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After many years waiting for it and with a hesitant Steven Spielberg finally getting embarked as director of the project, the action cinema lovers had in front of their eyes the new Indiana Jones film. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was a little masterpiece in the genre, and according to Harrison Ford, he was waiting for the right script to come back to incarnate to the intrepid professor and archeologist. Funnily, we could say that it is precisely the script the weakest part of the film. The introductory sequence in the military base already tells that this is going to be the weakest Indiana Jones movie so far, and the continuation does not improve much the first impression.

The movie has some good moments and features, like the plausible appearance of Harrison Ford who makes fun of his own age, or the good choice of Shia Labeouf as Mutt. But Cate Blanchett′s role is certainly a parody of what a good “evil” character must look like in the saga and some action sequences like the attack of the giant ants, the atomic explosion or Mutt jumping like a monkey from tree to tree are too far ridiculous.

Tags: action cinema, action sequences, archeologist, atomic explosion, attack of the giant ants, cate blanchett, cinema lovers, crystal skull, film indiana jones, first impression, indiana jones and the last crusade, introductory sequence, little masterpiece, military base, mutt, new indiana jones, parody, shia labeouf, steven spielberg

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I listened to James Taylor’s new album, called “Covers,” not long before I watched Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” I came to the same conclusion about both of these regrettable projects: What a shame that these two vastly talented men have been spinning their wheels in the same lucrative rut for so long.

Mr. Taylor’s album is, as the title states, a collection of other people’s hits, redone in his mellow, laid-back style. With the exception of “Wichita Lineman,” none of the songs are appreciable improvements over the originals. The overriding impression listening to it is that it promises high yield in a commercial sense while posing a very low risk to a star who has been much too firmly fixed at the same point on the horizon for far too long.

There is always the impression that the mere obviousness of its huge budget will atone for a multiplicity of other deficiencies.

Harrison Ford, charming half-smile intact, is reprising a character last seen on screens nearly 20 years ago. Mr. Ford tries hard not to seem as embarrassed by the knuckleheaded proceedings as Pierce Brosnan did in “Mamma Mia!” He, generally, succeeds on chutzpah alone. And, if the older Indy sports a few more facial lines and a slightly thicker waistline, he will always be up to the hair-raising acrobatics as long as there are testosterone rich stuntmen available.

The more familiar Indiana Jones-ish character in “Crystal Skull” is Mutt Williams, an attitudinal young man whose paternal origin will come as no surprise to anyone who has seen “The Empire Strikes Back.” Mutt is played by Shia LaBeouf, actor and occasional bad boy, whose much-heralded great future in Hollywood is not any more apparent here than it was in the god-awful “Transformers.”

The real casualty of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is Spielberg himself. The dazzling expectations occasioned by “Duel,” and “Jaws” were ultimately undone by “E.T.,” “Raiders,” and “Jurassic Park.” Their phenomenal successes beckoned, like a veiled temptress, to the director to “come away with me.”

The fact that the creature at the climax of “Crystal Skull” was reminiscent of the alien in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was probably calculated. I was only reminded of the promise abandoned.

Tags: acrobatics, chutzpah, commercial sense, crystal skull, facial lines, half smile, indiana jones, indy sports, james taylor, mr taylor, mutt, paternal origin, pierce brosnan, redone, shia labeouf, spinning their wheels, steven spielberg, talented men, wichita lineman

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The latest chapter of the greatest adventure of all time comes to DVD and Blu-ray on November 10th 2008 packed with sensational behind-the-scenes special features.

The highest-grossing instalment of the phenomenally popular adventure franchise, Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will make its highly anticipated debut on DVD and Blu-ray November 10th.

Directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Frank Marshall, with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy as executive producers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the newest adventure in the phenomenally successful Indiana Jones series.

Set in 1957, the film stars Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone and John Hurt and follows Indy on a perilous adventure to find the coveted Crystal Skull of Akator. From the ivy-covered halls of Marshall College to the verdant jungles of South America, Indy is relentlessly pursued by sinister Soviet agents who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the eerie object of fascination.

Tags: cate blanchett, crystal skull, executive producers, frank marshall, harrison ford, indiana jones series, instalment, john hurt, jungles, karen allen, kathleen kennedy, lucasfilm, lucasfilm ltd, marshall college, paramount pictures, perilous adventure, ray winstone, shia labeouf, soviet agents, steven spielberg

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Actress Cate Blanchett’s kids were thrilled when Steven Spielberg gave them the chance to step behind the camera and direct their mother in the new Indiana Jones movie.

