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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

When Indiana Jones’s fourth effort “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” was unveiled to the public, reactions to it were mixed, with some calling it the best in the series and others panning it as more of the same. These diverging opinions are reinforced on Metacritic as it gave the film an aggregate score of 66, which is slightly above average. Here, publications such as Salon.com and the New York Daily News praised the film’s efforts, while outlets such as Newsweek and the Village Voice were not as kind with their commentary.

Having seen the film, both camps appear to be right. While the film does have a litany of rough edges, it does enough to be easily recommended as quality summer entertainment.

The plot of the film centers on the exploits of Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, and his quest to retrieve the Crystal Skull. Along the way, he faces opposition from Russian KGB soldiers, the undead, and even nature in the form of rushing water, poisonous bugs and crumbling architecture. Twists are present throughout the film in the form of treachery and unexpected revelations. Three that are featured most prominently are the constant betrayals of Indy’s assistant, George McHale, the reappearance of Indy’s former flame Marion Ravenwood, and the realization that their relationship bore a son, Henry “Mutt” Jones III, played by Shia LeBouf.

Placed in between these moments are familiar scenes of Indy dueling with and outsmarting his enemies, exchanging quips with friend and foe alike and engaging in hazardous car chases through dangerous jungles. These moments are enhanced through spectacular production values which do a good job of allowing viewers to feel as if they are present in the action.

Points of enjoyment in the film occurred in fight scenes and with the dialogue used. One part that was amusing was when LeBouf was engaging the female KGB agent in a sword fight, while his mother was giving him tips on how to comport himself in that situation. It was also humorous to hear Indy tell him to stay in school, when upon their first meeting he had told him to do what he loves, regardless of what anyone thinks.

In terms of fight scenes, there were some that really stood out. One was when Indy was fighting the agent amidst a swarm of ants. I was actually nervous as to what would happen should Indy lose. Fortunately, that was not the case. The scene at the beginning where he used his whip as a swinging mechanism was also amusing, considering Harrison Ford’s age, I can imagine filming that setting had its challenges.


This is an experience I would humbly recommend to fans of both the Indiana Jones franchise and of action films in general.

Written by: Jason Townsend-Rogers

Reviewers Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 10.00
Reader's Votes: 1

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