Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

It has been almost 19 years since the last Indiana Jones film hit theaters, and though there was a television show chronicling the adventures of his youth, fans have been waiting a long time for this fourth theatrical release.  Taking place in 1957, some time has passed, and to the credit of the story, they acknowledge it, but Indiana Jones is back in an action packed film that is sure to have you eating your entire large popcorn.  For all intents and purposes, that is what this film is all about, giving fans a nostalgic look at one of the greatest characters in film, all while putting him on one last great adventure.

Harrison Ford returns of course as Indiana Jones, and though some time has passed since we saw him in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, he puts forth quite a good effort at making Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a film that we will remember even after we have left the theater.  The story has its foot in reality once again, much like all the prior films, in that the archaeological find that Jones is looking for may have, or actually does exist.  There is a lot of myth around the real story of the crystal skulls, and before this film is over, it will give you one opinion on whether the skulls actually exist.  The story that the film works with, is that the person who controls the skulls will control a great power.

With George Lucas as head writer, and Steven Spielberg back as Director of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, all of the players are in place to make this a good film in the series.  The main difference is that because it takes place in 1957, the main opponent of Jones that is seeking the find are the Russian's rather than the Nazi's.  It's a subtle change though, because they are portrayed in much the same fashion, with the willingness to do anything to attain a power that they weren't rightfully destined to have.  Along for the ride this time is Shia LaBeouf as Mutt, a rough-and-tumble kid that gets wrapped up in the story when the Russians kidnap his mother.  On the other side, Cate Blanchett portrays an evil Russian out to find the skull.

As I stated before, this is one of those films that is great for enjoying your popcorn, and it isn't short on fast moving segments.  There are times though, where the film seems to rush itself, rather than ease into transitions that films like The Last Crusade did so well.  There are also moments where you have to ignore the thought that "this couldn't really happen" if you want to fully enjoy the movie, and admittedly so, there are a few cheesy moments along the way.  Those moments withstanding, I really enjoyed myself at Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and feel that it is an action movie worth seeing.  It isn't quite as good as the first three Harrison Ford theatrical releases, but it doesn't have to be in the end in order to satisfy this life-long fan of the franchise.