Blanchett stars in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull alongside Harrison Ford and often brought her children Dashiell, seven, and Roman, four, onto the set.

And director Spielberg was so happy to have to the young family there, he let the kids take on his job and direct a scene featuring their mum.

“Steve was so welcoming to my family. And that was really special.”

Tags: actress, cate, cate blanchett, crystal skull, dashiell, director spielberg, ford, harrison ford, indiana jones, job, new indiana jones, new indiana jones movie, spielberg, steven spielberg

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When ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ opens the year is 1957 and we find our hero has been taken prisoner by a group of Soviets who have infiltrated the US Army’s notorious ‘Area 51′ looking for something the army has secretly stored there.

After Indy helps them locate what they’re looking for he expedites a ‘high speed’ escape before falling into the clutches of the US Army, after almost getting caught in the middle of a major nuclear weapons test.

After all this excitement Indiana returns to teaching only to be told, by his college principal, that because of the FBI’s ‘interest’ in him he is going to be suspended.

As Indy is about to head off on a trip to England he meets a young man  who asks for his help to find his mother, and his old professor, who have gone missing in South America.

Before the professor went missing he was searching for the mythical Crystal Skull of Akatar and this, along with the arrival of a number of KGB agents, prompts Indy to agree to help young Mutt and the pair head off in search of this elusive archaeological treasure.

Shortly after arriving in Peru Indy picks up the trail left by his old friend and he soon finds himself in an old graveyard where he discovered a hidden chamber where he locates the Crystal Skull.

However, the pair have been followed and, once again, Indy finds himself captured by the Russians, led by Cate Blanchett.

Aside from a few more wrinkles, and a tendency to wear his khakis a bit high at the waist, Harrison Ford rolls back the years to reprise one of the roles which made him a Hollywood megastar.

The film is directed by Steven Spielberg and rolls along at a pretty hectic pace. The opening half hour is non-stop and highly watchable although I felt a chase sequence through the jungle looked like it was all done in front of a blue screen, or on a computer.

If ‘Crystal Skull’ has an Achilles heel and it does it’s the story. The plot starts off fairly interesting but turns into complete hokum as it develops, and would be more at home in an episode of ‘X-Files’ than in a Indiana Jones movie.

What you do get with ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ is some excellent chase sequences, lots of high speed action, some exotic locations and the re-introduction of one of the big screen’s favourite characters to the movie going public.

And while the movie is very enjoyable, and well put together, the plot is very weak and unfortunately lets down what is otherwise a very enjoyable adventure romp.

Tags: achilles heel, archaeological treasure, area 51, cate, cate blanchett, chase sequences, clutches, college principal, crystal skull, ford, harrison ford, hectic pace, hero, hokum, hollywood, indiana jones, indy, kgb agents, khakis, megastar, mutt, nuclear weapons test, old graveyard, pace, romp, soviets, spielberg, steven spielberg, us army

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BREAKING through the cobwebs to revisit a classic franchise whose last film was nearly 20 years ago was never going to be an easy challenge, even for intrepid adventurer Indiana Jones, who’s well-known for rediscovering old relics - but director Steven Spielberg has definitely pulled it off.

An ageing Harrison Ford dusts off his character’s fedora as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls takes some daring risks and manages to create a rip-roaring piece of summer entertainment with Ford’s charm, Spielberg’s cinematic magic and the excellent new addition of the surprisingly charismatic Shia LaBeouf.

The movie works as a piece of summer entertainment that can be proudly appended to the previous Indy outings, and the film-making is superb with some stunning visuals and action sequences.

This project was always going to get a mixed response - stick to the original formula and some cry that it’s too tired and dated; make radical changes and you risk people saying it’s no longer Indiana Jones. The finished film is very much in the spirit of the originals, with some additions (LaBeouf and a somewhat out-of-this-world storyline) to take it in new directions.

In the story, Indiana Jones and a new companion, biker Mutt Williams (LaBeouf, above right), battle Soviet agents led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) in a quest to find a crystal skull in Peru which is said to have untold power.

