Indiana Jones rides into Cannes

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By Mike Collett-White

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Dare-devil archaeologist Indiana Jones is back 19 years after his last adventure, and the new film starring Harrison Ford whipped the Cannes film festival into a feel-good frenzy on Sunday ahead of its world premiere.

Reporters waited in long queues to ensure a seat at a press screening, and, while reviews have yet to appear, warm applause as the credits rolled suggested director Steven Spielberg will avoid a critical mauling from the famously picky Cannes crowd.

In the high-octane "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" there are plenty of jokes about 65-year-old Ford’s age, and he reunites with Karen Allen, co-star in the first Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

"Not as easy as it used to be," Jones mutters early on, while his young sidekick Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf, refers to him variously as "gramps" and "old man".

Set in 1957, Jones is no longer up against the Nazis but a KGB agent searching for the ultimate weapon to win the Cold War -- mind control.

Australian actress Cate Blanchett, with severe fringe, dark hair and over-the-top Russian accent, plays evil Soviet agent Irina Spalko who races Jones to the secret of the crystal skull.

The film is a familiar recipe of thrilling chases, mystical symbols, .....continued below

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But it also ventures into the realms of aliens and parallel worlds, and tackles issues including McCarthyism in the United States in the 1950s, the destructive power of nuclear weapons and even the disappearance of forests in the Amazon.

LUCAS WARY OF REACTION

Creator George Lucas said he expected a backlash from the public for bringing back Indiana Jones, in the same way many fans criticised him for reviving the "Star Wars" series with "Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace" in 1999.

"I explained to Steven when we sat down on this, I said ... when you do a film that’s this anticipated, people have a tendency to believe it’s going to be the second coming and no matter what you give them they’re going to be disappointed.

"We’re all going to get people throwing tomatoes at us," Lucas told reporters in Cannes on Saturday. "But it’s a fun movie to make. We love it."

Ford was also confident the fourth Indiana Jones instalment would wow viewers.

"We have a degree of confidence that it will be an experience that people will enjoy."

The first three Indiana Jones movies made more than $1 billion (511 million pounds) at the global box office in 1980s dollar terms, and DVD sales have been huge since.

Judging by the initial reaction from journalists and critics on Sunday, Spielberg may be spared the fate of "The Da Vinci Code" in 2006, which opened in Cannes to poor reviews.

While the cool reaction did not prevent it making an estimated $760 million at the worldwide box office, it was an uncomfortable opening for the movie.

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