publicity',' producer Kathleen Kennedy recently made the rather eyebrow-raising statement that the film would hit theaters in May without the accompaniment of a press junket -- what's that all about? I know The Beard is prickly when it comes to interviews, but as Jeff Wells pointed out, how hard could it possibly be to get Karen Allen and Shia LaBeouf to free up some time to actually do some press for their movie? I'm thinking Kennedy was probably speaking without thinking, since Paramount probably wouldn't stand for such a thing.

Additionally, after the jump check out another, more revealing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull cover for the upcoming Dark Horse comic due out this May. This will be part of a two-issue comic book adaptation, and the second issue reveals a bit more ... skull on its cover.

Empire has snagged this new photo from Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which I believe is the first to show the entire dysfunctional Jones family (minus Papa Jones, of course) heading out for battle together. Holding a bazooka in the middle is our old pal Indy (Harrison Ford), with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) to his right and Mutt Williams, aka Indy Jr. (Shia LaBeouf) to his left. The photo comes as part of Empire's latest issue, which also features a pretty badass pic of Hellboy (there's a sequel for that coming too!) on its cover.

Empire spoke with producer Frank Marshall, who told them Spielberg is "pretty much done with editing" and that they're now entering "the phase with John Williams where he starts scoring the movie. He's really writing now and then we'll start scoring in February." Additionally, they also asked Marshall where this installment fits in to the rest of the series, to which he replied: "I would say it's closest to the third one (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). It's all adults. I mean, you have the sidekick in Shia (LaBeouf), but you don't have a Short Round and I think the banter between the characters is as fun as it was in the third movie." Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives in theaters on May 22.

A brand new poster for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has arrived online (click on the image for a larger version), and for the first time we catch a glimpse of a poster that definitely brings us back to the look and feel of the first three films. There's Indy (Harrison Ford) in his classic outfit with fedora hat and whip in hand, standing in front of a burning skull that looks pretty damn evil. Underneath you get the film's title in classic Indy font, as well as the release date: May 22. A little older, wiser, this time around Indiana Jones is on the hunt for a mysterious crystal skull, which, when in ones possession, creates great powers. He'll be reuniting with his old Raiders flame, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), as well as getting to know his son, as played by Shia LaBeouf. Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent will show up playing a fellow archaeologist and fellow professor, respectively, while Cate Blanchett is said to be playing an evil Russian. Additionally, John Hurt will be playing the long-lost (and thought-to-be-dead) Abner Ravenwood. So, does this poster pump you up ... or not so much?

[via IndianaJones.com]

Three brand new images from the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull have arrived online, courtesy of AICN. There's no word on where they came from (hopefully it's not from that stolen batch), but the pics show us a nice image of Indiana Jones wearing his classic fedora hat and holding his trusty whip and gun. Another image shows Indy and son (played by Shia LaBeouf) in some sort of cave examining an object with a flashlight. Man, I am so iffy on LaBeouf -- I seriously hope he pulls this one off. Seeing him all crouched down in his greaser jacket next to the big-screen icon that is Indiana Jones sends mild shivers down my spine.

The plot of the film has been kept hidden from us for quite some time, though small nuggets of info have leaked out. We know that Karen Allen will reprise the role of Marion Ravenwood, and that LaBeouf is Indy's kid. Cate Blanchett reportedly plays a Russian bad girl, while Indy will be off in search of the elusive crystal skulls. Some folks claim the film will return to the warehouse seen at the end of Raiders -- the one that holds the Ark of the Covenant -- though we still don't know for sure. Either way, I must say old Harrison Ford looks pretty good for his age. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull arrives in theaters on May 22. Check out the other two images after the jump.

Updated to include new hi-res versions found on the IMDb message boards.