Where it falls short in places is in the writing. Even dismissing the usual Indy cliches (bullets that never hit the target, impossible stunts and death-trap temples), some comic moments feel contrived, some explanations don’t work and the fates of some of the baddies left me totally unsatisfied.

The audience seemed to enjoy the movie and, as I left, one man remarked: “I went in with trepidation but it was excellent” to nodding approval from those around, and that’s exactly how I felt.

I’ll take a look at some of the details of the movie below, so don’t read further if you don’t want to know all the shocks and surprises - instead, come back after you’ve seen the movie and tell me if you agree,

THE DETAILS

This is a genre which has exploded since the first three movies with other quest films such as Tomb Raider, The Mummy and National Treasure, so director Spielberg and co-writer and executive producer George Lucas clearly felt the need to take the story to the next level with Crystal Skull.

Elements of Spielberg’s classic E.T. have now entered the Indiana franchise with this latest movie featuring alien remains, a reference to the Roswell incident and ending with a full-blown flying saucer emerging from an ancient pyramid.

There was a lot of anxiety from some fans before the movie about taking Indy’s archaeological quests into extraterrestrial territory - it does work in the film, though seeing a living alien near the end seemed unnecessary.

And the final explanation of the ‘gold’ of the lost city being the treasure of knowledge didn’t feel right at all, more like a writers’ cop-out. Despite the amazing final scenes at the temple in south America, that explanation seemed phoney and misleading.

The death of Winstone’s treacherous character - who was irritating from the moment he stepped on screen - was largely unsatisfying as was the demise of Blanchett’s eccentric Soviet agent (with bobbed hair, leather boots and a boiler suit). They needed to die - but it should have been more gratifying to the audience and not so rushed. I’m at least relieved that Winstone won’t be annoying me in future Indy movies.

Ford and romantic co star Karen Allen are now decidely advanced in years and one wonders how the franchise can carry on with either of them in physical action roles. Indy’s new sidekick Mutt who turns out to be his son seems to have been there to plant the possibility of him being Jones’ replacement.

Tags: action sequences, baddies, cate, cate blanchett, comic moments, crystal skull, crystal skulls, death trap, director spielberg, director steven spielberg, dusts, finished film, ford, franchise, george lucas, harrison ford, hero, indiana jones, indy, intrepid adventurer, irina, karen allen, last film, mutt, national treasure, new companion, shia labeouf, soviet agents, spielberg, steven spielberg, story indiana, stunning visuals, summer entertainment, target

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Indiana Jones survived his first perilous outing in the Kingdom of Critical Knives on Sunday, winning a friendly round of applause at a press preview at Cannes and respectable reviews.

The world premiere of the fourth and latest installment in the adventure series, and the first in 19 years “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is the hottest ticket at this year’s Cannes film festival.

A packed crowd of hundreds, many wearing Indiana Jones hats, waved and cheered as Harrison Ford, 65, and co-star Cate Blanchett, who plays the villain, walked Cannes’ famed red carpet for the official world premiere.

Set in the late 1950s of the Cold War era, the two-hour movie sees its swashbuckling archeologist hero racing against Soviet agents to recover a mysterious pre-Colombian skull in the wilds of Peru.

The plot had been kept strictly under wraps and promotional stunts kept to a minimum as Hollywood heavy-hitters Steven Spielberg and George Lucas awaited the response to what is arguably this year’s most-anticipated movie.

“Smart, Sleek, Familiar,” ran the headline of an early review in Time magazine’s online edition, which offered an approving appraisal of the film’s veteran lead.

“Ford looks just fine, his chest skin tanned to a rich Corinthian leather; he’s still lithe on his feet, and can deliver a wisecrack as sharp as a whipcrack,” it said.

The Los Angeles Times said fears that the latest outing would prove an embarrassingly geriatric addition to the Indiana Jones franchise had proved unfounded.

“It turns out it’s one of the good ones, and everyone involved can breathe a sigh of relief,” the Times said, while People magazine concluded: “The magic is still there”.

London’s Telegraph critic David Gritten was less enthusiastic, however.

“It’s not that (it) is bad, exactly. But it’s undeniably creaky,” he said.

“He doesn’t wear the fedora with quite the same jaunty angle, his bullwhip doesn’t crack as smartly — and Harrison Ford looks all of his 65 years.”

Ford insisted on doing his own stunts, saying audiences could tell the difference between an actor and a stunt double.

