STUDIO: Paramount
RELEASE DATE: May 22, 2008
STARRING: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, and Jim Broadbent
WRITTEN BY: David Koepp
DIRECTED BY: Steven Spielberg
GENRE: Action
RATING: PG-13

It turns out that the most recent Indiana Jones movie didn’t feature the last crusade of Dr. Henry Jones Jr. after all. Nineteen years later, “Spielberg, Lucas and Ford Incorporated” have brought us an even ‘laster’ crusade with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the biggest movie of the year. Even the title’s big! But does the size live up to the hype?

Crystal Skull opens by reintroducing us to Indy in iconic fashion, using a classic technique that dates back to the silent era. A familiar fedora falls to the ground. A hand reaches out and picks it up. We see only his shadow as he puts it on. John Williams’ theme swells…and…he’s back! And… he’s old! Admittedly, the age of Ford is jarring at first, but, after awhile, you don’t notice that Harrison Ford is 65. He’s just Indy doing his thing.

This time around, the whip-snapping archeologist trades Nazis for Commies led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), a psychic spy for the KGB seeking an extraterrestrial form of intelligence to weaponize against the West. Their plan is tied to a missing skull made of crystal that may or may not be from another planet. Whatever it is, it has magnetic powers and seemingly a whole lot more. Blanchett has had some audiences laughing with her Louise Brooks haircut and her Natasha Badenov accent, but she makes a scene-stealing villain. Over the top, yes, but tonally perfect, taking an underwritten role and making it her own.

Indy is put on the trail of the titular Skull by Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), who dresses like Marlon Brando and rides a Harley ala The Wild One. Boyish at 21, LaBeouf looks as much like a street tough as ‘Hello Kitty’. Even worse, he looks wobbly on the bike. With Transformers and now this, it’s obvious LaBeouf is being groomed for big things, although it’s still not clear that he can carry a film.

A mutual friend of Indy and Mutt, Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has gone missing and searching for him takes our heroes to the jungles of Peru, where they actually form a pretty good team. They are further united with the reintroduction of Karen Allen, reprising her role of Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark. It would be fine as a cameo, but Ravenwood bogs the movie down in past relationships, resentments and the ultimate revelation that Indy and Mutt are father and son. Who cares?! No one comes to Indiana Jones looking for deep emotional character crises. As Mutt, Indy, and Marion sink in a pit of quicksand, the movie sinks with them, bogging them down in metaphors for relationships when the movie needs to be action-packed.

In the end, the new family pulls together to fight off evil communists, killer ants, and possibly even otherworldly beings. It may be kind of silly, but, believe it or not, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has a lot on its mind. It is an apocalyptic tale that begins with a front-row seat to an atomic blast and ends with something arguably even more remarkable. The path to a mythical city of gold is littered with hundreds of bodies in every stage of decay. There is violence and death on a massive scale, but given the Spielberg touch, it is never graphic. Such dark themes combined with mythic alien visitations are ripe turf for a spooky adventure and that's where the film excels.

Loaded with CG effects, painted by master cinematographer and Spielberg regular Janusz Kaminski, edited by franchise editor Michael Kahn, and scored by legendary composer John Williams, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is many things, but it is never pulpy. The franchise was conceived as an homage to pulpy low-budget action-adventure serials of the thirties and forties. Part of their charm was their inventiveness in the face of limited budget; the hard-scrabble feeling of people grinding out action movies. With its reported $185 million budget, something crucial is lost, even if the film does look amazing.

Even with its flaws, Spielberg and Ford do enough to ultimately make Crystal Skull a terrific addition to the franchise. While not nearly as good as Raiders, it is light years better than Temple of Doom, and, in some ways, better than Last Crusade. There is talk of more to come. Here’s hoping they’re as good as Crystal Skull.