Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Karen Allen, Harrison Ford, John Hurt, Shia Labeouf
Rating: PG-13

Harrison Ford revives his role as Indiana Jones. (Courtesy photo)

It’s not often you get to walk into as high-profile a movie as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and know so little about the story. Director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas were very careful to keep the story a secret. After seeing Crystal Skull this weekend, I understand why: it’s dumb. There are many things that make the Indiana Jones franchise so delightful. But one of the least effective ingredients is the one given far too much time here: the supernatural. With 19 years to assess what worked and didn’t about the franchise, Spielberg and Lucas should have known better. Luckily, they also rekindle much of what did work in the previous films, making Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull turn out on the plus side.

What really worked in the previous films were the character relationships—especially between Indy and Marion in Raiders, and between Indy and his father in the Last Crusade. This time we get the wonderful return of Marion (Karen Allen, who most of us wish had never left). And we get the introduction of Mutt Williams (Shia Labeouf). Harrison Ford has always enjoyed sparring with younger actors, and he and Labeouf play off each other very nicely. Mutt tracks down Indy to help him free his mother and beloved professor Oxley (John Hurt) from capture in South America. Somehow they have stumbled upon the mystery of the crystal skull, said to give the power of mind control to the one who finds it. Indy and Mutt set out to free them, and run up against the same Russian communists who were pushing Indy around Roswell, N.M. earlier. Oh yes, folks. Roswell.

The good parts of Crystal Skull are great, but the bad parts are particularly bad. I don’t have any foundation for this accusation, but I get the feeling most of the really moronic stuff can be attributed to George Lucas. It’s not that Spielberg doesn’t make dubious creative choices. It’s just that Lucas hasn’t made a quality creative choice since the last millennium. And the bad choices within this Indy feel of a kind with the bad choices at work in the three most recent Star Wars movies. Don’t misunderstand me—Crystal Skull is far better than those train wrecks. But it isn’t nearly as good as it should be. There is way, way too much talk about the crystal skull, too much sloppy planning and figuring. Maybe it’s an impossible task to measure up to everyone’s expectations. But most of the mistakes made here are easily avoidable.

There aren’t any mistakes made in the casting, however. At first Harrison Ford seems a bit too old and wobbly. But he shapes up pretty fast. Ford has held onto his leading-man status beyond its natural expiration date, and it has hurt his legacy. Hopefully after this go as Indy he’ll settle into roles more appropriate to his age. But he still is terrific playing cinema’s greatest hero. Kate Blanchett is a plus as Irina Spalko, leader of the commie bad guys. I was hoping for more fireworks between her and Indy, but she ranks only short of Belloq among the best of his foes. Labeouf fits into the 1957 proceedings very comfortably. The plot may have been closely guarded, but it’s no secret that the future of the franchise is in his hands. Labeouf at age 22 is still a kid, and it’s doubtful he’ll ever become the kind of man’s man Ford is. But what he lacks in stature Labeouf makes up for with intelligent intensity. Karen Allen had actually moved on from acting, running her own knitwear design studio in Amherst, until Spielberg coaxed her back for this movie. Now 57, Allen is still lovely, but also refreshingly real-looking. And she still can give it to Indy like no other broad. Ray Winstone (Beowulf) is fun as sweaty, shifty Mac MacHale. And John Hurt handles the toughest part as the mentally addled professor Oxley.

In the short term, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should inaugurate a lot of new young Indiana Jones fans, while drawing mixed feelings from longtime fans. In the long run the hokey stuff will settle into the background and Crystal Skull should find a place of affection in the franchise. It’s meant to be a fun adventure and nothing more. Could Spielberg and Lucas come up with a more clever and thoughtful return of Indiana Jones? Could have and should have, but we’ll forgive them for old time’s sake.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.