“It needs to be an emotional event, like every moment on screen needs to be invested with real emotion, or pretend emotion,” he told reporters.

“That’s why it’s so gratifying that we were all happy to do the stunt sequences or the action sequences old-school. Human scale.”

Spielberg credited Ford with reviving the Indiana Jones juggernaut when the actor told him in 1994, after he presented the director with an Oscar for “Schindler’s List”, that he would be willing “to put the fedora back on”.

The director called Ford his “secret weapon” in making the movies.

“He’s concerned about the whole, he’s concerned about the story and other characters and he is a collaborator in the entire process of telling the story,” Spielberg, 61, said.

“That takes a lot of pressure and weight off my back to have this kind of a partner in the trenches every single day shooting the picture.”

Ford said he was less concerned with what the critics said than with the opinions of movie-goers round the world.

“This kind of film, it is such a celebration of the movies,” he said.

“I know that we made this movie to reacquaint people with the pure joy that can happen in a dark room with a bunch of other people seeing something that they haven’t seen before that will just kick your butt.”

This fourth adventure begins in 1957 as professor Jones returns to his US college to find he is under suspicion from the anti-Communist administration and is about to be fired.

On his way out of town he meets young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), a bike-riding knife-flicking James Dean lookalike, who takes him off on a mission to find the Crystal Skull of Akator and to rescue his mother.

Hot on their heels is icy-cold but devastatingly beautiful Soviet agent Blanchett, who is also after the eerie skull which she says Stalin always dreamt of finding to wage “psychic warfare”.

Action-packed with car-chases, waterfall rides, man-eating ants and the usual secret underground temples, the film is chock-a-block with throw-away lines and droll quips.

Its “third dimension” style finale features a Spielberg-fathered ET character surfacing in a Mayan temple — an ending some critics said tested the audiences’ patience.

Tags: 1950s, action sequences, adventure series, applause, bullwhip, cannes, cannes film festival, cate, cate blanchett, crystal skull, david gritten, ford, franchise, george lucas, harrison ford, hats, heavy hitters, hero, hollywood, indiana jones, indiana jones hats, jaunty angle, liar, los angeles times, mutt, people magazine, red carpet, rich corinthian leather, secret weapon, shia labeouf, soviet agents, spielberg, steven spielberg, time magazine, whip, wilds, world premiere

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Indiana Jones received louder applause going in than he did coming out.

His latest adventure, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” earned a respectful though far from glowing — reception Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival, avoiding the sort of thrashing the event’s harsh critics gave to “The Da Vinci Code” two years ago.

Yet Indy’s fourth big-screen romp is not likely to go down as one of the most memorable. Some viewers at its first press screening loved it, some called it slick and enjoyable though formulaic, some said it was not worth the 19-year wait since Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford made the last film.

“They should have left well enough alone,” said J. Sperling Reich, who writes for FilmStew.com. “It really looked like they were going through the motions. It really looked like no one had their heart in it.”

Alain Spira of French magazine Paris Match found “Crystal Skull” a perfectly acceptable “Indiana Jones” tale, a sentiment echoed by the solid applause the movie received as the final credits rolled.

“It’s good. It’s a product that is polished, industrial, we’re not getting ripped off in terms of quality,” Spira said. “You know what you’re going to see, you see what you get, and when you leave you’re happy.”

The applause was louder at the outset, though. Fans at the early afternoon showing, which preceded the film’s glitzy formal premiere with cast and crew Sunday night, cheered and clapped wildly at an announcement that the screening was about to start. Some even hummed the Indiana Jones fanfare as the lights went down.

The applause at the end was more subdued.

Cast and crew were unconcerned about how critics might dissect the film.

“I’m not afraid at all. I expect to have the whip turned on me,” Ford told reporters after the screening. “It’s not unusual for something that is popular to be disdained by some people, and I fully expect it.

But, he said: “I work for the people who pay to get in. They are my customers, and my focus is on providing the best experience I can for those people.”

The filmmakers kept the movie shrouded in secrecy, skipping the rounds of press screenings often held for big studio movies and going for a big blowout at Cannes.

Spielberg said he and his collaborators decided “that the fair thing to do and the fun thing to do would be to view it where the entire world is come together every year at this wonderful festival, and we thought that was the best place to introduce Indiana Jones to you again after 19 years.”

