Similar to the other Indy movies the story wastes no time in getting the action rolling. We find our hero has been abducted by the Russians and taken to a military installation in the southwest. After infiltrating the base Indy is taken to Hangar 51 and is forced to find a crate located somewhere in this vast storage facility. Luckily, the contents of this particular case are highly magnetic and Indy quickly discovers the case with the aid of some communist gun powder. At this point Indy seizes the opportunity and through a particularly strange string of events manages another patented escape. To make things interesting, upon his initial rescue Indy is branded a suspected communist sympathizer and soon thereafter his world quickly begins to fall apart. With nothing left to lose, and his name to clear, Indy takes off on the trail of the Soviets and their leader Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett).

At the onset of his trip Dr. Jones is befriended by a greaser, Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf), who is seeking the help of Indiana in order to rescue his mother and father figure Professor Oxley (John Hurt). As their quests seem to be intertwined the two men join together and take off for South America. During the adventure these two happen onto some crazy situations, spooky places, and of course… some old friends like Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). I’d really love to dive into the plot more for you all, but this is one movie where every little detail can be a potential spoiler, and I’d hate to take any fun out of this movie.

To be quite honest with you, I’ve never been so conflicted when trying to write a review. On one hand you have one of the greatest movie franchises of all time making its triumphant return. On the other you have a 65 year old man trying to do his best impression of the second greatest character of his career (Yeah I said it!). Not to mention you have the legendary partnership of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas as the driving force behind the film.

Ultimately, I couldn’t make a decision on how I feel about Kingdom. I both loved and disliked this movie for several reasons. Let’s hit the dislikes first shall we? My biggest problem with Indy 4 has to do with the set design. I really can’t believe I’m even saying that considering who is behind the picture, but there were several times in the movie that I just KNEW they were on a set, and it really destroyed the illusion and took me right out of the story. This happened several times throughout Kingdom and is something I’ve noticed becoming a larger problem in a lot of movies these days. I can pretty much trace it back to ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ as the first big budget movie with a ‘B’ movie set. It seems that set design is a dying art with the increased dependency upon CGI, and well I guess I just expected better from a Spielberg film. Frankly, I was disappointed. That brings me to Shia LeBeouf, I don’t know why but this guy is just unlikable on-screen, which is really strange, because he seems to be an exceptional actor. I can’t put my finger on where that disconnect is. I don’t think he did a bad job… but something about the guy rubs me the wrong way. Also, in a series known for its comic book type action, there were certain things that just went over the top, for example picture Shia LeBeouf doing his best Tarzan audition shortly after getting repeatedly whacked in his “Crystal Skulls” at about 60mph with no ill effects. Lastly, and again I can’t believe I am saying this considering the team behind the film, but I liked this movie the first time I saw it when it was called National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, The Mummy, and Stargate. Seriously, I can’t believe how many plot devices were just straight up ripped off from those films. Kingdom did manage to slip in some trademark intelligence and unique outlook into its story line, but some more originality would have been appreciated.

You must be wondering after all of that, what did you like? A lot… actually, Indiana Jones is just fun to see in action, I don’t care how old he is. Sure, the sequences were slowed down a little bit, but there is just something about seeing Harrison Ford throwing his sweeping right hook as he’s yelling at someone to get away, only to receive a stiff jab to the face when his attention returns to the task at hand. I was pleasantly surprised that they took the time to explain the absence of Indy’s Father and fellow professor/unwilling adventurer Marcus Brody. Hell, they even took the time to slip a picture of River Phoenix into the movie. More importantly, Indiana Jones is one of the most beloved characters in all of film, and while this may not have been his best outing, he certainly didn’t jump the shark and that is enough to keep me happy.

Ultimately, no matter what I have to say about ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’, you are going to be the person who has the final say in how this movie is going to be remembered. I’d encourage everyone to give this film a chance as the character alone deserves your time and energy. If you can manage to get past the things that I could not you’ll find a good old fashioned movie that does a great job of reminding you about the good ‘ole days before CGI took over. The movie is exceptionally well written (if somewhat unoriginally), thought out and provides you with those memorable moments that only and Indiana Jones movie can provide. I’d recommend any fan of the series to head to the theater, sit back, relax, and revel in the joy of seeing this character on-screen again.