Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

A worthwhile addition to the Indiana Jones canon, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is set during the Cold War. “Professor” Jones has just been relieved of his university teaching position when a rebellious young man named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) brings him a coded message from a former long-lost colleague (John Hurt). This man has found something of enormous importance, and the fact that it's coveted by brilliant but ruthless Soviet scientist Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) persuades Indy to don his old fedora and leather jacket once more. The object in question turns out to be the Crystal Skull of Akator, which is capable of releasing tremendous cosmic power. Joined by his former flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen, reprising her role from Raiders of the Lost Ark), Jones eventually locates the hiding place of this incomparable artifact. Steven Spielberg's direction is up to his usual exacting standards, and the combination of well-disguised stunt doubles, skillful fight staging, and CGI enhancement makes 66-year-old Ford look pretty darn agile in the action scenes. Blanchett, meanwhile, clearly relishes her turn as a slinky, thickly-accented femme fatale, and Allen plays Marion with just as much spunk as she exhibited in the 1981 original. Where Spielberg and producer George Lucas slip, however, is in the unnecessary addition of LeBeouf's character, obviously a sop to younger theatergoers. Still, this is every bit the rousing adventure movie that Indiana Jones fans have come to expect, and a solid vehicle for Ford in what may or may not be his final outing as the intrepid adventurer. Recommended. [Note: Available in either single-disc or two-disc special editions, DVD/Blu-ray extras on this two-disc “special edition” include an 80-minute “Production Diary” documentary, “The Effects of Indy” special effects featurette (23 min.), “The Return of a Legend” featurette (18 min.), three pre-visualization sequences (14 min.), and a handful of behind-the-scenes and production featurettes—”Adventures in Post-Production” (13 min.), “Pre-Production” (12 min.), “The Crystal Skulls” (10 min.), “Iconic Props” (10 min.), “Warrior Makeup” (6 min.), and “Closing: Team Indy” (4 min.). Also included are various galleries (photo, portrait, and art department), an Xbox 360 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures game demo, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are Indiana Jones timelines. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid entry in the popular franchise.] (E. Hulse)