The film received none of the derisive laughter or catcalls that mounted near the end of the first press screening for “Da Vinci Code.”

There were a few titters from the “Crystal Skull” crowd early on over co-star Cate Blanchett’s thick, Boris-and-Natasha accent as a Soviet operative racing against Indy to find an artifact of immeasurable power. The rather corny romantic ending also drew a chuckle or two.

In between, the film packed a fair amount of action, though some viewers found the middle portion dull. Conchita Casanovas, of Spain’s RNE radio, said she was “bored to death.”

The new movie hurls archaeologist Jones into the Cold War in 1957. He survives a nuclear blast in the desert in typically creative fashion and is reunited with “Raiders” flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).

As speculated, the film has an alien connection, though far more subdued than the “Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men From Mars” story Lucas once envisioned.

There are melancholy nods to Sean Connery, who played Indy’s dad in 1989’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” but declined to return for the new movie, and the late Denholm Elliott, Indy’s college dean in two of the previous movies.

And the film reveals the relationship between Indy and his new sidekick, an angry young motorcycle rebel played by Shia LaBeouf.

As with “Da Vinci Code,” which went on to gross $758 million worldwide, “Crystal Skull” is so hotly anticipated that it will be virtually immune from critics’ opinions. The film is expected to put up blockbuster box-office numbers when it opens globally Thursday.

“The movie was absolutely effective enough to score with audiences everywhere,” said Anne Thompson, deputy editor of Hollywood trade paper Variety. “This played way better than ‘Da Vinci Code.’ No one was gunning for it. They were excited going in, hooting for it in a positive way.”

Dozens of fans prowled outside the Palais, the Cannes headquarters, holding signs saying they needed tickets for “Crystal Skull.”

Amelia Sims, a 19-year-old University of Georgia student studying abroad, held a sign reading “I (heart) Indy.” She managed to get a pass to the press screening and loved the movie.

“I guess I’ve been waiting 19 years for this,” Sims said. “You could say I’ve been waiting my whole life.”

But Christian Monggaard, who is reviewing “Crystal Skull” for Danish newspaper Information, said he grew up with the “Indiana Jones” films and came away from this one disappointed, finding the climax an “overblown special-effects extravaganza.”

Tags: applause, archaeologist, cannes, cannes film festival, cast and crew, cate, cate blanchett, crystal skull, da vinci code, early afternoon, fanfare, filmmakers, ford, french magazine, george lucas, going through the motions, harrison ford, harsh critics, hollywood, indiana jones, indiana jones and the last crusade, indy, karen allen, last crusade, last film, marion ravenwood, outset, romp, sean connery, shia labeouf, signs, sperling, spielberg, spira, steven spielberg, whip

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In the final scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, released in 1989, Steven Spielberg has his iconic bullwhip-wielding, snake-hating archaeologist and all the major characters literally ride off into the sunset. “I had no doubts that the curtain was lowering on the series,” recalls the director. Neither did Harrison Ford.

The new instalment also brings back Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Dr Jones’s object of desire in the first film in the series. New to the cast is the Transformers star Shia LaBeouf, as a leather-jacketed sidekick with a not so accidental resemblance to Marlon Brando in The Wild One.

Then, of course, there is Ford – in Spielberg’s view the secret weapon that allowed the series to become so popular. “I remember the day they sent the costume home to see where we would have to adjust and change sizes,” recalls Ford. “I had not worn it for 18 years, but when I put it on it felt like a glove. And I felt immediately ready to go.”

Ford, 65, is not a method actor or someone who enjoys intellectualising his work. He loves his 800-acre ranch in Wyoming. He loves to fly his private fleet of aeroplanes. And throughout his career he has not tried to hide his distaste for the ritual of meeting with the press.

It makes the actor uncomfortable. He also avoids all mention of his private life, including his relationship with the actress Calista Flockhart. When I met him recently in Beverly Hills a few days before his departure for this week’s Cannes International Film Festival, where Crystal Skull will be presented on Sunday, he allows himself some glimpses of introspection, something he does not do often in public.

Tags: acre ranch, actress, archaeologist, bullwhip, calista flockhart, cannes, cannes international film festival, cate, crystal skull, distaste, dr jones, ford, harrison ford, indiana jones, indiana jones and the last crusade, instalment, karen allen, last crusade, marion ravenwood, marlon brando, method actor, object of desire, private fleet, secret weapon, shia labeouf, spielberg, steven spielberg, whip, wild one

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No, this buzz is all about hot new Hollywood in the shape of a 21-year-old actor whose name confuses the most intelligent reader, Shia LaBeouf.

