Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

It’s 1957, nineteen years after the ‘Last Crusade’, and Indiana Jones returns for one last adventure. Approached by teenage rebel Mutt (LaBeouf), whose mother has been kidnapped, Indy (Ford) is led to the ancient city of Eldorado in a fun and fast-paced film that stays in tune with its action-packed predecessors.

Such a long delay between the films inevitably caused apprehension among fans but I can safely say that this is a film worth watching. Spielberg takes us from 1938 to 1957 and as promised there are a few visual differences, creating a brighter look more in keeping with the films of the 1950s. In fact, the movie is steeped in all things fifties, from the rock n’ roll soundtrack to LaBeouf’s Marlon Brando/James Dean style entrance. The minor differences also stretch to the film’s storyline as the Nazis are replaced by ruthless Russians, (or one to be exact), in the form of Cate Blanchett, who embodies the role of hard-nosed villainess Irina Spalko.

However, though slightly older and wiser, Indy remains his clumsy and stubborn self, ‘making it up as he goes along’, as he continues his archaeological adventures, whilst simultaneously fighting off ‘bad guys’, with whip, fedora and leather jacket in tow. Karen Allen also returns to her role as the feisty Marion Ravenwood, picking up from where she left off, arguing and bickering with Jones as they reproduce the chemistry and humour we saw in the original Indy film, ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.

The film is a classic Hollywood Blockbuster, full of stars and drifting across the genres of romance, comedy and of course action all of which drive the film. While there are silly climaxes and unbelievable stunts, it is simply what we have come to expect from an Indiana Jones movie. It’s a fan’s film that harks back to the good old days and in which we join Indy once more on a rollercoaster journey.

So sit back and get ready to wince, squirm, laugh out loud and sing along to the stirring theme tune whilst smiling constantly as you watch everybody’s favourite archaeological hero in two hours of pure excitement and escapism.

Gemma Bradnack