The simultaneous return of Harrison Ford's Indie, below, and Sylvester Stallone's Rambo at cinemas this year saw a flood of pensioner power at the multiplex. Arguably, neither pulled it off with copious amounts of vigour – Stallone losing the fi
ght with that staccato speech impediment now threatening to seal his mouth entirely, and Ford none-too-subtly letting the younger star (Shia LeBeouf) do most of the heavy lifting. But after 19 years in the wilderness, Indie, arguably, came out on top.
Everything was thrown at Crystal Skull, with Spielberg and George Lucas defiantly keeping the plot under wraps until its premiere, but even the hype couldn't persuade critics that the magic was still there. The box office says differently, however.
The skull in question is supposedly the font of all knowledge, but lost in the Mayan desert and being hunted by Ruski rascals. Everyone's favourite archaeologist finds himself battling Soviet scientists, in the form of a comically evil Cate Blanchett, reacquainting himself with his original love interest (Karen Allen), and subtly passing most of the mantle over to his young sidekick. A hero out of time.
SPEED RACER (PG) £15.99 **
Directors: Andy and Larry Wachowski There's little argument with the fact that the breathtaking box-fresh filmmaking of the Matrix was inventive and original a decade ago. Now, of course, it has been overtaken by technology, Asian cinema prowess and the irresistible temptation to spoof Keanu Reeves in any role he so much as looks at.
Into The Wild star Emile Hirsch takes to the wheel in this Wachowski brothers action thriller, but the directors appear to have gone mad in the sweetie shop of technical effects, with the end result being more of a visual migraine then a visual treat.
Based on a Japanese animation, the tale focuses on a little brother trying to race his way glory, and to live up to his champion dead brother's success and parents' approval. With a heavy computer game influence on the look of the film, and a colour palette that is in constant spin cycle, the result is a disappointing blur that entirely wastes Hirsch's considerable acting talent.
What could have had the inventive impact of the Matrix's innovation instead wraps itself up as a hedonistic overdose of tricks that fall far short of top gear.
