The villains end up being as cartoonish as and pointless as Temple's. There's the requisite main evil person who is melted in the end, and then theres the man meat who likes to punch Indy.
The other problem I have is the placement of our evil-doers. KGB operatives drive en masse, through an anti communist rally no less. The fugging Russian army shows up in Nevada. The fugging Russian army flies from Nevada to Brazil. I could handle a few people chasing eachother, but scene after scene with six or seven characters hopping around on army trucks and vines got damned confusing.
You might notice that these same things worked in Ark and Crusade. That's because for one thing, the Nazis controlled the Mediterranean and in Crusade they were even clearly shown working out a deal with the local leader who provided them with their tanks. So, if we are to understand this, the Nazis are not capable of taking tanks across a sea they have almost total control of, but the Russians can drive gunboatcars from Nevada to Brazil unhindered. Why are we not speaking Soviet now?
The ants scene, in my own opinion, was actually the most decent use of CGI in the movie and worked rather well. Unfortunately it was preceded by, without a doubt, the most ridiculous stunt ever recorded. Even worse then the silly plane hopping in Temple. What could be more unbelievable than Indy plummeting off a waterfall? Indy plummeting off THREE fucking waterfalls. Thanks for hammering it into my skull that this is just a movie. Though if a guy can survive a nuclear blast in a (for whatever reason) lead lined refridgerator, then he can survive anything.
I don't need to mention the whole deal with the monkeys and vine swinging.
Spalko carried a sword. That is dumb. The best gadgets the kremlin can give their femme fatales is a sword? Couldnt she at least get one of those scary nazi hangrrs? She was largely lacking in menace and appeal, there was never even any hint that there was tension between her and Jones. Maybe she just saw his oldness in a few scenes. His switch from able bodied hero to elderly school marm was not ironic anymore, he looked the part too well.
And finally, I have to say that I do not at all get why Spalko had to die. I mean, ok, she's the villain, but she does not at all demonstrate any sort of evil throughout the movie. She seems to have gotten the same face melting treatment as the villain in Crusade, but why? That guy shot Indy's dad. All she did was slap him maybe one time. And every woman on earth gets to slap Indiana Jones, it's almost expected.
Oh, and there was not a single Nazi in the damned film. This displeases me IMMENSELY.
For a more complete plot summary, I have prepared this pictorial essay:
http://www.chefelf.c...?showtopic=8009
This post has been edited by J m HofMarN: 15 October 2008 - 12:46 AM