TightWind is written by Kyle Baxter. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

A friend of mine is a verifiable Indiana Jones-nerd, and so we waited three and a half hours in line last night to see the first showing of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The line was already quite long when we got there, longer than it was for Matrix: Reloaded on opening night in my town.

We first got bratwurst with a few other friends, and then waited in line. We bumped into a few friends from high school which we hadn’t seen in years; the wait in line suddenly wasn’t quite as painful.

Anyway, back to Skulls. I sat there wondering whether it was going to be a disappointment or not, as many hyped films are. Luckily, though, the beginning ended that speculation. I won’t ruin any of the film for you, but the beginning was great, refrigerator and all.

The film wasn’t perfect, but it was fun and entertaining throughout, despite my fighting off the urge to sleep. Action sequences, just like past Indiana Jones films, are shot live-action with little or no CG, and it is dramatically evident. I’ve become accustomed to good CG, so it isn’t even a passing thought in my mind. The contrast between Skulls and, say, King Kong, is great. It places the film in the time period it belongs — a 50′s B movie.

How it was filmed is great, too. It looks less like a 2008 movie, and more like a timeless movie of the past. The feel of the movie is worth it alone.

If you go in to the theater expecting a brilliant film, you are going to be disappointed. If you instead expect a fun and intentionally campy film, I think you’ll like it.