A Blast From the Past: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull----1111

Quicker than you can say a nostalgic adventure worthy of the name Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford reprises his most famous role as cinema fans’ favorite archeologist adventurer in the year’s most anticipated film as well as one of the most eagerly and long-awaited series follow-ups in movie history.

Proving that he’s still a top-notch action hero who has not lost a step, Ford—who turns 66 in July—returns to the role with style and swagger although he looks older but wiser with his famous fedora, leather bomber jacket and trusty bullwhip. “Not as easy as it used to be,” Indy says early on.

Released 19 years since the third Indiana Jones movie, Crystal Skull is set in 1957—also 19 years since Indy searched for the Holy Grail alongside his father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade—during the height of the Cold War and the McCarthy era.

The most complex of the series, Crystal Skull’s plot involves Russians as bad guys who set Indy on a quest of an ancient Mayan legend regarding 13 alien-looking crystal skulls, which have supernatural powers.

Using an accent that sounds like Natasha in Rocky & Bullwinkle, Cate Blanchett plays malevolent Russian military scientist Irina Spalko, who is obsessed with possessing the skulls’ psychic power for mind warfare.

Rounding out the cast are Indy’s sidekicks, including Ray Winstone as George “Mac” MacHale, John Hurt as Professor “Ox” Oxley and Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams (Indy Jr.?), who is patterned after Marlon Brando on a motorcycle in The Wild One. Again playing Indy’s love interest, Marion Ravenwood, Karen Allen returns to the series for the first time since 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Aided by composer John Williams’ famous score from Raiders, Crystal Skull starts off with a big bang during an exciting action sequence set in a warehouse in the Nevada desert with military artifacts, including the ark of the covenant from the first movie.

However, Indy’s globe-trotting adventure—which ultimately takes him into the Peruvian jungle—gets somewhat bogged down in the middle as the skulls’ history is explained in detail in the two-plus-hour film,which has received mixed reviews and had a budget estimated at $185 million.

Although not a fast-paced thrill ride like the classic Raiders, Crystal Skull offers dazzling sequences, including Indy surviving an atom bomb explosion, a sword fight between two people balanced on the backs of speeding jeeps and a plunge down three waterfalls in a row. As far as the obligatory Indiana Jones movie creepy-crawlies, there aregiant flesh-eating ants and there’s a funny scene involving Indy’s fear of snakes.

Director Steven Spielberg has said: “We created Indiana Jones, but it belongs to the world. … This new film is for the fans.” Executive producer and co-story writer, George Lucas added: “The style is the same, the humor is the same. Everything feels the same. But we’ve also been able to build on it.”

Indeed, the movie is a lot of fun for the most part as it keeps the spirit intact of the series,which has earned $1.2 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

On the downside, Crystal Skull—rated PG-13 for adventure violence, scary images and some coarse language—does not feature a Christian subplot like the first and third films in the series, and the focus on the skulls’ psychic warfare potential is spooky. Additionally, Crystal Skull seems too intense for young children, although the movie is not as dark and graphic as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Speaking of the film’s predecessors, the recently released Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection is agood primer for Crystal Skull, whichis no Raiders but, literally, a blast from the past.

“I thought it was great,” said Simon Luke, who saw an Orlando, Fla., screening of the film. “It was a classic adventure film. The ending was a little unexpected, but I don’t think it was too far of a reach.”

His wife, Laura, added: “It was a little different. The ending threw me for a loop. I think it will do great [in the box office]. But I can’t compare it to the first three movies.”

Crystal Skull is by no means a dog, but time will tell whether the film will have “legs” to be the top dog of the summer box office.