So when he eventually bounds into the hotel where we’ve arranged to meet, it’s something of an anticlimax to find that he’s, well, just a 21-year-old guy, who’s desperate for a smoke. He immediately asks that we move all conversation to the patio, so he can puff.

“Yes, I smoke,” he admits shamefacedly. “It’s probably the worst thing I do. I leave wet towels on the floor, too. I don’t think I’m the Find Cate Mandigo quintessential guy to look up to right now because I’m still building myself.”

He shouldn’t be too concerned, though. Films such as I, Robot, Disturbia and last year’s smash-hit, Transformers, have already built the foundation for what looks to be a career in a million. His role in Crystal Skull could catapult him into rarefied Brad Pitt or Will Smith territory, although, right now, he’s intriguingly not at liberty to say exactly what that role is.

Rumour has it he plays Indiana Jones’ son (albeit under the name Mutt Williams), but he simply takes another puff and says, “I can’t confirm or deny that.” What he can confirm – most vocally – is that working with Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and Cate Blanchett has been the most incredible ride.

His bond with Harrison is particularly interesting, with LaBeouf talking fondly and Find Cate Mandigo reverently of him as a father figure.

The actor’s own French-Cajun father, Jeffrey, was a clown from San Francisco who was also a heroin addict.

Their relationship was non-existent until LaBeouf landed a role on US TV series Even Stevens when he was 13 and needed a legal guardian onset. He says wistfully, “I had to rent my father back.”

Bad though it sounds, drug-free father and son now share a deep bond, formed over the nine years LaBeouf has spent playing the role of family breadwinner.

“He’s not necessarily the father I wanted, but I wouldn’t want anybody else,” he reveals. “He’s my best friend – as is my mother – they’re both wise people. But pain is the foundation of my father’s growth and I draw from him every time I do what I do.”

Cigarette smoked, LaBeouf asks to move inside. Looking all-American in his navy-blue, long-sleeve T-shirt and low-slung jeans, he takes a long gulp of vitamin water from the bottle he’s been carrying.

“Finance is a big reason that my family split up and that’s not a worry any more, but Dad was gone for a long time. I was five when my parents separated. I hated him for a long time, but from 13 years old to this point – it’s now a love affair. I’m lucky, because supporting my family has been a blessing.”

The Los Angeles native comes from a long line of artists and performers. As well as a clown for a dad, his mum, Shayna, was a dancer who studied ballet with the famous Martha Graham.

LaBeouf’s dad used to dress up the family as clowns and the three of them would perform and sell hot dogs in LA’s Echo Park.

However, nobody called LaBeouf found any real success until Shia took up acting. He made the decision, aged 10, after talking to a boy in Malibu, who was wearing all the latest designer gear, thanks to a role on Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. LaBeouf’s schoolboy yearning for brand-name clothing paid off.

“My lineage is constant artwork never seen by the public, or just fluttered out,” he explains.

“My great-grandmother was a piano player on Lucky Luciano’s gambling boat; my grandmother was a lesbian beatnik poet who used to run with Allen Ginsberg – her poetry was never discovered. My father is this amazing pantomime clown, but nobody has heard of him and my mother is this amazing visual artist who danced and nobody has heard of her. My career is a culmination of a lot of prayers and a lot of work.”

That said, he admits that he looks towards others to fill the more Find Cate Mandigo traditional roles in his life. Harrison Ford is the latest addition to LaBeouf’s role models, alongside past co-stars, John Voight and John Hurt.

“Harrison and I became close on set, but he’s the kind of guy where you have to earn the hug,” he smiles.

“The day I got my first hug from Harrison was a big day. The hug came about through work and results. It’s not easy making these kinds of action movies – they’re very physical and emotional.

“Finding the right tone is the hardest part and once you find it, Harrison’s all over you.”

An important lesson LaBeouf has learnt from Ford is to not give away too much. The original Indy is notoriously private where LaBeouf, until now, has been happy to spill his guts.

“I have to stop that,” he says, looking at the tape recorder. “When I was younger, I was happy to tell people stuff because I was anxious to please. Now I realise that my favourite actors don’t give much away; they maintain a level of mystery and I think I have to work on that.”

