*** WARNING: The following review may contain some minor spoilers! ***

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to see the new Indy film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." To tell the truth, I was a bit skeptical at first - I had heard that it was rather lackluster and disappointing. However, since it was an Indiana Jones movie, and I had seen the other three, I made up my mind to go see it. If for no other reason than to say that I had seen it.

It turned out to be quite a good decision on my part. I was actually quite impressed with it. For one thing, it has a lot of the old Indy elements in it. But at the same time, it has some new and different things that kept it fresh, and original. I liked how it is set in the late 50s, in order to keep up with Jones' aged appearance. And I liked how they have a more sci-fi theme (searching for the Crystal Skull this time around, and involving aliens and psychic warfare). Moreover, I think that choosing the Communist Russians as Indy's enemy, as well as including a Cold War theme, is a great choice. Again, it is different, which in this case is a good thing.

Harrison Ford, though significantly older since the previous Indiana Jones movie (Last Crusade), shows that he still has it in him to play Indy one more time. He manages to still do a lot of his own stunts, which I've always admired, as it helps to give these adventures a sense of realism. I also enjoyed a lot of the humor injected into a lot of his scenes, particularly the jokes aimed at Indy having aged significantly since his last adventure. In fact, director Steven Spielberg said in an interview that, "When a guy gets to be that age and he still packs the same punch, and he still runs just as fast and climbs just as high, he's gonna be breathing a little heavier at the end of the set piece. And I felt, 'Let's have some fun with that. Let's not hide that.'" (Steve Daly (2008-04-16). "Steven Spielberg and George Lucas: The Titans Talk!", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 17 April 2008.)

Shia LaBeouf was great as Indy's sidekick Mutt Williams, who turns out to be Indy's son. I liked the idea of having a Marlon Brando-esque, motorcycle-riding greaser turn out to be a loyal sidekick of Indiana, and also turn out to be Indy's son. He also does well performing a lot of the stunts that are in the film, particularly during the chase scene through the jungle. I also liked the irony of Indy's son being everything a father can't stand, much the same way that Indy apparently was to his father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Karen Allen does well reprising her role as Marion Ravenwood, who by this point is Marion Williams. I think it was a good choice to have her return into Indy's life, and even better to turn out to be Mutt's mother. It led to them having a lot of the same types of arguments that made for such great humor in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The interaction between Harrison Ford and Karen Allen also led to a great ending, which I will not give away here.

But perhaps the crowning achievement in the already great casting for this movie is Cate Blanchett as the villainous Colonel Doctor Irina Spalko. With her psychic prowess, fencing skills, and the now-trademark bob cut, she is quite possibly the most unique of all the great Indiana Jones villains that have been on screen. Cate Blanchett does an awesome job portraying all aspects of this character, right down to the Russian accent. Many of the character's aspects were her idea, such as the bob cut (Steve Daly (2008-04-16). "Steven Spielberg and George Lucas: The Titans Talk!", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 17 April 2008.) The interaction between her and Harrison Ford was also great. She's a villain, but also embodies the love-hate relationship that Jones has had with all his female counterparts from all the films.

On a final note, another thing I especially liked in this movie was that, while there is some CGI work done (such as the scenes with the army ants), most of the stunts were actually performed in the traditional manner. As I mentioned earlier, this allows the movie to keep a degree of realism throughout the adventure. Two scenes involving stuntwork that especially stick out in my mind is the chase scene through the jungle, and the fencing scene between Mutt and Spalko.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a film I would definitely recommend to all film viewers, both Indy and non-Indy fans alike. It is a wonderful blend of action, adventure, humor, great character interaction, and great camera work. The film has recently become available on DVD and Blu-Ray, so now is a great time to rent it. You will surely not be disappointed.

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