Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

"How fortunate our failure to kill you, Dr. Jones. You survive to be of service to us once again." - Colonel-Doctor Irina Spalko

release year: 2008
genre: action/adventure
viewing setting: home Bluray 3/5/16 and home DVD, 9/26/12 and theater, 5/24/08

synopsis: It's the 1950s, and Indiana Jones is back to stop the Russians from finding a strange, hidden power source.

impressions: This is a decent sequel, but you have to accept the framework: it's 20 years later, the character is 20 years older, and the social situation is different. I could see young people in the audience becoming confused from the references to the Red Scare of the 1950s, not to mention the public opinion of UFOs and aliens. Anyhow, this movie had plenty of action, and the aged Indiana Jones can still get the job done. The ending (which was of course tied to the overall plot) was odd and felt a bit out of place, but opinions will vary.

acting: Harrison Ford still cuts it as an action hero, even in his 60s. Shia LaBeouf was good as a younger sidekick-type, Karen Allen returns as Marion, and Cate Blanchett is the evil Russian in charge of the bad guys. Jim Broadbent is a traitorous foreign companion. John Hurt gives a humorous role as an amnesiac professor.

final word: Entertaining, if perhaps unnecessary, probable ending to the series.

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