He has spoken many times about his past relationship with China Brezner, the daughter of The Greatest Game Ever Played producer, Larry Brezner, whom he met while shooting the movie in 2004. His first real love, they were together until early last year.

“I was very open about my relationship with China. I’m sure that’s hurt her so I’m going to stop talking about it. Sure I have time for girls, but nothing is very serious right now. There’s no specifics.”

Would he say he’s a romantic kind of guy? “Oh yeah, I get into poetry and songwriting,” he laughs.

“I’ve flown across the country with flowers to hand-deliver, and I’ve made trails out of rose petals and put on the Jodeci music. I’ve also been known to put on some Meatloaf, which is so cheesy. I won’t say if it worked or not, but it was very funny!”

Being the next big thing probably makes it easier to get the girls, but it comes at a price. (Although, when I mention his ‘next big thing’ status, LaBeouf is quick to point out “some days I’m the next big thing, some days I’m the next worst thing”.)

His brushes with the law are well-documented. He was arrested in 2005 after ramming a neighbour’s car and threatening him with a knife; the second was last November, for trespassing in a pharmacy in Chicago. No charges were pressed for either incident.

He simply says, “I’m at ease at this point. I’ve had my moments and I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learnt with the press is to never say never.”

He makes eye contact and says, “I’ve had a couple of run-ins, but I can definitely say that I don’t want that kind of life. I surround myself with good people, but I’m 21 and I make mistakes. I’m learning to cope. I didn’t get into this business to be Captain America.”

So does he take downtime? “Why would I?” he counters. “I enjoy every moment and the bad things come up when you’re not working. The negative aspects of this industry happen in the off-time.”

But surely there has to be some time when he’s not onset? “I’ve spent more time at home recently because the last two movies I shot have been made in LA so, yes, I’ve had some time at home. I hang out with my dog, read and I’m into my sports. I have about five close friends and we sit and Find Cate Mandigo talk a lot.”

He shifts in his seat, before revealing that a lot of his old friends have fallen by the wayside. “You see, the people I’ve known for a long time, their mindset changed and they stopped being friends with me and started being friends with what I do.”

He pauses to contemplate the situation. “That’s been the hardest decision, losing friends and getting rid of the people who are bad eggs. But that’s what happens with transition. I could never have foreseen what was going to happen. Fame is a drug, it’s addictive. But this isn’t who I am, it’s what I do. You have to maintain separation or you lose your mind.”

Taking all that into consideration, is he prepared for what will surely be global Indiana Jones-mania?

“I don’t imagine things will change too much,” he says modestly. “I have a lot of people around me who keep me centred because I get haywire, too – but I’m pretty calm right now.” He laughs remembering how amazing it was to find himself on the set of such a hotly anticipated movie.

“Every day was like, ‘Omigod, I’m on the set of Indiana Jones!’ That feeling of excitement never went away, it just became something I would channel into the work. Steven (Spielberg) was amazing. He gives you a lot of room and trusts you to do exactly what he hired you for. There were never any bumps.”

Indeed, Spielberg, who suggested LaBeouf for the lead role in Michael Bay’s Transformers, returns the compliment, stating, “His talent has impressed not only his audiences, but the directors, producers and fellow actors who have worked with him.”

However, he remains tight-lipped on whether or not LaBeouf will continue to run with the Indy torch, saying simply, “We’ll see. He still has multiple Transformers films to do.”

The actor proved his commitment to Spielberg and the Indiana Jones franchise by going on a strict diet and fitness regimen, but his heart went out to co-star Cate Blanchett, who was pregnant while filming her very physical villain scenes.

“She’s kind, but the minute ‘action’ is called, she’s not Cate any more. She’s mean. She was pregnant and doing these crazy swordfights, but she held her own for hours. Honestly, she’s a bad ass.”

At 21, he has an old head on his shoulders. “I hope this year holds more of the same, and I hope that I have a lot more smiles and Find Cate Mandigo laughs. If it continues as it is now, I think I’m going to really enjoy my year.”

Tags: brad pitt, cate, cate blanchett, crystal skull, father and son, Find Cate, Find Cate Mandigo, ford, franchise, harrison ford, hero, hollywood, indiana jones, indy, mutt, rbi, shia labeouf, smile, spielberg, steven spielberg

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