Collegiate Times

Nineteen years after director Steven Spielberg's "The Last Crusade" made its debut, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull" has been released as the forth movie in the series.

Despite the passage of time, the series' most recent installment bears striking similarities to its predecessors. Spielberg used the same plot formula and even the same punch sound effects that were popular in the '80s. This said, the film will certainly appeal to fans of the first three films, but the question lies in its ability to meet the modern viewer's expectations of an action-adventure flick.

Harrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones and 10 years have passed since his performance in the previous film. Instead of fighting Nazis, he stands against Soviets in the Cold War. The story takes place during the height of the Red Scare and Jones is labeled as a communist and fired from his teaching job. Before leaving, he runs into Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf, and is informed that Professor "Ox" Oxley has gone missing while looking for the Crystal Skull in South America. Indy and Mutt then travel to Peru in search of the missing doctor and uncover clues pertaining to the location of the Crystal Skull. Racing them to the skull are the Soviets, led by Cate Blanchett's character, Irina Spalko, who hope to unlock its power.

The race to the skull would be thrilling, but time has not been kind to Ford. It seemed as though he had trouble keeping up with the action. In fact, there were several fight scenes during which I was afraid he was going to break his hip. However, Karen Allen (who returned as Marion Ravenwood from "Raiders of the Lost Ark") and newcomer Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams gave adequate performances.

An unfortunate aspect of the film making - in addition to Ford's debatable action scenes - is how heavily the film relies on CGI, which can be blamed on George Lucas. For instance, in the beginning of the movie, there is a scene with ground hogs and I could not help but to think of the Ewoks from "Return of the Jedi."

Perhaps the worst use of special effects in the film occurs during a five-minute river scene in which everything but the boat and actors are CGI. The overuse of CGI detracts from the intended feel of the movie and is the film's biggest downfall.

Fans of the old movies will recognize details such as the warehouse where the Ark of the Covenant in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was hidden, and the Ark itself even makes a brief appearance. So, if you are an Indiana Jones enthusiast, then this is a must-see for you. But for everyone else, I suggest renting the DVD or Blu-ray. This movie was not made to win Oscars, but it will please die-hard Indiana Jones followers.

Grade: C+