It's been a long, long time since Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. rode off into the sunset. Or, to be more specific, it's been 19 years. Yet it is still too early to discount this Hollywood adventure film franchise. In fact, the newest Indiana installment seems likely to snatch up many, if not most, of the crystallized box-office skulls in Korea.
After a press preview on Tuesday, initial reaction from theater operators and critics about "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" seemed largely positive, especially concerning its potential as a box-office frontrunner. The film, released nationwide yesterday, is widely expected to outsmart other Korean and foreign competitors easily.
The film had already scooped up a record 86 percent in ticket reservation rates across the nation as of Wednesday according to the Korean Film Council, sparking speculation that Indiana might ride off to the biggest hit in Korean cinema this year.
The fourth installment of the much-touted Indiana series is not without weaknesses. Extravagant computer graphics has been certainly overdone -- so much so that Harrison Ford, who has been playing the worldly, punch-trading archeologist since 1928, looks somewhat "alien" in the South American jungle. The ultimate secret surrounding the mystery -- the Crystal Skull of Akator -- might not please all moviegoers, especially those who want a pure-play action-oriented adventure, not the oft-hackneyed theme of something that goes beyond our earth-bound grasp.
But Steven Spielberg knows how to rein in the uncontrollable wanderlust of Professor Jones while setting the action sequence machine wheeling and spinning at a breakneck speed that will surely delight diehard fans with an appetite for lethal traps, hidden entrances and goose bump-raising insects.
In the movie, Indy encounters rebellious young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who sets them on a mission with personal stakes but packages it as a quest for the most spectacular archaeological find in history. Before Indy notices it, he finds himself setting out for the most remote corners of Peru along with Mutt -- but it turns out that they are not alone.
This straightforward storyline, interspersed with occasional twists, is designed to justify and highlight all the action sequences. Forecasting a far stronger demand than usual, the film's Korean distributor CJ Entertainment has secured about 570 screens for "Crystal Skull".
The mighty publicity machine of the Spielberg-led Indiana franchise, bolstered by CJ Entertainment and its affiliated multiplex chain CGV, hints at a convincing formula for a smashing hit in the Korean market.
The question is whether Indiana's crystal skull could shine through the 10-million viewer market. Several Korean flicks have achieved the box-office landmark, helped by the steady increase in multiplexes and a growing moviegoer base. But no Hollywood film has reached the 8 million viewer mark in Korea, much less 10 million.
Last year, "Transformers" set a new record here as a Hollywood blockbuster by selling 7.45 million tickets, taking advantage of its universal appeal to audiences from adults to children. The Indiana series has similar qualities given that its simple adventure tale without much violence can appeal to all the age groups. An extra advantage is that many Korean moviegoers in their 30s and 40s vividly remember Indy's weapons of choice -- the whip and his cunning flexibility to use a gun from anywhere when confronted with an armed enemy in a public square.
A decisively favorable condition for Indy in Korea is that major Korean films have put off their release schedules in order to avoid a direct showdown with the Indiana series amid growing concerns about the dearth of Korean hits.
By Yang Sung-jin
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English 
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