Indiana Jones 4’s monkey chase scene is good, actually

When people say something like “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the worst one in the series,” they are probably talking about two specific scenes. The first is at end of the film’s prologue, when Indy, stuck at a nuclear-testing site with a bomb about to go off, survives the blast by climbing into a lead-lined refrigerator. When the bomb goes off, he’s blown sky-high, lands, then stumbles out mildly concussed — but otherwise fine.

The other is the monkey chase, a weird moment during a car chase through the jungle in which Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), the son Indy didn’t know he had and a controversial character with fans, is separated from the group. A few minutes after, he returns with monkeys.

I really can’t defend “nuke the fridge.” It’s too much, too fast. And besides, when you open with your hero surviving a nuclear blast it’s kind of hard to top that later in the movie (when said nuke may have gone down more easily). Kingdom of the Crystal SkullIt is better to forget about it immediately. It is difficult to forget, but it is worth it because 2023 will be a great time to watch the film.

Why? The monkey chase. Indy, Marion Ravenwood, Mutt and Harold Oxley, their friend Harold Oxley, are all part of a very long and cleverly staged chase scene where Indy, Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Mutt and Harold Oxley, are attempting to protect the alien crystal skull from Irina (Cate Blanchett), and her Soviet soldiers.

You can do so muchThis scene is a good example. The skull moves back and forth between Indy’s crew and the Soviets, each car constantly changes passengers without ever stopping, Mutt fences with Spalko, and the whole thing crackles with energy in a way that feels like a good sequel to Temple of Doom’s famous minecart sequence. The monkeys, by the way, are played for comedy — when Mutt lands in a tree as the chase goes on without him, he notices a monkey has his Greaser hair, and then Tarzans his way back to the fight. Unlike the nuke, this is easier to ignore: So if you’re worried about the monkeys, just go to the bathroom or get a drink when you see one. What you’re back, the moment will be over.

There’s another reason why the scene is better than you might remember: It quite literally looks better than it did in 2008. When Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released in 4K Ultra HD in 2021, Spielberg and Paramount reworked the film’s color grading, toning down the yellow hue that persisted throughout and made its effects shots look extra artificial. You might be surprised to see how different the movie looks after the filter has been removed.

What is the minimum amount of redemption? Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s less-than-stellar reputation? Maybe. But the movie has plenty to applaud: it tries lots of new things, moves Indy forward as a character in fun ways, and does not waste Karen Allen’s return as Marion. It deserves at least to be ranked above Temple of Doom.