The newest Indiana Jones adventure begins in the desert
Southwest in 1957 the height of the Cold War. Indy and his sidekick Mac (Ray
Winstone) have barely escaped a close scrape with nefarious Soviet agents on a
remote airfield. Now, Professor Jones has returned home to Marshall College
only to find things have gone from bad to worse. His close friend and dean of
the college (Jim Broadbent) explains that Indy's recent activities have made
him the object of suspicion, and that the government has put pressure on the
university to fire him. On his way out of town, Indiana meets rebellious young
Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), who carries both a grudge and a proposition for the
adventurous archaeologist: If he'll help Mutt on a mission with deeply
personal stakes, Indy could very well make one of the most spectacular
archaeological finds in history the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary
object of fascination, superstition and fear. But as Indy and Mutt set out for
the most remote corners of Peru a land of ancient tombs, forgotten explorers
and a rumored city of gold they quickly realize they are not alone in their
search. The Soviet agents are also hot on the trail of the Crystal Skull.
Chief among them is icy cold, devastatingly beautiful Irina Spalko (Cate
Blanchett), whose elite military unit is scouring the globe for the eerie
Crystal Skull, which they believe can help the Soviets dominate the world...
if they can unlock its secrets. Indy and Mutt must find a way to evade the
ruthless Soviets, follow an impenetrable trail of mystery, grapple with
enemies and friends of questionable motives, and, above all, stop the powerful
Crystal Skull from falling into the deadliest of hands. Nearly 20
years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as
archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of
the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell,
less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the
series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds)
set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's
villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob
and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers
related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening
action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young
greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley
(John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts.
Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part
of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring
next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's
plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the
return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill
but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs
his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's
a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in
film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's
release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that
fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. --Ellen A. Kim Stills from Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Click for larger image)